House Republicans voted in near lockstep Tuesday to again cede congressional power over tariffs to President Donald Trump.
A measure that effectively blocks challenges to Trump’s sweeping global tariff declarations through March 2026 was adopted on a 213-211 vote. The vote was gaveled down only after GOP whips had a drawn-out struggle on the floor with a band of Republicans who initially opposed the legislation before flipping to yes. The vote was held open for more than a half-hour as they worked to bring the members back on board.
GOP leaders flipped several of the Republican holdouts with a promise to add language shortening the block on tariff disapproval votes to a forthcoming measure set for approval later in the week, per two Republicans with direct knowledge of the agreement. The expiration date on the block will be reset from March 31 to the end of January, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday. It’s likely the Supreme Court will have ruled on a challenge to Trump’s tariff-declaring powers by then.
Three Republicans — Reps. Kevin Kiley of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana — ended up joining Democrats to oppose the measure, a “rule” that also teed up several Washington-related criminal justice bills for debate.
“I think this is a misuse of what rules are for, and I think it’s bad for the representative process,” Kiley said of the tariff provisions.
Speaker Mike Johnson later defended the House’s decision to defer its congressional authority on tariffs to Trump. “We’ll exercise it when appropriate,” he said, adding that Trump “has had the time and the ability to do what he’s needed to do, and he’s got some great trade agreements.”