On Wednesday, the GOP-led Senate rejected a resolution designed to undo President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, an outcome that came down to attendance.
Two members who oppose the tariffs missed the vote — Sen. Shelton Whitehouse (D-RI), who was heading back from a conference in South Korea, and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — and the resolution failed to pass in a 49-49 tie.
A motion to reconsider the resolution at a future date followed, but Republicans moved to table it. Ultimately, Vice President JD Vance came in with a tie-breaking vote, ending the bid to undermine Trump’s tariffs.
The resolution, introduced by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), sought to terminate the national emergency declaration that Trump used to impose his “Liberation Day” tariffs in early April.
In a statement, Paul said tariffs “are taxes, and the power to tax belongs to…
