WASHINGTON — Rep. Dan Newhouse on Wednesday joined a Democratic-led effort that would rescind tariffs President Donald Trump levied on Canada last year, breaking from his Republican colleagues in a largely symbolic condemnation of the White House policy that upended Washington state and U.S.-Canadian relations.
“Washington state’s economy is heavily intertwined with that of our neighbors to the North. Canada is our state’s second largest export market with billions of dollars in Washington commodities being sold there every year,” Newhouse said in a statement. “Our agricultural producers’ input and equipment prices have continued to climb, and Canada’s reciprocal tariffs and actions have harmed our state’s beer, wine and spirits industry.”
“While I understand the President’s approach to utilize tariffs as leverage to secure more trade deals, the fact of the matter remains the tariffs on Canada have harmed Washingtonians,” Newhouse, of Sunnyside, added.
Five other House Republicans voted to eliminate Trump’s increased tariffs against Canada. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, of Spokane, voted against the measure.
Newhouse and Baumgartner represent districts neighboring Canada, where some of the state’s border towns were hit especially hard after Trump’s tariffs tanked visits from Canadians. Washington state broadly reeled from the administration’s aggressive trade policy: Canada has historically been Washington state’s biggest trading partner, and the state’s shipping and tourism starkly declined soon after Trump announced tariffs.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, of New York, passed the House 219-211 and would end the national emergency declared by Trump last year that underpins his increased tariffs against Canada. It is largely symbolic; if the Senate passes the measure, it is unlikely to be signed into law by Trump.
All of Washington state’s Democratic U.S. representatives voted in favor.
“Today’s vote proves that Republicans knew all along that Trump’s tariffs were hurting their constituents but were too afraid to stand up to him,” Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Medina, said in a statement. “This is the first vote to restore congressional authority and repeal Trump’s tariffs.”
Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act last February to declare a national security emergency and impose tariffs of 25% on all imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10% on products from China.
He said the increased tariffs against Canada, China and Mexico are a necessary measure to fight an “extraordinary” threat of fentanyl and immigrants at the border, announcing in a statement that the White House is “using our leverage to ensure Americans’ safety.”
The move upended U.S.-Canadian relations. Fewer Canadians visited Washington state, and they spent less at Washington’s border-town businesses, according to Seattle Times reporting. Local businesses have struggled to keep up with tariff-associated price surges.
Though unlikely to be signed into law and have any tangible effect on imposed tariffs, the measure’s passage through the House reflects some GOP lawmakers’ discontent with Trump’s trade wars and their concerns about negative impacts in their districts.
Sixty percent of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration’s increased tariffs, according to polling by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.
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