Washington — The Senate is anticipated to vote Tuesday night on a measure that may block President Trump’s tariffs on Brazil, as Democrats search assist from a handful of Republicans keen to buck the president.
Led by Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, the invoice would terminate the nationwide emergency that the administration is utilizing to impose 50% tariffs on items from Brazil.
Kaine referred to as the emergency “unusual and extreme,” accusing the president of placing the order in place because of the “decision to prosecute Donald Trump’s friend.” He was referring to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in jail in September for trying a coup in 2022.
“If that’s an emergency, then anything is an emergency, and any president can make up anything and call it an emergency and then use massive powers to impose regulations or evade regulations,” Kaine instructed reporters Tuesday.
In July, Mr. Trump declared a nationwide emergency with respect to “recent policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Brazil” that he stated represent an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” The transfer got here throughout Bolsonaro’s trial.
Containers sit on the port of Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 22, 2025.
Fabio Teixeira/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures
The president cited a regulation referred to as the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act in his order. The act provides any senator the authority to drive a vote to problem the transfer, successfully bypassing Senate management. The payments want a easy majority to move.
The hassle is essentially symbolic, since it could should be taken up within the GOP-controlled Home. Home Republican leaders have taken steps to stop lawmakers from forcing a vote on the president’s tariffs within the decrease chamber.
The push within the Senate follows a vote in April, when 4 Republicans joined Democrats to approve a measure aimed toward blocking the Canada tariffs. These Republicans had been Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and former GOP chief Mitch McConnell, together with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican who cosponsored the laws. Later that month, an effort aimed toward blocking Mr. Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs fell quick, with two senators who had beforehand backed the tariff measure absent from the vote.
Kaine stated he would drive extra votes on Canadian tariffs and world tariffs all through the week as he pushes again on the administration and places stress on Senate Republicans.
“So the votes are about tariffs, and they’re about the economic destruction of tariffs, but they are also really about, how much will we let a president get away with?” Kaine stated. “Do my colleagues have a gag reflex or not, in terms of powers that constitutionally are handed to Congress?”
Whether or not Republicans assist the measure stays to be seen. On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance joined Senate Republicans for lunch to debate the tariff subject.
“The point that I made to my Republican colleagues, recognizing that there’s a diversity of opinions about it, is that the tariffs give us the ability to put American workers first,” Vance instructed reporters after the assembly. “They force American industry to reinvest in the United States of America, instead of a foreign country. They’re also incredible leverage for the president of the United States in negotiations these trade deals overseas.”
Requested in regards to the votes, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina instructed reporters that “most of it is a messaging exercise,” although he famous that he’s contemplating voting for the trouble to dam the Brazil tariffs.
Kaine stated he realized in the course of the first Trump administration that “the president is responsive to things like this.”
“When he sees Republicans starting to vote against his policies, even in small numbers, that makes an impression on him and can often cause him to alter his behavior,” he stated.
Grace Kazarian
contributed to this report.
