TARIFF TROUBLE

Dems Pick First Target in Plot to Tear Trump’s Agenda Apart

The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee is ready to pounce.

Democrats have set their sights on the first piece of President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda for repeal.

The 80-year-old’s trade war with Canada threatened a long-standing relationship with our northern neighbor and devolved into ugly taunts about the U.S. absorbing Canada as its 51st state. The tariffs are now on the chopping block, according to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden.

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The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee told The Wall Street Journal that “there is overwhelming support for repealing the tariffs on products from Canada.”

Wyden noted he is already coordinating with colleagues on legislation to roll back Trump’s second-term levies once he assumes the committee chairmanship in January.

The legislative push follows an election in which victorious Democrats campaigned heavily against the Canada trade conflict. Tariffs emerged as central issues in border states like Michigan, Maine, and Alaska, driving even Republican candidates to break with the administration under pressure from local voters.

During the campaign, Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers released an ad opposing the levies while holding a Canadian beer brewed across the border. “Drinking a Labatt and watching the Red Wings, man, it just doesn’t get any more Michigan than that,” Rogers said in the spot.

“And here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war now,” he added, before attacking his opponent, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who ultimately won the seat.

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While taking the majority gives Democrats control of the congressional agenda, passing legislation requires navigating tight margins.

A simple majority allows Democrats to set committee schedules and launch inquiries, but passing bills still requires 60 votes to overcome a Senate filibuster.

Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds supermajority—290 House votes and 67 Senate votes. With Democrats holding 253 House seats and 54 Senate seats, any major bill faces a veto threat unless significant numbers of Republicans cross party lines.

Despite those parliamentary hurdles, Wyden and key allies view the Canada tariffs as the most viable opportunity to peel off Republican votes and build momentum toward a potential veto override. The measure is intended as the opening salvo in a broader effort to constrain executive trade authority.

“Ultimately,” Wyden stated, “Congress must take away the president’s ability to unilaterally and arbitrarily impose tariffs.”

The dispute threatens to escalate before the new Congress convenes in January. After imposing tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods and restricting certain Canadian products from U.S. markets, Trump warned he would double tariffs on Canadian vehicles if a bilateral deal is not finalized before inauguration. Lawmakers indicate such a move would accelerate repeal efforts on Capitol Hill.

Bilateral trade negotiations collapsed in August following friction over U.S. demands. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney subsequently noted that Canada must re-evaluate its strategic posture toward the U.S. in light of repeated administration rhetoric regarding Canadian sovereignty.

Meanwhile, rather than resuming formal negotiations, Trump proposed renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

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