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By Gabe Whisnant
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The Senate voted Thursday to roll back many of President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, marking a rare bipartisan rebuke of his trade policies just as Trump touted a new deal with China as a major economic win.
Four Republicans — Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — joined Democrats in approving Thursday’s resolution.
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Why It Matters
The 51-47 vote came hours after Trump, fresh from a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, announced that China would buy 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years. In exchange, he said, the United States would reduce tariffs on Chinese goods — a deal he described as bringing “prosperity and security to millions of Americans.”
What To Know
But on Capitol Hill, senators from both parties — including several Republicans — signaled growing frustration with Trump’s sweeping use of tariffs, which he imposed through national emergency declarations. The Senate’s latest resolution, which would effectively terminate most of those declarations and end many of the tariffs, followed earlier votes this week to repeal levies on Brazil and Canada. Though the measures are unlikely to take effect, they underscore deep divisions within the GOP over Trump’s trade strategy.
Paul, a longtime critic of broad executive powers, said he welcomed Trump’s decision to lower tariffs on China but argued that “it’s still much higher than we’ve had” and would continue to drive up consumer prices.
Democrats invoked a decades-old statute allowing Congress to rescind presidential emergencies to bring the resolutions to the floor. While the effort has succeeded in forcing uncomfortable votes for Republicans, it faces major procedural roadblocks.
House Republicans have adopted a rule blocking consideration of any tariff-related legislation until March 2026, effectively stopping the resolutions from advancing. Even if the measures were to reach Trump’s desk, he is widely expected to veto them.
Still, Democrats said the debate was an important step in exposing the economic pain caused by Trump’s trade policies.
“American families are being squeezed by prices going up and up and up,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. “In many ways, red states in rural areas are being hit the hardest.”
The votes highlighted rare fractures within the Republican conference. A similar resolution failed in April when McConnell was absent, resulting in a 50-50 tie broken by Vice President J.D. Vance in favor of tabling the measure.
This week, McConnell joined Paul, Murkowski and Collins in siding with Democrats on multiple resolutions targeting tariffs on Brazil and Canada. Republican Thom Tillis of North Carolina also backed the Brazil measure, though most Republicans have continued to defend Trump’s authority on trade.
“I agree with my colleagues that tariffs should be more targeted to avoid harm to Americans,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. But he praised Trump’s talks with Beijing, saying they were “bearing fruit” and highlighting China’s commitment to resume buying U.S. soybeans and allow exports of rare earth elements.
Republican senators from agricultural states offered cautious optimism about Trump’s deal with China, which promises 25 million metric tons of soybean purchases annually.
Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, called the deal “huge news” for farmers in his state and said it “absolutely” validated Trump’s aggressive use of tariff threats. But he also acknowledged that producers were still recovering from the trade war’s financial toll.
“It’s not like you can snap your fingers and send over $15 billion worth of sorghum and soybeans together overnight,” Marshall said.
China had been the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans before the trade dispute erupted. The 2024 total of nearly 27 million metric tons means Trump’s new deal would restore, but not exceed, previous export levels.
What People Are Saying
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, dismissed Trump’s China announcement as political spin: “Donald Trump has folded, leaving American families and farmers and small businesses to deal with the wreckage from his blunders — from his erratic, on-again-off-again tariff policies."
Paul credited Trump for decreasing the tariffs on China, but said the result is “still much higher than we’ve had.”: “It still will lead to increased prices."
What Happens Next
While Thursday’s Senate vote may have little immediate effect, it underscored a growing willingness among lawmakers — including Republicans — to question Trump’s reliance on tariffs as a cornerstone of U.S. trade policy.
Updates: 10/30/25, 2:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 10/30/25, 7:13 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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