Senate GOP Kills Bid to Block Tariffs After 49-49 Tie; VP Vance Flies In for the Save

So, the US economy is showing signs of shrinking, global markets have been doing panic-attack-level plunges, businesses are freaking out, allies are retaliating, China trade relations are a dumpster fire... all largely thanks to President Trump's chaotic "Liberation Day" tariffs (even with the 90-day pause for most countries). You'd think maybe, just maybe, Congress might want to step in and assert some control, right?

Well, Senate Democrats tried exactly that yesterday, Wednesday, April 30th. They forced a vote on a resolution designed to block Trump's global tariffs by terminating the "national economic emergency" he used as justification to impose them in the first place. It was a chance for Senators, especially Republicans who had privately grumbled or publicly expressed "unease" about the tariffs' negative impact on their home states, to actually do something.

And what happened? Pure political theater culminating in a nail-biting 49-to-49 tie.

Yes, you read that right. A dead heat. All 47 voting Democrats were joined by three Republicans – Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Rand Paul (Kentucky) – who apparently decided that maybe, just maybe, plunging the economy into chaos wasn't a great idea. (Notably, GOP Senator Mitch McConnell, a tariff critic who voted for blocking Canada-specific tariffs earlier, was absent due to illness, as was Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, denying Democrats the potential win).

But a tie isn't enough. Enter the tie-breaker: Vice President JD Vance. He reportedly had to physically come to the Capitol to cast the deciding 50th vote, killing the resolution and ensuring Trump's tariff authority (and the ongoing economic uncertainty) remains unchecked by Congress for now. Republicans then held another procedural vote, again requiring Vance's tie-breaker, just to make sure Democrats couldn't bring the resolution up again. Talk about determination to not intervene.

The justifications were... predictable. Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren slammed the tariffs as "madness," a "fake emergency," and pushing the economy "off a cliff," accusing Republicans of choosing loyalty to Trump over their constituents' well-being.

Many Republicans, meanwhile, dismissed the resolution as a "political stunt" by Democrats, even while acknowledging the tariffs were causing problems back home. Some, like Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), argued they were willing to give Trump "an opportunity to prove that the new system works," essentially crossing their fingers and hoping for the best while the economic indicators flash red. GOP leadership reportedly urged their members to vote against the resolution, despite the known economic risks and internal skepticism.

So, let's recap the WTF-ness:

1. The President's signature trade policy causes immediate, widespread economic turmoil and international backlash.

2. Senators from his own party express significant concerns about the negative impacts.

3. When given a direct chance to vote to block the policy via emergency powers resolution...

4. Enough Republicans vote against blocking it (or are absent) to create a tie...

5. Requiring the Vice President to physically show up and cast the deciding vote to keep the chaos-inducing policy authority in place.

It's a masterclass in political loyalty trumping policy concerns, even when those concerns involve potential recession and harm to constituents. The Senate had a chance to grab the steering wheel as the car veered towards a cliff, and instead, the majority (thanks to the VP) seemingly decided to just press harder on the accelerator. Absolutely baffling.

Sources:

• AP News. "The Senate votes down resolution to block Trump's global tariffs amid economic turmoil." April 30, 2025.

• UPI. "Vance breaks tie to block resolution to end tariffs; Trump warns about shortages." April 30, 2025