A U.S. Senate that can’t bring itself to reopen the government managed to pass a bill Tuesday to throw a wrench into President Donald Trump’s tactics of using tariffs as a tool of foreign policy.
In a 52-48 vote, the chamber controlled by Trump’s Republican Party passed a Democratic-led measure to end emergency powers Trump invoked to place a 50 percent tariff on goods from Brazil, according to Fox News.
It’s a largely symbolic measure at this point, but Democrats still couldn’t have succeeded without the help of five Republicans.
The names are likely to be familiar to any American who follows American politics:
They were Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
All have established reputations for either bucking the Republican Party line, clashing with Trump, or both. As one Trump-supporting social media user wrote, “Thankfully, we get to replace two of them with MAGA Senators when they retire next year.”
The Senate just voted to overturn Trump’s tariffs on Brazil, with five RINOs joining Democrats:
Rand Paul
Susan Collins
Mitch McConnell
Lisa Murkowski
Thom TillisThankfully, we get to replace two of them with MAGA Senators when they retire next year. pic.twitter.com/2rJOaL9vYk
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 28, 2025
While carrying the Republican label, Collins and, especially, Murkowski often act more as independent senators who caucus with the Republican Party.
Should GOP lawmakers give Trump as much room to maneuver as possible under the law?
Paul is also a maverick, but from the libertarian end of the conservative spectrum.
McConnell, the former Senate Republican leader, and Tillis have locked horns often with Trump in the past.
Both have announced their retirements from the Senate.
The five cast their votes even after a Capitol Hill visit by Vice President J.D. Vance, who urged Republicans to support Trump’s use of emergency powers during a lunch behind closed doors.
“To vote against that is to strip that incredible leverage from the president of the United States,” Vance said after the meeting, according to Fox. “I think it’s a huge mistake and I know most of the people in there agree with me.”
Trump has framed his use of tariffs against other countries as a means to ensure fair trade for the U.S. economy.
Paul, according to Fox, explained his vote by arguing Trump’s use of emergency powers in the tariffs case was inappropriate.
“Emergencies are like war, famine, tornado,” he said, according to Fox. “Not liking someone’s tariffs is not an emergency.”
He also cited procedural issues.
“Tariffs are an import tax, they are a tax, not a tax on China,” he said, according to Fox. “It’s a tax on the people who buy stuff from China, which are mostly Americans. Taxes are supposed to originate in the House, so I will continue to vote to end the emergency.”
Tuesday’s vote came as the government shutdown engineered by Senate Democrats was entering its fourth week after beginning Oct. 1.
The bill must still be considered by the House, which has ruled out any legislation dealing with Trump’s tariffs until January, according to Fox.
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