The U.S. House of Representatives delivered a rare and stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, voting to terminate the national emergency declaration used to justify punitive tariffs on Canadian imports. In a 219–211 vote, the Republican-led chamber passed a resolution to roll back the 35% duties, marking a significant fracture in the President’s signature trade agenda as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
The bipartisan measure saw six Republicans, Reps. Don Bacon (NE), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Jeff Hurd (CO), Kevin Kiley (CA), Thomas Massie (KY), and Dan Newhouse (WA), defy their party leadership and join nearly all Democrats to approve the rollback. Conversely, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the sole Democrat to vote against the measure. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), specifically targets the “fentanyl emergency” Trump declared in February 2025 as a legal basis to bypass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The vote followed a day of intense pressure from the White House. Just minutes before the final tally, President Trump issued a warning on Truth Social, stating that any Republican who voted against the tariffs would “seriously suffer the consequences come Election time,” including potential primary challenges. Speaker Mike Johnson had attempted to block the vote through a procedural maneuver on Tuesday, but that effort collapsed when three Republicans broke ranks to allow the resolution to reach the floor.
While the vote is an important symbolic victory for critics of the administration’s trade policies, its immediate impact is limited. The resolution now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, having cleared the upper chamber twice last year. However, it lacks the two-thirds majority required to override a certain presidential veto. White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett signaled on Wednesday morning that the President “will make sure they don’t repeal his tariffs,” framing the duties as essential leverage for national security.
This legislative rebellion highlights growing domestic unease over the economic fallout of the North American trade war. With reports from the Congressional Budget Office suggesting that U.S. consumers bear 70% of the tariff costs through higher prices, the standoff between Congress and the Executive Branch is set to remain a central theme of the 2026 political calendar.
