Five Senate Republicans joined Democrats Tuesday night in passing a resolution that would block President Donald Trump tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods from Brazil.
Legislative language blocks Trump's emergency declaration that imposed tariffs on most Brazilian imports account for 50%.
The measure passed by a vote of 52 to 48. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined 47 Democrats in supporting it.
Despite bipartisan support, Trump's rebuke in the Senate is largely symbolic, as the House is unlikely to pass it anytime soon, if at all. Last month, the House passed a measure that would block votes challenging Trump's tariffs for next year.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vote. The office of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the measure and whether it would be debated in the House after the block vote on tariffs expires.
Democrats forced a vote on a so-called privileged measure, meaning the majority party did not have to agree to a vote and only 51 votes were needed to pass the resolution.
The measure is similar to one The Senate passed in Aprilwhich would block Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods. Of the five Republicans who voted Tuesday to block the Brazil tariffs, all but Tillis voted with Democrats for the measure in April. This resolution failed to pass the House of Representatives.
Trump met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva this week in Malaysia, where both leaders suggested a trade deal between the two countries was likely.
Trump imposes tariffs on Brazil as an answer to the trial of his ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil Supreme Court voted Bolsonaro was sentenced last month to more than 27 years in prison after being found guilty of plotting a coup to stay in power after the country's 2022 elections.
Trump initially imposed a 10 percent tariff on Brazil in April, but he raised the rate to 50 percent in July due to Bolsonaro's trial.
