Democrats Line Up Bills and Probes to Roll Back Trump’s Tariffs, Starting With Canada

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (TodayViralUSA) — Democrats are preparing to make President Donald Trump’s tariffs one of their first targets when they take control of Congress in January, readying legislation to reclaim lawmakers’ authority over trade and a wave of investigations into how the administration has handed out tariff exemptions.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the likely next speaker, has called ending the tariffs a top priority. “We should restore congressional authority as it relates to tariffs, because the Trump tariffs are making life more expensive for the American people,” he said in August. If elected speaker, Jeffries would fast-track legislation reasserting Congress’ power over trade as part of a first-100-hours legislative push, CNBC reported.

Canada first

The duties on Canadian goods are expected to be among the first in Democrats’ sights. Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan said Thursday that ending the trade war with Canada is something Democrats “absolutely have to do immediately.” Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has called repealing the Canada tariffs “one of the most obvious priorities.”

One vehicle is Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s “End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act,” which would repeal the 1930 statute underpinning the Canada tariffs and the 1974 trade law used for Trump’s temporary 10% global tariff, and would require refunds of duties collected under them, according to Reuters.

Investigations into exemptions

Committee gavels will also give Democrats new oversight tools. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to Trump on Oct. 28 seeking records on tariff relief granted to more than a dozen industries, accusing the president of cutting “sweetheart deals” with companies whose leaders courted him with gifts. He requested the records by Nov. 11.

The veto problem

Democrats’ biggest obstacle is Trump’s veto. Overriding one requires two-thirds majorities in both chambers, meaning Democrats would need substantial Republican support to enact tariff repeals over the president’s objection. Trade specialists say the party could instead attach tariff provisions to must-pass bills or negotiate with the administration, while symbolic votes could help build a case heading into 2028. The tariffs also continue to face multiple court challenges.