By Claire Overton, 22 News
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a resolution to rescind tariffs President Trump imposed on Canada last year.
The measure aims to terminate the emergency declaration used to justify the trade penalties.
The tariffs were established last February after Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency. The declaration was used to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
On Tuesday, House Democrats blocked a resolution introduced by House Republicans that would have prevented the repeal of the tariffs.
Congressman Richard Neal, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, indicated that the legislative outcome may change now that the measure is coming to the floor.
Neal spoke this afternoon about the likelihood of bipartisan support for the resolution. “I think you are going to find a sizable number of Republicans are likely to vote for this,” Neal said. “Republicans in recent American history have not liked tariffs.”
The push to rescind the trade penalties follows reports regarding the financial impact on U.S. households. Neal noted that the Tax Foundation highlighted how tariffs imposed last year added at least a $1,000 tax burden to the average American family.
If the resolution passes the House, it must be approved by the Senate and signed by the president before the rescission goes into effect.
