By stretching one congressional day to 7,056 hours and claiming it’s the only day left in the session, Republicans have ensured that no vote can be forced to overturn Trump’s national emergency — keeping his tariff war locked in place.
Here’s a public service announcement to American farmers, particularly those living in GOP-controlled congressional districts: Whatever damages tariffs do to your farming bottom line going forward, you can absolutely, unequivocally, lay blame at the clay feet of the GOP.
It has become almost impossible to keep up with the tit for tat, on again-off again tariff war started by the U.S. against a host of nations including Mexico, Canada, Columbia, the European Union, and China.
But farmers and ranchers are well aware that American agriculture often bears much of the brunt of trade penalties, a lesson learned during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House to the tune of an estimated $27 billion in lost exports. Seeking re-election, POTUS handed out billions of dollars in subsidies aimed at offsetting those trade-war losses. That cash didn’t make all farmers fiscally whole.
Now Trump is at it again, increasing tariffs on most all China exports to around 30%. Predictably, China responded with tariffs of its own targeting among other products U.S. chicken, pork, wheat, corn, soybeans, beef, and fruit.
You can just bet U.S. farmers ain’t saying, “Oh goodie.” And I imagine they’re giving their GOP representatives an earful.
This tariff fiasco wouldn’t be possible except for the president signing an executive order on Feb. 1 declaring a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act against illegal drugs, including fentanyl, smuggled into the U.S. The order ignited tariff wars specifically against China, Mexico and Canada.
But Congress has the power to overturn national emergencies through the approval of a joint resolution. And the White House is powerless to stop a vote.
In early March, New York Democrat Rep. Gregory Meeks along with other House Democrats filed privileged resolutions to do so. Such resolutions must be brought to the House floor within 15 days — no exceptions allowed.
Which puts GOP House members in a tough spot. Do you vote on the record supporting Trump’s trade war and massively angering farmer constituents, which in many rural districts, put you in office? Or do you support your constituents and risk facing a Trump-backed MAGA candidate as a primary opponent in 2026?
Let me introduce you to the GOP new math. Buried into their stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown is language preventing any member of Congress from terminating the national emergency over fentanyl by declaring the remaining days this year in the 119th Congress are not calendar days…but rather just a single day.
Republicans say one congressional day is roughly 7,056 hours — give or take. And because there is just one day remaining in Congress this year, Democrats can’t force a privileged resolution vote on ending the national emergency on fentanyl and the associated tariffs whipsawing U.S. farmers. Remember, there is a 15-day waiting period to force a privileged resolution vote.
Senate Democrats agonized over whether to support the House passed stopgap spending bill or force a government shutdown. On March 14, the Senate voted 62-38, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans to put the measure over the 60-vote threshold needed to bypass a filibuster. On final passage, the bill cleared the Senate 54-46.
For the rest of 2025, no federal lawmaker can force a floor vote through the use of a privileged resolution on Trump’s Feb. 1 executive order creating a national emergency.
Politically, the GOP mindset is obvious.
The House GOP stands with Trump and opposes farmers when it comes to all this tariff malarky. The result is that U.S. farmers will be breathing, eating, living, and bearing the pain of a tariff war throughout 2025 and perhaps far longer.
Back in 2018 Trump declared:
“When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore — we win big. It’s easy!”
I’m betting farmers don’t share your optimism Mr. President. Truth be told — trade wars are easy to start. Winning? Not so much.
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