Maine Senator Susan Collins is one of four Republicans to vote for a resolution to undo President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports.
Collins says she’s concerned about Trump’s decision to impose high tariffs on U.S. allies such as Canada.
“In general, one of my biggest concerns is we should be distinguishing between allies and our adversaries and not treating them the same way,” said Collins, according to The Hill.
Collins spoke for 13 minutes on the Senate floor before the vote in support of the resolution from Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, where she said the tariffs on Canada will hurt Maine’s economy and discourage Canadian tourists from vacationing in Maine.
“The Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner,” said Collins. “From home heating oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products, to Maine’s paper mills, forest products businesses, agricultural producers and lobstermen, the tariff’s on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economy,” said Collins.
The resolution does not have the force of law, but stood out for taking place on the same day President Trump announced a host of new tariffs.
Collins was joined in her vote by three other Republicans: Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.).
President Trump had earlier asked the four to vote with the rest of their Republican colleagues, claiming large amounts of Fentanyl travel through the Canadian border.
“Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
The resolution passed by a 51-48 margin.