Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., talks with reporters after the Senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Paul defended his decision to cross party lines in a speech on the Senate floor in which he quoted American revolutionary James Otis in saying, "Taxation without representation is tyranny." The senator said it was that longstanding principle that originated from the Magna Carta that sparked the American revolution and was incorporated into the Constitution by the Founding Fathers.
"And yet today, we are here before the Senate because one person in our country wishes to raise taxes," Paul said. "Well, this is contrary to everything our country was founded upon. One person is not allowed to raise tax. The Constitution forbids it."
Paul said the Founding Fathers "so feared the power of taxation that they gave it only to Congress."
"I stand against the idea of skipping democracy, of skipping the constitutional republic, of rejecting our founding principles, not because I have any animus towards the president," Paul said. "I do this because I love my country, and I want to see the division of power enabled such that it protects us all from the amalgamation of power into one person such that it can be abused. Another name for emergency rule is martial law."
President Donald Trump signs two executive orders during a Make America Wealthy Again event in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Democratic Party has been battling an identity crisis since November’s election resulted in Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House.
As Democrats strategized on how to emphasize Republican internal divisions, Kaine used one of the few ways the minority party could force a floor vote. Congress has the authority to overturn emergency resolutions.
The measure opposing Trump's tariffs on Canada passed hours after the president hosted a "Make America Wealthy Again" event in which he announced an executive order instituting "reciprocal tariffs" on various countries.
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"In the face of unrelenting economic warfare, the United States can no longer continue with a policy of unilateral economic surrender. We cannot pay the deficits of Canada, Mexico, and so many other countries. We used to do it. We can't do it anymore. We take care of countries all over the world," Trump said. "But we have to take care of our people, and we're going to take care of our people first."
"Today we're standing up for the American worker, and we are finally putting America first," he added.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-approves-resolution-against-trumps-canada-tariffs-hours-after-liberation-day-event