Former President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” plan set to be released at 4 p.m. ET today. This announcement comes days before a Democrat-led Congressional Review Act resolution to nullify a national emergency declaration that his administration used to impose tariffs on those same imports from Canada. This piece of legislation was so well crafted, it has garnered bipartisan support. It underscores increasing concerns about the negative impacts of these tariffs on all affected industries, particularly on the whiskey industry in agricultural states.
The resolution would revoke Trump’s February declaration that allowed him to impose tariffs on hundreds of products. While this would indeed be an historic Senate vote, experts aren’t expecting it to have much of an impact. Regardless, any resolution passed would have a tough time gaining any sort of traction in the House of Representatives.
Against this political backdrop, craft distillers in Virginia have expressed their concerns about the tariffs. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) sounds the alarm that the effects would stretch far beyond any single company. He points out wider implications for the whiskey business and agricultural states. He added, “There’s never been a one-sided trade war and they always retaliate when it’s agriculture. And when it hits ag states, it hits them very, very hard… And whiskey.”
The congressional resolution is the latest, if not the most surprising, example of bipartisan pushback against Trump’s policies from within the Republican-controlled Senate. Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine have previously teamed up in support of the measure. Collins stressed the very real risk tariffs pose on her home state’s economy. She continued, “Our Maine economy is connected to Canada, our most vital trading partner. 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 tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies.”
Most importantly, many leading Republicans are going to support this resolution, starting with Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Energy Committee chair Lisa Murkowski. Yet, against that backdrop, Trump has personally attacked the initiative, actively calling on Republican legislators to vote against it. In a post on Truth Social, he directly named four Republicans—McConnell, Murkowski, Collins, and Paul—urging them to vote against the measure.
The specifics of how Trump’s new tariff levies will be applied are still up in the air. He threatened all countries with reciprocal tariffs and he has already delayed 25% tariffs for Mexico and Canada. So far, he has telegraphed tariffs on lumber, copper, pharmaceuticals and microchips. As negotiations continue on his proposed “Liberation Day” plan, the fate for the restaurant and other impacted industries hangs in the balance.
Finally, Kaine said he was worried by the current conversation on tariffs and their consequences. He implored that make no mistake Trump is already hearing from constituents hurt by these policies. “And I’m sure he is hearing the same thing… I would imagine he is hearing a mouthful from folks,” Kaine remarked.
