Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) delivered remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday in support of a resolution sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) that would end President Donald Trump’s (R) emergency declaration imposing tariffs on Canada for not doing enough to stop illegal drugs from coming into the United States.
The Senate went on to approve this resolution 51-48 with support from all Democrats and four Republicans, including Sens. Collins, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Rand Paul (R-KY).
On February 1, President Trump declared an emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), citing a lack of effort from the Canadian government to prevent illegal drugs, including fentanyl, from coming across the border.
The IEEPA was originally enacted in 1977 and gives the president board authority to regulate economic transactions under a declared emergency.
This law also gives Congress the authority to terminate a president’s emergency declaration, but in light of a landmark Supreme Court ruling, they are only able to do so by adopting a joint resolution.
Until 2023, however, Congress had never attempted to terminate a president’s emergency declaration under the IEEPA. In fact, a report from the Congressional Research Service indicates that lawmakers had been known to ask the president to impose more sanctions under the Act, not less.
“The sustained influx of illicit opioids and other drugs has profound consequences on our Nation, endangering lives and putting a severe strain on our healthcare system, public services, and communities,” said Trump in his February executive order declaring an emergency under the IEEPA.
“This challenge threatens the fabric of our society,” he argued. “Canada has played a central role in these challenges, including by failing to devote sufficient attention and resources or meaningfully coordinate with United States law enforcement partners to effectively stem the tide of illicit drugs.”
“This national emergency requires decisive and immediate action, and I have decided to impose, consistent with law, ad valorem tariffs on articles that are products of Canada set forth in this order,” Trump declared.
An ad valorem tariff is one that is calculated based on the value of goods, as opposed to their size or weight.
The executive order goes on to lay out which products would be subject to a 10 percent tariff and which would be subject to a 25 percent tariff.
Although Canada was not subject to the new 10 percent global tariff baseline announced by the president Wednesday as part of what he dubbed “Liberation Day,” the tariffs implemented under the IEEPA will remain in effect until further notice.
In her speech on the Senate floor, Collins argued that these tariffs would be “detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies.”
She went on to explain that while she “share[s] the President’s goal of stemming the tide of dangerous fentanyl” and “commend[s] him for taking far stronger actions to halt this dangerous and deadly flow than did the previous administration,” she disagrees with invoking his authority under the IEEPA to impose tariffs on Canada.
“The fact is, the vast majority of fentanyl in America comes from the southern border,” she said. “In fiscal year 2024, less than 1 percent of fentanyl seizures occurred at our norther border, and our Canadian neighbors are working collaboratively and cooperatively with our government to stop that trafficking.”
Collins then went on cite several examples of the “intertwined relationship” between Maine and Canada, including the state’s 95 percent reliance on heating oil from Canadian refineries and 90 percent reliance on imported potato fertilizer.
She also noted that many “products are processed back and forth across the border as well,” including between $200 million and $400 million worth of lobster.
“I share the President’s goal of getting more of that manufacturing done in the State of Maine, done in the Untied States, but the fact is that if we impose these tariffs on Canadian processing, it’s going to be our Maine lobstermen who will bear the cost; it’s going to be consumers who bear the cost,” she said.
Collins also noted that “members of the tourism industry” had told her that they are “seeing cancellations by Canadian tourists, who have come for years to vacation in Maine,” suggesting that she doesn’t want to see these tourists “whoa re so vital to Maine’s economy” be discouraged “from vacationing in Maine because they are so angry at what has happened.”
She also explained that she believes there is “a strong case to be made” for tariffs on Mexico and China and underscored her support “for ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security has every tool at its disposal to stem the flow of fentanyl into our nation.”
“The price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they filled their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful,” Collins concluded. “And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least.”
The joint resolution overturning the president’s emergency declaration and connected tariffs on Canada will now go before the House of Representatives for approval, where Republicans currently have a five-vote majority.
In joining with Senators Murkowski, McConnell and Paul, Collins bucked Senate leadership on Wednesday’s vote as both Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Majority Barrasso (R-WY) tried unsuccessfully to hold the caucus in line.
“Canada is our friend and our ally,” Collins said earlier on Wednesday. “This is not China we’re talking about. It’s not an adversarial nation. It’s our biggest trading partner. This just makes no sense.”
You are stupid. You must like Maine kids to die from drugs.
She’s lost it. Could she possibly piss off any more voters? Democrats AND republicans hate her guts. Its almost like its on purpose, like a contest between senators to see who can out-dumb the others.
I will vote for ANYONE but Susan Collins . Anyone .
In a primary , in the general election .
ANYONE BUT SUSAN COLLINS
Decades of being useless. Go away Collins!
Poor girl, her brain cells have been on vacation for quite a time now.
Why doesn’t she just go sit on the other side of the aisle where she belongs.
I came to Maine in 1959 to attend collage. My parents did not graduate from high school. they did not know what to look for or were to look for a college. well there i was in a small Maine town, Looking at treelined streets, not asphalt streets and tall buildings. Four years later Dutch Elem Tree Deise was killing those tree lined streets and cheep southern labor
was starting to take the mills with their “salt of the earth jobs”.
Back home with a new degree and a new job. But now I began to notice the traffic, the dirty streets, and the lack of a friendly hello when walking apartment hallways. I noticed the Maine difference. A year latter and off to graduate school in New Hampshire. Back on the streets with friendly people, but the mills were still closing and the Elms were few and far between. Ran out of money with 6 credit hours to. No Student loans in those days, so back to work basically the same line of work, But for 27% less pay in Southern Maine, but I was not planning to stay in Maine, pay to low. But after a year of work , 6 more credits and a gradate degree we stayed in Maine. The trees were all but gone, no local sheets, and the local sneaker company left for China.
What has the Maine government done for me except my tax money and gave it to illegals.
Now we have failures for schools, potholes in the streets lobster men who can not make.
A Failed State thanks to KING, PINGREE, JARAID, COLLINS, AND OUR GOVERNOR.
Well Susan , you old potato picker, we the people prefer to keep the murderous terrorist cartels and their DEADLY poisons OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!
Susan Collins is part of the PROBLEM in Washington .
She is NOT part of the solution .
I will NEVER vote for Susan Collins again , under any circumstances.
She is a traitor to the Republican Party and nothing less .
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Susan Collins, Maine’s very own latter-day distaff Quisling. How did we ever get this lucky?
Suzie Dear, the Maine Lobstermen have borne the cost of Fentanyl.
I’ve helped bury a few — it’s the leading cause of death of Lobstermen under age 50.
And a tariff on IMPORTED lobster would help us, let’s can it here!
Jared Golden can’t be worse than her…
Gotta primary her OUT!
I am not how many lobsters we are buying from Canada these days but with EU tariff on Maine lobsters, we sell the quite a few of our lobsters to the processing plants in Canada. As for Susie can someone ask these folks if our tariffs are bad what do they think if tariffs on the USA. Probably to hard a question for them.
Surprise surprises …Susan does not want Trump to succeed. She obviously does not want America to succeed. She never fought this hard when Biden was destroying this country.That makes me think she has been bought and sold. She has tried to block almost all his nominees. She only wins because the last candidate was worse than her.
Collins owns a chain of lumberyards up in Aroostook County — she has a conflict of interest here.
Well if they are not adversarial then why don’t they secure the border and remove tariffs on Maine products?
I just got direct mail from Collins asking for money. I can’t wait to find out who is running against her, both in the primary and the general election, so that I can contribute to their campaign. She needs to sit on the other side of the aisle, and be a “good”, compliant Democrat.
omg, retire nd go away lady !!!! so im sure youd be ok if some fentynal came in through holton and your grandkids got some and died!?????? does it matter if it comes from the couth or our north border !???? stop it allll . if we stop subusadising canada they’ll shut down! they cant function with out our money. were the hoghest taxed state now and drugs going through the roof ! and our wonderfull maine democrats wannakeep pushing this marxist tranny crap onour kids!!! why dont you stop that you old hag!
This evil bitch obviously could care less about Maines children, or it’s citizens, it’s plain she works for her pocketbook and supports her marxist friends – it’s sad that she’s held her destructive position so long……..
Since when does the name Susan Collins and Maine, have anything to do with each other? She is sooooo out of touch with Maine and the people who regretfully voted for her…don’t come back to Maine , stay in DC….play with all the cool kids.
Soon to be PRIMARIED! Escaped southcoast MA to get away from this madness 26 years ago. Canada tariffed the US first. FAFO!
She and the other Maine Senator should have traveled to Gitmo together and picked out their own adjoining cells.
Some of my fellow conservative relatives, who have already moved out of the State of Maine, have recently asked me how Sue San Collins can possibly keep getting elected. I have, in the past, always responded with the “least of the two evils” argument and that she has to vote with the lefties once in a while on SOME issues or we will be stuck with a person with a (D) next to their title who would vote with the dems 100% of the time. Well, Sue San old girl, this is the last straw for me and my wife, we vow we will NEVER again cast another vote for you, it is obvious now that you and Uncle Joe from Delaware belong in a nursing facility that is under 24 hour surveillance. What is God’s name are you thinking girl ? One further thing, Sue San, do you and Janet Mills use the same brand of drinking water, if so, please advise the brand ??