Defecting Republicans tanked a leadership-backed measure on Tuesday night that would have blocked future attempts to restrict President Donald Trump’s tariff authority.

The vote’s failure means House members can still advance legislation reining in Trump’s ability to declare national emergencies, his preferred legal method of imposing tariffs.

The rule vote Tuesday was an attempt to revive an effective prohibition on anti-tariff measures, which expired at the end of January.

Specifically, the rule contained a provision to block members from advancing resolutions for “terminating a national emergency declared by the President” until July.

Trump has declared national emergencies under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act as a legal justification for imposing tariffs. The Supreme Court is currently ruling on the legality of this use of a 1977 law.

The House voted 217-214 to reject the rule, with three Republicans defecting. Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Kevin Kiley of California, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky sided with all Democrats in rejecting the rule. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., did not vote.

“I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs,” wrote Bacon on X after the vote. “Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive........

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