¶ Overview
- Salazar defended Trump’s tariffs claiming: “I am sure that it is going to be beautiful in the end.” Then, she voted six times to protect the tariffs, including in April 2025 when she was the deciding vote to protect them, dooming Florida families who relied on her to a trade war and spooking businesses. Meanwhile, Trump’s tariffs were increasing prices for Floridians and hurting Florida’s tourism revenue.
¶ Salazar Backed Trump’s Tariffs While They Raised Prices On Floridians
¶ Salazar thought trump’s tariffs were “going to be beautiful in the end”
Salazar Defended Trump’s Tariffs And Said “I Am Sure That It Is Going To Be Beautiful In The End.” According to the Floridian Press, "‘Remember that only Trump and a couple of other presidents like [James] Madison and [Abraham] Lincoln. Lincoln said, 'Give me a tariff, and I will give you a wonderful country,’ Rep. Salazar continued, adding, ‘So this is just a diplomatic tool that [Trump] is using, just like any other president, and I am sure that it is going to be beautiful in the end, like the President would say. I mean, empirical evidence says it: everyone needs access to the United States market.’" [Floridian Press, 4/20/25]
4/21/25: Salazar Reiterated Her Support For Trump’s Use Of Tariffs As A Negotiation Tool. According to a post on Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s Twitter,
[Twitter, @RepMariaSalazar, 4/21/25]
¶ Salazar Repeatedly Voted To Protect Trump’s Tariffs
¶ February 2026: Salazar Voted To Protect Trump’s Tariffs
2026: Salazar Effectively Voted Against Terminating Tariffs On Canada. In February 2026, Salazar voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the joint resolution that would terminate the Feb. 1, 2025, national emergency that imposed tariffs on goods from Canada.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the joint resolution by a vote of 219 to 211. [House Vote 65, 2/11/26; Congressional Quarterly, 2/11/26; Congressional Actions. H.J. Res. 72]
2026: Salazar Effectively Voted To Block Floor Votes On Terminating Tariffs Enacted Through Trump’s 2025 Executive Orders. In February 2026, Salazar voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the rule (H Res 1042) providing for floor consideration of the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act (HR 2189), the Undersea Cable Protection Act (HR 261), and the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act (HR 3617). […] It also would block the expedited consideration of joint resolutions terminating President Donald Trump's 2025 tariff actions under the Feb. 1, April 2, July 30, and Aug. 6 executive orders by providing that each day during the period from Feb. 10, 2026 through July 31, 2026, will not constitute a calendar day under the federal law pertaining to terminating national emergencies.” The vote was on the rule. The House rejected the rule by a vote of 214 to 217. [House Vote 60, 2/10/26; Congressional Quarterly, 2/10/26; Congressional Actions. H.Res. 1042]
- The Provision Was Added To A Rule Opening Debate On Three Unrelated Bills. According to Reuters, “Lawmakers voted 217-214 to derail the plan to bar tariff challenges through July 31, with three Republicans joining 214 Democrats in opposition. The prohibition was included in a measure intended to open debate on three unrelated bills.” [Reuters, 2/11/26]
- The House Adopted A Rule In March Of Last Year Barring Tariff Challenges That Expired In January Resulting In Speaker Johnson Calling Another Extension, Through This Rule, “Necessary.” According to Reuters, “Earlier in the day, Johnson told reporters that he expected the measure to pass the House, calling it necessary in view of an expected Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the tariffs. House Republicans first adopted a rule barring tariff challenges last March and later extended it through January.” [Reuters, 2/11/26]
- The Rule That Barred Tariffs Challenges Did Not Consider Days As “Calendar Days”, Blocking Democrats From Repealing Trump’s Declared National Emergency That Allowed For His Broad Tariffs. According to the Hill. “Trump declared national emergencies as a basis for implementing his broad-based global tariffs, as well as specific tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. The National Emergencies Act dictates that Congress can use joint resolutions to repeal a national emergency, and outlines procedures to expedite that action after a certain number of calendar days. Multiple times last year, GOP leaders inserted language into procedural rule legislation to not count a ‘calendar day’ for the purposes of the National Emergencies Act until a specific date, blocking members from forcing action to repeal the tariffs. That prohibition expired at the end of January as GOP leaders faced resistance from Republicans. The latest attempt would have reinstated that prohibition until July 31, 2026.” [Reuters, 2/11/26]
- Johnson Delayed The Vote From 1:30 PM To 8:30 PM In An Attempt To Flip Votes. According to the Hill, “Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was unable to win over the holdouts, despite delaying the vote from 1:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.” [The Hill, 2/10/26]
¶ September 2025: Salazar Voted To Protect Trump’s Tariffs
2025: Salazar Effectively Voted For A Procedural Trick To Block Votes On The Reversal Of Trump’s Tariffs Through March 2026. In September 2025, Salazar voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the resolution [that] would allow for the tolling (the pausing of counting) of days for resolutions of inquiry from Sept. 30, 2025 through March 31, 2026. It also would provide that each day during the period from April 9, 2025, through March 31, 2026. would not constitute a calendar day for the purposes of section 202 of the National Emergencies Act with respect to a joint resolution to terminate President Donald Trump's April 2, 2025 executive order declaring a national emergency regarding tariffs on imported goods. The resolution also would provide that during the period for March 11, 2025 through March 31, 2026, would not constitute a calendar day for purposes of section 202 of the National Emergencies Act with respect to a joint resolution terminating a national emergency executive order declared by President Trump on Feb. 1, 2025. Such an executive order concerned tariffs on many Canadian and Mexican imports and Chinese goods. The resolution also would provide that the provisions of section 202 of the National Emergencies Act would not apply through March 31, 2026 to a joint resolution terminating the national emergency.” The vote was on the rule. The House agreed to the rule by a vote of 213 to 211. [House Vote 268, 9/16/25; Congressional Quarterly, 9/16/25; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 707; Congressional Actions, H.Con. Res. 14]
- Support Was Won From GOP Holdouts Through A Promise Of A Vote Later In The Week To Shorten The Block To End In January Rather Than March. According to Politico, “GOP leaders flipped several of the Republican holdouts with a promise to add language shortening the block on tariff disapproval votes to a forthcoming measure set for approval later in the week, per two Republicans with direct knowledge of the agreement. The expiration date on the block will be reset from March 31 to the end of January, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday. It’s likely the Supreme Court will have ruled on a challenge to Trump’s tariff-declaring powers by then.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
¶ April 2025: Salazar Cast The Deciding Vote To Protect Trump’s Tariffs
2025: Salazar Cast The Deciding Vote For A Procedural Trick To Block Votes On The Reversal Of Trump’s Tariffs Through September 2025. In March 2025, Salazar voted for, “adoption of the rule (H Res 313) that would provide for floor consideration of the Senate amendment to the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). The rule would provide up to one hour of debate on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the measure. It also would block the expedited consideration of joint resolutions terminating President Donald Trump’s tariff actions under the April 2 executive order by providing that each day during the period from April 9, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2025, will not constitute a calendar day under the federal law pertaining to terminating national emergencies.” The vote was on the rule. The underlying legislation was the FY 2025 budget resolution. The House agreed to the rule by a vote of 216 to 215. [House Vote 94, 4/9/25; Congressional Quarterly, 4/9/25; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 313; Congressional Actions, H.Con. Res. 14]
- Speaker Johnson Backed The Move, Claiming Trump Has “Executive Authority” And That The Tariffs Are “In The Interest Of The American People.” According to ABC News, “House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended the move, telling reporters, ‘I've made it very clear I think the president has executive authority. It's an appropriate level of authority to deal with the unfair trade practices. That's part of the role of the president is to negotiate with other countries.’ Johnson said Trump told him Tuesday night that ‘there are almost 70 countries that are [in] some stage in negotiation of more fair-trade agreement agreements with the United States. I think that is in the interest of the American people. I think that is an ‘America First’ policy that will be effective, and so we have to give them the space to do it.’” [ABC News, 4/9/25]
- The Vote Was The Second Use Of The Procedural Tactic To Block Votes On The Tariffs, The First Use Of It Being In March. According to ABC News, “House Democrats, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., moved to force a vote on Tuesday on terminating the national emergency authority and blocking Trump's sweeping tariffs. Now, that vote is unlikely to occur. This is the second time Johnson has moved to stop the legislative calendar to prevent votes on Trump's authority on tariffs. Under House rules, these votes would typically come up within 15 calendar days but now will not if the ‘rule’ passes during the vote series Wednesday afternoon.” [ABC News, 4/9/25]
¶ If One “Aye” Vote Had Switched To A “No” On House Vote 94 The Measure Would Have Failed Instead Of Passing
The Measure Considered In House Vote 94 Passed By A Vote Of 216 “Ayes” To 215 “Nos,” Which Meant If One Aye Vote Had Switched To A No Vote The Measure Would Have Failed.
[House Vote 94, 4/9/25; Congressional Quarterly, 4/9/25; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 313; Congressional Actions, H.Con. Res. 14]
¶ April 2025: Salazar Voted To Protect Trump’s Tariffs
2025: Salazar Effectively Voted For A Procedural Trick To Block Votes On The Reversal Of Trump’s Tariffs Through September 2025. In April 2025, Salazar voted for, “motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 313) that would provide for floor consideration of the Senate amendment to the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). The rule would provide up to one hour of debate on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the measure. It also would block the expedited consideration of joint resolutions terminating President Donald Trump’s tariff actions under the April 2 executive order by providing that each day during the period from April 9, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2025, will not constitute a calendar day under the federal law pertaining to terminating national emergencies.” The vote was on the previous question. The House agreed to the rule by a vote of 217 to 212. [House Vote 93, 4/9/25; Congressional Quarterly, 4/9/25; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 313]
¶ March 2025: Salazar Voted To Protect Trump’s Tariffs
2025: Salazar Voted To Disapprove An IRS Rule That Established Reporting Requirements For Digital Asset Proceeds And To Effectively Block Votes On The Reversal Of Trump’s Tariffs. In March 2025, Salazar voted for, “the bill that would provide for Congressional disapproval of, and nullify, a December 2024 IRS rule related to gross proceeds reporting by brokers involved in digital asset sales. The rule imposed reporting requirements, beginning in 2027, on non-custodial brokers who participate in the decentralized digital asset market. It also required brokers to file information returns and provide payee statements reporting gross proceeds from certain digital asset sales and transactions.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 292 to 132. [House Vote 71, 3/11/25; Congressional Quarterly, 3/11/25; Congressional Actions, H.J. Res. 25]
- The Bill Effectively Blocked The House From Voting To Reverse Trump’s Tariffs On Mexico, Canada, And China For The Next Year. According to the New York Times, “Republican leaders on Tuesday slipped language into a procedural measure that would prevent any resolution to end the tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China from receiving a vote this year. It passed on party lines as part of a resolution that cleared the way for a vote later Tuesday on a government spending bill needed to prevent a shutdown at the end of the week.” [New York Times, 3/11/25]
- The Bill Nullified A Law That Would Allow The House And Senate To End A Disaster Declared By The President. According to the New York Times, “In this case, Republican leaders did so using a particularly unusual contortion: They essentially declared the rest of the year one long day, nullifying a law that allows the House and Senate to jointly put an end to a disaster declared by the president.” [New York Times, 3/11/25]
- The National Emergencies Act Required Consideration Of Resolutions Ending A Presidentially Declared Emergency Within Fifteen Calendar Days But Republican Leadership Included A Measure In The Bill Declaring The Rest Of The Year Did Not Constitute A Calendar Day. According to the New York Times, “The national emergency law lays out a fast-track process for Congress to consider a resolution ending a presidential emergency, requiring committee consideration within 15 calendar days after one is introduced and a floor vote within three days after that. But the language House Republicans inserted in their measure on Tuesday declared that, ‘Each day for the remainder of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day’ for the purposes of the emergency that Mr. Trump declared on Feb. 1.” [New York Times, 3/11/25]
¶ Trump’s Tariffs Were Increasing Prices For Floridians s And Hurting Florida’s Tourism Revenue
Tax Foundation Found Trump’s Tariffs Amounted To A $1,000 Tax Increase On Americans In 2025 And Was Projected To Be A $1,300 Tax Increase On Americans In 2026. According to the Tax Foundation, "President Trump has imposed International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on US trading partners, including China, Canada, Mexico, and the EU. In addition, he has threatened and imposed Section 232 tariffs on autos, heavy trucks, steel, aluminum, lumber, furniture, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and copper, among others. The Trump tariffs amount to an average tax increase per US household of $1,000 in 2025 and $1,300 in 2026." [Tax Foundation, 2/6/26]
- HEADLINE: “Tariffs, Food Prices Make For Uneasy Start To Lucrative Florida Winter Tourism, Holiday Season” [Palm Beach Post, 10/13/25]
- HEADLINE: “Trump Tariffs Have Florida Experts Concerned About Rising Costs” [WFSU, 7/13/25]
- HEADLINE: “How Donald Trump’s Tariffs Will Impact Florida: ‘Economic Hurricane’” [Newsweek, 4/4/25]
- HEADLINE: “Tariffs On Canada, Mexico, China Likely To Hit Florida Consumers More Than Other States” [Palm Beach Post, 3/6/25]
- A Florida-Based Taxpayer Research Institute Reported That Grocery Prices Could Go Up 10 To 15 Percent As A Result Of Trump’s Tariffs. According to WUSF, “Florida TaxWatch, a Tallahassee-based taxpayer research institute, recently released a report that found tariffs could impact costs across products in Florida. They project the price of new cars could go up at least $6,000 - $7,000. Grocery bills could go up 10 to 15%. Dominic Calabro, the group's CEO, expects Trump's plan to have a significant short-term impact in the state.” [WUSF, 7/13/25]
Florida Coffee Roasters Dealt With The Tariffs By Hiking Their Prices For Consumers. According to the Guardian, "Sweetwater Organic Coffee Company, a coffee-roasting company based in Gainesville that supplies coffee to several grocery stores, coffee shops and restaurants in the area, was already anticipating having to hike prices as coffee costs had just hit a record high before the tariffs were enacted. ‘All of our fellow importers with whom I have spoken will be passing the cost of tariffs along to their roastery clients. Our margins at the importing and roasting point in the supply chain are quite slim in normal times, and I know no one who will or can absorb these tariff costs on behalf of the next point in the supply chain,’ said Bill Harris, chief financial officer of Sweetwater." [Guardian, 4/9/25]
2025: Following The Announcement Of Tariffs Against Canada, Travel Among Canadians To The State Of Florida Had Decreased Substantially When Compared To The Same Time Period Last Year. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, "U.S. government statistics show the number of Canadians crossing the border dropped 12.5% in February compared with 2024, with a particularly sharp fall-off in drivers, down more than 15% compared with last year. Future passenger bookings for flights from Canada to the U.S. from April to September 2025 are down more than 70% compared to the same period last year, according to airline statistics site OAG, with a 75.7% drop for April alone." [Tallahassee Democrat, 4/8/25]
¶ Trump’s Tariffs Contributed To “Mega-Layoffs” Across The United States
October 2025: Employers Cut 153,000 Jobs In A Series Of “Mega-Layoffs.” “’We’re entering new territory with these layoffs in October,’ said John Challenger, CEO of the consulting firm that tracks job losses. ‘We haven’t seen mega-layoffs of the size that are being discussed now — 48,000 from UPS, potentially 30,000 from Amazon — since 2020 and before that, since the recession of 2009. When you see companies making cuts of this size, it does signal a real shift in direction.’ (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Recent layoffs, the data shows, have been concentrated in technology, retail, service and warehousing jobs. Employers announced more than 153,000 job cuts last month, a 183 percent increase from the month before, marking the worst October for layoffs since 2003, the Challenger report said.” [Washington Post, 11/6/25]
- Bloomberg Reported Corporations Have Cited Tariffs As A Reason For Layoffs. “US companies announced the most job cuts for any October in more than two decades as artificial intelligence reshapes industries and cost-cutting accelerates, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. … Others are focused on removing layers of management, reducing the hangover from the pandemic-fueled hiring bloat and protecting profit margins from the added costs of tariffs. While many expected increased levies to drive up prices, many employers have absorbed the price increases and instead chosen to cut costs from labor and other parts of their businesses.” [Bloomberg, 11/6/25]