Democratic lawmakers urge US to help Canada fight wildfires instead of imposing tariffs

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Publication date: 2026-07-24

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Inside Washington

Instead of Tariffs, Maybe Help Canada Put Out Wildfires?

Democratic lawmakers don’t merely think Trump’s newly announced 50 percent tariffs on Canada are a bad idea from an economic standpoint. They also want to see the U.S. actively helping Canadians fight the Ontario wildfires currently sending smoke into the U.S., and fear for the future of the two countries’ relationship.

Trump has told reporters that the tariffs he announced Monday aren’t in response to the wildfires, but the timing is highly suspicious. The announcement came just days after Trump said, “Maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs.”

To some, the arbitrary nature of Trump’s decision is the biggest affront.

• Senator Ron Wyden said, “There’s no question that Trump thinks he’s a king and he can use these tariffs to execute whatever he wants.” On Wednesday, Wyden unveiled a bill to reassert congressional authority over tariffs.

Others are worried about the economic impact in their own states.

• Senator Gary Peters of Michigan said, “Canada is a friend, one of our closest allies. In Michigan, where we have close trading relations with Canadians, they’re a vital part of our economy, and it’s an important friendship.”
• Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota expressed similar concerns: “Minnesota has a good relationship with Canada. Clearly, the hostile and reckless approach of the Trump administration towards Canada makes those relationships hard to maintain.”

Beyond the typical condemnation of tariffs, several politicians are also suggesting that with wildfires in particular, the U.S. might be better served by collaborating more closely with its northern neighbor. Some would even like to see direct aid.

“I was on a call this morning with Secretary [of Agriculture Brooke] Rollins and leaders from the Forest Service talking about the fires in northern Minnesota, and I know that the Forest Service and Canadian officials are working closely and well together. So I think at the operating level, the relationships continue to be effective,” Smith told me.

On Saturday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the “short memory” of American politicians who have blamed Canada for Ontario’s wildfire smoke drifting southward. “We had the water bombers and everyone going over to California [last year],” he said. “That’s what neighbors do.”

Californian Senator Alex Padilla hasn’t forgotten that. “They’re there for us in our time of need,” he said, “and we should be there for them.”

—Emma Janssen

Full-Time Workers Increasingly Need SNAP and Medicaid to Make Ends Meet

The number of Americans who rely on SNAP and Medicaid despite working full-time for major companies has shot up, according to a report the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released Wednesday.

Key findings from the report include:

• The number of Amazon workers who receive anti-poverty benefits nearly tripled between February 2020 and September 2025.
• Gig-based companies like Uber, Lyft, Grubhub, Instacart, and DoorDash also employ high numbers of Medicaid and SNAP recipients, a major change from 2020.
• Walmart was the top employer of Medicaid recipients in both 2020 and 2025.

The report confirms what anti-poverty advocates have been saying for years: It’s becoming harder to be a working American and make ends meet.