Moderate House Republicans worried about this year’s midterm elections appear ready to finally break with President Donald Trump over his signature economic policy.

In a bid to protect Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly introduced procedural rules banning members from bringing up resolutions challenging the president’s crushing tariffs on products from dozens of U.S. trading partners.

On Tuesday, Johnson planned to ask the House to extend the ban through August. But this time, key Republicans signaled they would likely vote against the measure, Punchbowl reported.

“American consumers pay the tariffs and thus it is a big tax,” Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told the outlet. “I support giving these authorities back to Congress.”

Rep. Kevin Kiley of California also told Punchbowl that he had “made it clear” he was not in favor of extending the blockade.

With full attendance, two Republican defectors would be enough to sink Johnson’s proposed extension, opening the door to a flood of Democratic resolutions challenging the increasingly unpopular tariffs.

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska on Tuesday became the first Republican senator to speak out against the SAVE Act, a sweeping election bill backed by President Donald Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote nationwide.

In doing so, she reminded her colleagues that they roundly claimed to oppose new federal election laws as recently as Joe Biden’s presidency.

“When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed,” Murkowski said in a statement. “Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that. Once again, I do not support these efforts.”

“Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska,” she added.

An annual meeting of the nation’s governors that has long served as a rare bipartisan gathering is unraveling after President Donald Trump excluded Democratic governors from White House events.

The National Governors Association said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors also announced they would boycott a traditional dinner at the White House.

“If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the Democrats wrote. “Democratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who chairs the NGA, told fellow governors in a letter on Monday that the White House intended to limit invitations to the association’s annual business meeting, scheduled for Feb. 20, to Republican governors only.

President Donald Trump was hit with some very negative numbers this week from a polling firm that is typically considered far more favorable to the president.

According to a Rasmussen survey released on Tuesday, 56% of likely U.S. voters disapprove of Trump’s performance thus far in the White House. The numbers got worse from there, especially when his performance was compared to that of former President Joe Biden.

When asked who did a better job as president, 48% answered with Biden and 40% answered Trump. Another 8% say they have performed about the same. The survey was conducted between February 2-4 among more than 1,000 likely voters. It carries a margin of error of 3%.

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According to the latest numbers, 29% strongly approve of Trump’s job performance, while 46% strongly disapprove.