An evenly split U.S. Senate rejected the latest bipartisan bid to block PresidentDonald Trump's tariffs on Wednesday, hours after the federal government reported that the nation's economy contracted for the first time in three years amid the chaos of the president's tariff policies.

Four Republicans broke with the leader of their party in support of Congress' authority over trade amid growing fears of an economic recession.

Only three Republicans joined Democrats in voting to end the national emergency President Trump declared to impose tariffs on most U.S. trading partners, leaving the measure short of the support needed to pass.