Dear Friends, 

Last week, President Trump announced a new slew of tariffs on imports from more than 100 of our trading partners. These tariffs are a tax on American businesses and consumers. They mean you will pay more at the grocery store, pharmacy, and everywhere you shop. He even said he ‘couldn’t care less’ if tariffs cause prices to go up on items like cars! 

President Trump has put a universal tariff of at least 10% on imports from countries across the globe, including our major allies and trading partners, and has been continually escalating a trade war with China. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates that these tariffs could cost the average household an additional $4,700 per year. I spoke with Mimi Geerges on Washington Journal about the impact of his cost-raising tariffs. You can view our discussion below. 

Interestingly enough, imports from Russia were excluded from President Trump’s global tariff rates, despite $3.5 billion in trade between the United States and Russia last year. On Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer came before the Ways and Means Committee to answer our questions about these tariffs. I pressed him on the Administration’s bizarre “To Russia with Love” exemption. I remain puzzled by President Trump’s fealty to the Putin regime and will continue to press them to stand with the people of Ukraine and hold Russia accountable. You can view my remarks and Ambassador Greer’s testimony below. 

The President should not be able to increase taxes on hard-working families with no input from Congress, and he certainly shouldn’t be giving carve-outs to our adversaries like Russia. I introduced the Prevent Tariff Abuse Act with a group of my Democratic colleagues to prevent presidents from unilaterally abusing their power to impose cost-raising tariffs. I also joined every Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee to introduce legislation that suspends President Trump’s tariffs on our friends and allies and requires Congress to vote before new tariffs can go into effect. It’s time to act.

To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.     

Regards,

John B. Larson
Member of Congress