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Tariffs

Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Supreme Court to Reaffirm Congressional Authority Over Tariffs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Washington, D.C. lawmakers, led by Senator Ron Wyden, are spearheading a bipartisan effort to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, arguing that the Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the sole authority to impose tariffs and regulate commerce with foreign nations. The brief, signed by over 200 members of Congress, challenges President Trump's unlawful use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on imported goods.

Key Takeaways:

  • The amicus brief, led by Senator Ron Wyden, argues that the Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to impose tariffs and regulate commerce with foreign nations.
  • The brief asserts that IEEPA, enacted in 1977, does not authorize tariffs and that using IEEPA in this way undermines guardrails designed by Congress to prevent executive abuse of tariffs.
  • The lawmakers argue that Trump's tariffs have raised average tariffs to their highest rate since the Great Depression, adding more than $1,800 to costs for the average household.
  • The brief has been signed by over 200 members of Congress, including U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, and Maxine Dexter.
  • The Supreme Court filing follows consistent rulings from the Federal Circuit, the Court of International Trade, and the District Court for the District of Columbia, all of which found the Trump administration's use of IEEPA to impose tariffs unlawful.

Statistics:

  • The average tariffs imposed by Trump have raised costs for the average household by over $1,800.
  • The tariffs imposed by Trump have raised average tariffs to their highest rate since the Great Depression.
  • The brief has been signed by over 200 members of Congress, including:

+ 33 Senators

+ 168 U.S. Representatives

  • The number of people affected by Trump's tariffs is in the millions, with economists estimating that the tariffs have cost American families and businesses billions of dollars.

Sources:

  • U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
  • U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
  • U.S. Senator Suzanne Bonamici
  • U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas
  • U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter
  • Attorney General Dan Rayfield
  • Office of Oregon Rep. Andrea Salinas

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