Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following statement after a federal court struck down President Trump’s attempt to impose broad tariffs under emergency powers:
“Yesterday’s decision is a win for the small businesses that have been hammered by these tariffs. Over the past several months, countless entrepreneurs have reached out to our committee about the rising costs and massive disruptions to their operations they’ve experienced because of Trump’s reckless trade policy.
“These businesses have had to lay off workers or raise prices just to get by. Many told us they didn’t know how much longer they could last as long as these tariffs remained in place. These tariffs didn’t create jobs or boost growth, they manufactured chaos and uncertainty and made life miserable for America’s entrepreneurs. Trump’s trade policy never took the needs or interests of Main Street into account.
“This ruling rejects the idea that the president has unilateral authority to impose sweeping trade penalties on a whim. This administration should take this decision as an opportunity to take stock of the tremendous damage these policies have done to small businesses and change course. Meanwhile, Republicans should join Democrats in reclaiming Congress’s authority over trade. Small businesses deserve better, they deserve a stable, lawful trade policy that gives them a fair shot to compete.”
