Politics

Pritzker, 18 Other Democratic Governors Call on Congress to Block Trump Tariffs

Congress should immediately block President Donald Trump from imposing new tariffs on imported goods after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the levies — and impose new restrictions on presidential power, Gov. JB Pritzker and 18 other Democratic governors urged the leaders of the U.S. House and Senate.

“We respectfully urge you to cast aside any efforts to codify the invalidated levies struck down by the Supreme Court and instead enact meaningful statutory constraints on presidential tariff power that allow for appropriate congressional review,” according to the governors’ letter.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Feb. 20 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give Trump did not have the power to impose a broad array of tariffs without congressional approval.

Trump responded to that decision by invoking another law to impose 10% tariffs on nearly all imported goods. Those tariffs have already been challenged in court, and a majority of Supreme Court justices indicated tariffs imposed under that law would also be unconstitutional.

Trump’s tariffs have had a profound impact on Americans, forcing them to pay more for essential items, the governors wrote.

“At this pivotal moment, action to clarify and limit the scope of presidential tariff authority under existing statutes is needed, including guardrails that allow for congressional review and approval before sweeping, emergency tariff structures affecting the economy are set into motion,” according to the letter. “The Supreme Court has spoken, and now it is Congress’s turn to act.”

With both houses of Congress controlled by Republicans, a bill to curtail the president’s ability to impose tariffs is unlikely to advance since it would face a certain veto. However, Republican leaders have also declined, so far, to codify the tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court.

With the midterm elections in full swing, Pritzker and other Democratic leaders have seized on this issue to highlight persistent inflation and growing concerns about the affordability of groceries, gas and other items.

Pritzker, who is running for a third term as Illinois governor, has declined to rule out a run for president in 2028. He has emerged as a vocal critic of the president on nearly every front.

Hours after the Supreme Court decision, Pritzker demanded that the Trump administration refund the $8.7 billion he said Illinois residents had paid in tariffs.

Pritzker renewed that demand in a separate letter to congressional leaders asking them to pass a bill requiring the amount paid in tariffs to be refunded, with interest, in 180 days “prioritizing the small businesses that have been hit the hardest and have the fewest resources to navigate a complex refund process on their own,” Pritzker wrote. 

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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