by Donald Eng CTNewsJunkie
In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing that presidents do not have the authority to use emergency powers to impose tariffs, Gov. Ned Lamont and the governors of 18 other states today sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging Congress to enact meaningful statutory constraints on presidential tariff power that allow for appropriate Congressional review.
In their letter, the governors expressed concern for residents in their respective states, who “have experienced significant economic harm as a result of the sweeping tariffs imposed by the Executive Branch this past year.”
They went on to encourage Congressional leaders 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.”
Since the imposition of broad tariffs, the states have seen serious consequences, they said.
“Families and consumers are paying dramatically more for everyday goods, with independent economic analyses estimating that these tariffs have cost the average American family hundreds to over a thousand dollars per year in higher prices,” they wrote. “Those dollars represent real sacrifices, such as fewer groceries, deferred medical care, and reduced savings.”
The tariffs also are unpopular, as the group cited polls showing nearly two-thirds of Americans disapproving of the administration’s handling of the tariffs.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed that the authority to set tariff and trade policy belongs to the Congress of the United States and not the Executive Branch as a sole actor,” they wrote. “The Supreme Court has spoken, and now it is Congress’s turn to act. We urge you to seize this moment, work across party lines, and restore to the American people meaningful control over trade policy that affects their daily lives.”
In addition to Lamont, the letter was signed by the governors of Michigan, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.