Dear John,

Just days after triggering a global trade crisis that sent the planet into an economic tailspin, Trump decided to put tariffs on pause for 90 days for most countries. But any apparent stabilization his announcement has brought will likely be short-lived, as Trump retains the ever-present threat to revive the tariffs at a moment’s notice.

Congress can’t allow the U.S. and global economies to be held hostage like this indefinitely. They must act now to re-assert Congressional power over tariffs.

While Trump’s reckless across-the-board tariffs sent the stock market tumbling, the real damage isn’t contained to Wall Street. As always with Trump’s policies, it’s lower-income Americans who will pay the highest price. Working families will feel deeper pain from Trump’s tariffs with rising prices at the grocery store and higher costs for everyday goods.

Here’s what’s really going on: Trump actually wants a recession early in his term so he and his fellow billionaires can buy up everything cheap and then enjoy the ride upward.

Tell Congress to take charge of tariffs and pass legislation to assert its role in levying and lifting tariffs. Congress must act now – before Trump does even greater damage to the people who can least afford it.

Much like his bogus claim that “Mexico will pay for” his border wall, Trump continues to mislead by saying he wants to create an “External Revenue Service” to collect the tariffs – supposedly, from other countries. But that’s a lie. It’s U.S. importers – and ultimately U.S. consumers – who are going to be stuck with the bill.

Leading economists have called Trump’s tariff plan incoherent and catastrophic. Small businesses are being crushed. Global trade is in turmoil. And families living paycheck to paycheck will be the first to feel the pinch. Added costs hit low and middle-income Americans the hardest, while billionaires like Trump and his corporate allies barely feel a thing.

Tariffs are a backdoor tax on working Americans, plain and simple.

But, Congress has the power to stop this. While presidents have broad discretion over trade policy, Congress can and must act to rein it in. There are already signs of bipartisan concern – four Republican Senators recently voted to oppose Trump’s tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

If Congress fails to intervene, Trump will continue to be the one driving recklessly behind the wheel – while working Americans will be carsick in the back seat.

Tell Congress to stop Trump’s reckless tariffs and restore accountability to trade policy now.

Thank you for speaking up for a return to sanity in global trade!

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action