1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Tariffs are a congressional power. Period. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives you, not the president, the authority to “regulate commerce with foreign nations” and “lay and collect duties.” Trump doesn’t get to unilaterally slap tariffs on Mexico and the European Union like he’s picking toppings at a buffet. He doesn’t have that power. And if you let him act like he does, then you’re not just failing — you’re forfeiting the most basic role this branch of government was designed to play. This week, Trump announced new tariffs — again — without seeking congressional approval, without citing valid statutory authority, and without regard for who it hurts. Mexico just sent emergency rescue teams to help Texans survive catastrophic flooding — a job our own government failed to do. And how does Trump respond? With economic punishment. With tariffs that will raise prices on American families and damage alliances we desperately need. Under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, the president may impose temporary tariffs only in narrow cases — and even then, only for 150 days and under clear balance-of-payments conditions. Under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, he can adjust trade policy only for national security. Trump isn’t doing either. He’s using emergency powers under the IEEPA, a move already ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Court of International Trade in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. United States (May 28, 2025). The court made it clear: this is your job. Not his. And what has Congress done in response? Nothing. You’ve become the parent in the grocery store whose toddler is tearing open cereal boxes, flinging food down the aisles, smashing syrup bottles onto the floor — and you just stare blankly as he ruins everything in reach. Other people clean up the mess. Other people pay the cost. And you just follow behind, calling it “governing.” It’s not governing. It’s negligence. Every time you fail to block these abuses — every time you stay silent — you tell the American people that the Constitution is optional. That law only applies to the poor. That Congress is irrelevant. You can’t fix the past, but you can act now. Pass the Trade Review Act. Rein in Trump’s illegitimate tariffs. Strip funding for their enforcement. Challenge them in court if necessary. And if this administration refuses to comply, start removal proceedings. You have tools. Use them. It is time for you to stop the Toddler In Charge. It is time to stop soft parenting. It is time to stand up for We The People.