- United States
- Ohio
- Letter
I am writing as your constituent to demand that Congress immediately reassert its constitutional authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (the Commerce Clause) to rein in executive trade overreach and halt damaging unilateral tariffs against Canada.
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant the President unilateral tariff authority. Instead of respecting that ruling, the administration bypassed it—dusting off Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to slap a 50% tariff on Canadian imports.
Beyond being an unlegislated tax hike on American consumers, this is simply bad-faith diplomacy driven by reckless impulse. Threatening our closest neighbor, top energy partner, and NATO co-founder with economic extortion for short-term political theater isn't tough negotiation—it is petty, short-sighted, insulting to our allies, and completely beneath the dignity of American leadership.
Whether you are a Democrat fighting inflation, an Independent defending institutional norms, or a Republican committed to free markets, fiscal discipline, and the separation of powers, Congress cannot sit on its hands and allow the executive branch to run roughshod over our economy and our alliances.
I urge you to take immediate legislative action to:
1. Cosponsor and pass the Trade Review Act of 2025 (S. 1272 / H.R. 2665): Support the bipartisan framework introduced by Sens. Cantwell and Grassley to require 48-hour presidential notification and automatically sunset unapproved tariffs after 60 days.
2. Repeal active Section 338 tariffs on Canadian imports: Halt an escalating trade war that threatens integrated supply chains across automotive, agriculture, steel, aluminum, and energy.
3. Uphold North American trade stability under USMCA: Enforce the trade framework negotiated and ratified by Congress rather than subverting it through executive fiat.
4. Close legacy statutory loopholes: Systematically modernize emergency trade laws to permanently end executive "whack-a-mole" around congressional authority.
The Supreme Court has already confirmed that bypassing Congress on tariffs is unlawful. It is time for Congress to act as a co-equal branch of government and reclaim its power over trade.