Investigate Tariff Damages and Protect Constituents From Corporate Windfall Refunds

The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Learning Resources v. Trump confirmed what economists warned all along: Trump's tariff policy was unconstitutional and economically catastrophic. Now Congress needs to act — hold hearings on the damage done, and ensure the $159 billion in refunds reaches the consumers who actually paid, not just the corporations that collected the money. Yale Budget Lab estimated tariffs cost the average American $2,400 per year. That wasn't foreign governments paying — it was a de facto national sales tax on American families, with nothing to show for it. Meanwhile, business bankruptcies rose 14% in 2025, roughly 100,000 manufacturing jobs were lost, and companies like Mack Trucks and Procter & Gamble cited tariffs directly in their layoff announcements. The promised $2,000 dividend checks never came. The 90 trade deals in 90 days never came. The damage doesn't stop at the refund. Canada — our top trading partner — retaliated, signed new deals with other countries, and its citizens are actively avoiding American goods and tourism. Those behavioral shifts may be permanent. Congress has an obligation to investigate how this happened, who benefited, and what protections can prevent it from happening again.