Pass Legislation Requiring Companies to Return Tariff Refunds to Consumers

Congress needs to act to ensure that tariff refunds reach the consumers who actually paid for them. The Supreme Court struck down $166 billion in IEEPA tariffs in February, and about $100 billion has already been disbursed — almost entirely to corporations. Meanwhile, the people who absorbed price hikes at checkout have seen nothing. This is exactly the "ultimate corporate welfare" Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted. Companies like Five Below posted a 22.9% year-over-year increase in net sales while allegedly passing tariff costs to customers and refusing to confirm whether they've even applied for refunds. Sony reported $507.7 million in tariff refunds while simultaneously booking a 37% jump in operating income. A handful of companies like Amazon and FedEx have pledged returns, but voluntary goodwill isn't good enough when billions are at stake. The fix is straightforward: require companies that raised prices citing tariffs to pass refunds back to the consumers who paid them. Class action lawsuits are already filling the gap, but litigation is slow and uncertain. Legislation with clear refund obligations and enforcement teeth is the only way to make sure this money goes where it belongs — back to the people who funded it.