American People & Small Businesses Demand End to Reckless Tariff Destruction

We demand immediate action to halt the Trump administration's reckless tariff policies that are destroying American businesses and crushing working families. These sweeping tariffs, the most significant tax hike since 1993, are not "making America great" but pushing us toward economic disaster. The numbers are devastating. Trump's tariffs will increase federal tax revenues by $172.1 billion in 2025, amounting to an average tax increase of nearly $1,300 per US household. This isn't foreign countries paying; it’s us paying. Small businesses are closing their doors. Hendrick Svendsen, owner of a furniture store in Kansas, told ABC News he has decided to close his store due to Trump's tariff announcement. Beth Benike, who runs Busy Baby in Minnesota, warns, “We can't survive short-term pain" of tariffs. The de minimis disaster proves the administration's incompetence. Beginning Friday, 8/29/2025, the "de minimis" exemption, which allowed shipments worth $800 or less to enter duty-free, will be eliminated. Businesses now face fees as high as $160-$200 per item, depending on tariff rates. International postal services are suspending shipments to the US entirely. Farmers are getting crushed, again. Kansas farmer Vance Ehmke described a "$30,000, $35,000, $40,000 hit" that he lays "right at Trump's feet." American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall warns that retaliatory tariffs "will make American-grown products more expensive globally" and threaten "long-term damage by leading to losses in market share." History proves this strategy fails. During Trump's first term, U.S. soybean exports to China slumped from $14 billion to $3 billion, a 78% decrease. American farmers lost an estimated $27 billion in agricultural exports in 2018 and 2019. Brazil seized our market share and never gave it back. Congress: You have the power to stop this madness. Working families cannot absorb a $1,300 tax hike while small businesses close and farmers face bankruptcy. The US Chamber of Commerce warns that "many businesses simply can't afford to wait while negotiations proceed." I demand you take immediate action to: • Introduce legislation limiting the president's tariff authority under IEEPA • Push for targeted relief for small businesses and farmers • Demand a comprehensive economic impact study before any new tariffs • Restore the de minimis exemption to prevent further supply chain chaos Our economy cannot survive this amateur-hour approach to trade policy. Small business owner Jessica Bear captured what's at stake: if tariffs remain when she needs to import, "we'll just have to abandon the goods and close the company." Stop treating our livelihoods like pawns in a game. American families and businesses deserve better than this reckless experiment with our economic future.