Small Biz & Americans Can’t Afford Illegal Tariffs. Governors Please Speak Up!

Standing at the White House podium on February 20, 2026, hours after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that his tariffs were unconstitutional, President Trump said this: “I’m allowed to destroy the country, but I can’t charge them a little fee.” He announced a new 10% global tariff under a different law that same afternoon, raised it to 15% the next morning, and told reporters he didn’t need Congress. “I don’t have to,” he said. “I have the right to do tariffs.” Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the majority, was blunt: “Until now, no President has read IEEPA to confer such power.” Those illegal tariffs collected more than $160 billion from American businesses and consumers before the ruling came down, according to the Tax Foundation. This is not a partisan issue. A CNN/SSRS poll released February 23, 2026 found that 68% of Americans say Trump hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems. Only 32% say that he’s in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face. When asked what they want addressed, 57% of Americans chose the economy and cost of living, more than four times any other issue. Republicans said the same thing: 65% wanted to hear about the economy. Grocery prices, small business costs, and supply chain uncertainty are what people are living with. Illegal tariffs are making all of it worse. Small businesses have no hedge against this. A multinational can reroute supply chains. A family-owned hardware store, a restaurant, a contractor buying materials, a manufacturer sourcing parts cannot. The National Retail Federation estimated that Trump’s tariffs cost American households an average of $1,700 a year before the Supreme Court struck them down. Now the administration is routing the same policy through a different legal authority, with Treasury Secretary Bessent confirming the goal is “virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026.” I’m asking you to speak up. Governors have a platform, and the people in our state are feeling this. Please publicly call on our congressional delegation to pass legislation requiring a congressional vote before any broad tariff takes effect. Your constituents built businesses, employ neighbors, and pay taxes. They deserve a governor who will say clearly that this is not what anyone voted for.