Urgent Action Needed on Trade Wars and the $40 Trillion Debt Crisis

I am writing as your constituent to urge you to act immediately to constrain the administration's trade wars and fiscal policies before they cause irreversible economic damage. The evidence is overwhelming and nonpartisan. Stanford economists are "largely rejecting tariffs as an effective tool," while the Economic Policy Institute documents that real debt service has spiked from 0.5% of GDP in 2015 to 3.1% in 2025, with projections climbing to 3.7% by 2034. The $5 trillion tax cut remains largely unoffset, ballooning deficits beyond $4 trillion annually within a decade. US public debt has surpassed $40 trillion, forcing Treasury Secretary Bessent to intervene directly in bond markets to prevent collapse. The tariff promises have failed spectacularly. Trump claimed "Liberation Day" in April 2025 would bring jobs "roaring back," yet manufacturing employment declined every month after those tariffs took effect—the highest US tariffs since the Great Depression. He claimed inflation had stopped in December 2025, but the consumer price index began rising immediately after the April tariff announcement. Consumer sentiment has hit record lows, mortgage rates have climbed to nine-month highs, and the dollar reached its lowest point in four years. Meanwhile, 50% tariffs on Canada—our closest ally—are now active and reciprocated. This harms American consumers on everything from groceries to housing materials, while low-income families bear the brunt of inflation. Research shows a 2% price increase causes Americans to spend 4% less overall, cascading through the economy. Career economists across the political spectrum are sounding alarms. Glenn Hubbard, former White House Council chair under George W. Bush, warns we may no longer have borrowing capacity to combat the next crisis as we did in 2008 or 2020. Kent Smetters at Penn Wharton estimates 60% of rising Treasury yields stem from expected continued US borrowing. Congress must act. Use appropriations riders to defund tariff initiatives. Support targeted tariff relief bills for agriculture and manufacturing. Launch investigations into Treasury's bond interventions. Use the debt ceiling as leverage for fiscal constraints or tariff rollbacks. Voters are angry about higher prices and hold trade wars responsible. Act now and put an end to the administration's insane economic policies.