Sen. Cantwell, small business owners push back on tariffs

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s sweeping Liberation Day tariffs, small business owners are flocking to Washington to have their voices heard.

The Supreme Court is the latest battleground for the Trump administration’s tariffs, with justices set to tackle two upcoming cases focused on the widespread trade war: Learning Resources v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections. Arguments are set to start November 5th.

Thursday, the battle moved to the Court’s front steps, with small businesses on the frontline.

As part of the “We Pay the Tariffs” Day of Action, close to 100 small business owners from across the country headed to the Hill, hoping to appeal to lawmakers and share who really bears the brunt of a trade war.

“I’ve already invested years of my life and my savings into future products for the company,” explained Alex Wolf, owner of Spielcraft Games in Omaha. “I simply don’t know what they’re going to cost.”

Wolf was one of a handful of business owners who addressed the crowd gathered at the Supreme Court. Among them was Senator Maria Cantwell (D-OR), who pressed the Supreme Court to uphold the constitution and once again pushed for her bipartisan “Trade Review Act”, which would reaffirm Congress’ role in trade policy.

“I want to be clear: small businesses are paying the Trump tariff,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the authority over tariffs. The power of tariffs rests with the U.S. Congress.”

President Trump has said his sweeping Liberation Day tariffs were a way to tackle what he considers “unfair” trade policy between the US and allies.

While the administration claims the move would boost American manufacturing and help the economy in the long run, the group behind “We Pay the Tariffs” disagrees, reminding consumers that at the end of the day, the cost is passed on to them.

“We’ve been asked to weather the short-term pain for the long-term gain,” said Tiffany Williams, owner of Luggage Shop of Lubbock. “But I just had a hard time seeing exactly what the long term looks like.”

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