Tariffs

by Russ Lawrence, Hamilton

Montana Senators Sheehy and Daines, please take note of what your colleague, Sen. Rand Paul, had to say about tariffs: “Every dollar collected in tariff revenue comes straight out of the pockets of American consumers. Conservatives used to understand that tariffs are taxes on the American people.”

That’s right, these taxes aren’t paid by China, or the EU, or the penguins of Heard Island. I pay them and my neighbors pay them and you pay them, if your well-paid accountants haven’t found you enough loopholes. The $6 trillion they’re expected to cost us all (per Trump Trade Advisor Navarro) amount to the biggest tax increase on Americans since 1968, while tanking the stock market and devastating the savings of millions of investors.

There’s something you can do about it, though: your colleagues, Senators Grassley (R-Iowa) and Cantwell (D-WA), have introduced the bipartisan “Trade Review Act of 2025.” The bill restores Congress’ sole authority over taxes, including tariffs, as outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, by placing limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs. Under the bill, Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.

Tariffs are inherently regressive, and will cost working Montanans proportionately more than wealthy Montanans like yourselves—as we would be pleased to explain in person, if you ever showed up. Tariffs, coupled with extending the Trump tax breaks for top earners, will result in hardships for everyday Montanans as programs focused on education, housing, nutrition, health, and natural resources are cut in order to offset those billionaire tax cuts.

Who are you loyal to? Donald Trump, or your constituents in Montana? In the name of all tax-paying Montanans, I urge you to show up to do the job you were elected to do: sign on as co-sponsors and reclaim the constitutional power that you have until now abdicated, then repeal these monstrous tax increases, and deny tax cuts to billionaires.