Supreme Court ruled, now Congress must act
Last Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the president’s import tariffs were illegal. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion. Justices appointed by presidents of both parties joined it. The law was clear: Congress has the power to tax imports, not the president acting alone.
That afternoon, the White House signed an executive order putting a 10% tax on nearly everything we import. A different law, same result. They didn’t even pretend to slow down.
I’m not against all tariffs. The steel tariffs probably saved some jobs, and holding China accountable on trade is something most people around here agree on, regardless of party. That’s worth doing.
But that’s not what this is. The administration is claiming that Canadian lumber is a national security threat. Canadian lumber — the same wood that half the contractors in this region use to frame houses. They’ve slapped a “national security” label on copper pipe, kitchen cabinets, and furniture. Last time I checked, a vanity from Home Depot wasn’t endangering the republic.
The real cost isn’t abstract. I was at Hamshaw Lumber the other day and the prices on framing stock tell the story. The Yale Budget Lab puts the tariff cost at $600 to $800 per household this year.
Here’s what matters: The new 10% tariff expires in July unless Congress votes to extend it. That’s a real vote our delegation will have to take. I’d rather they let it expire and do this the right way. Go to Congress, hold hearings, negotiate trade agreements that hold cheaters accountable without taxing everything that comes off a container ship. That’s how you get durable policy instead of executive orders that get thrown out by courts.
We do things by town vote around here. Washington should try it sometime.