Democrats call for U.S. govt to refund billions in Trump tariff money after Supreme Court rebuke
The Hindu
Democrats propose a bill to refund $175 billion in Trump tariffs after Supreme Court ruling, prioritizing support for small businesses.
A trio of U.S. Senate Democrats is calling for the government to start refunding roughly $175 billion in tariff revenues that the Supreme Court ruled were collected because of an illegal set of orders by President Donald Trump.
Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire unveiled a bill on Monday (February 23, 2026) that would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds over the course of 180 days and pay interest on the refunded amount.
The measure would prioritise refunds to small businesses and encourages importers, wholesalers and large companies to pass the refunds on to their customers.
“Trump's illegal tax scheme has already done lasting damage to American families, small businesses and manufacturers who have been hammered by wave after wave of new Trump tariffs,” said Mr. Wyden, stressing that the “crucial first step” to fixing the problem begins with “putting money back in the pockets of small businesses and manufacturers as soon as possible.”
The bill is unlikely to become law, but it reveals how Democrats are starting to apply public pressure on a Trump administration that has shown little interest in trying to return tariff revenues after the Supreme Court announced its 6-3 ruling on Friday.
Tariffs in trouble: Editorial on the U.S. Supreme Court and Donald Trump
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