The Office of the Governor of the State of Connecticut
03/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/11/2026 11:39
Governor Lamont, Coalition of Governors Urge Congress To Enact Tariff Reform
(HARTFORD, CT) - In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing that presidents do not have the authority to use emergency powers to impose tariffs, Governor Ned Lamont and the governors of 18 other states today sent a letter to Congressional leadersurging Congress to enact meaningful statutory constraints on presidential tariff power that allow for appropriate Congressional review.
Their full letter is as follows:
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March 11, 2026
The Honorable John Thune
The Honorable Mike Johnson
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries RE: Restricting Presidential Tariff Authority in Light of U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump Dear Majority Leader Thune, Speaker Johnson, Minority Leader Schumer, and Minority Leader Jeffries, We write to you today with shared concern for the residents of our states -- our farmers, manufacturers, small business owners, and working families -- who have experienced significant economic harm as a result of the sweeping tariffs imposed by the Executive Branch this past year. With last week's landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump establishing that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the President to impose tariffs, we respectfully urge you to cast aside any efforts to codify the invalidated levies struck down by the Supreme Court and instead enact meaningful statutory constraints on presidential tariff power that allow for appropriate congressional review. Since the imposition of broad tariffs under the claimed authority of IEEPA, our states have seen the consequences ripple through every sector of our economy. Families and consumers are paying dramatically more for everyday goods, with independent economic analyses estimating that these tariffs have cost the average American family hundreds to over a thousand dollars per year in higher prices. Those dollars represent real sacrifices, such as fewer groceries, deferred medical care, and reduced savings. By late 2025, two-thirds of Americans had expressed concern about the impact of these tariffs on their finances. Just this month, sixty-three percent of registered voters said they disapprove of the administration's handling of tariffs. The Supreme Court's ruling affirmed that the authority to set tariff and trade policy belongs to the Congress of the United States and not the Executive Branch as a sole actor. At this pivotal moment, action to clarify and limit the scope of presidential tariff authority under existing statutes is needed, including guardrails that allow for congressional review and approval before sweeping, emergency tariff structures affecting the economy are set into motion. The Supreme Court has spoken, and now it is Congress's turn to act. We urge you to seize this moment, work across party lines, and restore to the American people meaningful control over trade policy that affects their daily lives. Sincerely,
Gretchen Whitmer
Jared Polis
Ned Lamont
Matt Meyer
JB Pritzker
Laura Kelly
Andy Beshear
Janet Mills
Wes Moore
Maura Healey
Tim Walz
Mikie Sherrill
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Kathy Hochul
Josh Stein
Tina Kotek
Dan McKee
Bob Ferguson
Tony Evers |
**Download: Letter from coalition of governors to Congressional leaders on tariff reform
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