Rep. Latimer, Colleagues Send Letter to Treasury and DHS on Potential Tariff Refunds for Small Businesses

Washington, DC – U.S. Representative George Latimer (NY-16) led 20 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressing concern over the preparedness of the Departments of Treasury and Homeland Security to handle the large influx of protests likely to be filed in the event the United States Supreme Court determines that tariffs imposed by President Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are illegal. 

The letter also calls on both departments to immediately dedicate sufficient resources and personnel ahead of the Court’s decision, with a focus on aiding America’s small businesses and sparing them irreparable financial damage resulting from the termination of this policy.

The letter reads “In light of what is truly an emergency, we respectfully ask that the Departments commence with preparing for the deluge of protests likely to ensue upon the Court’s decision. We urge that sufficient staffing and resources be allocated for the efficient intake, processing, hearing and determination of protests against tariffs imposed under the Executive Order and subsequently determined unlawful, with the aim of providing tariff refunds on an expedited basis to all eligible petitioners. We also ask that a wide-reaching informational campaign be quickly implemented by the Departments targeted to American small businesses so that they may have all the resources available to enable them to navigate the complexity of the protest process without the disadvantage of lacking the resources of a large company. Finally, we offer as members of Congress our engagement to work collectively with you to help see the American small business sector - its owners and employees - through this crisis, and to ensure that this unfortunate episode is resolved and never repeated again.”

Rep. Latimer was joined in this letter by Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez and Representatives Barragán, Carson, Cisneros, Yvette Clarke, Conaway, Goodlander, McBride, McIver, Meng, Morrison, Pappas, Pettersen, Quigley, Randall, Ross, Salinas, Simon, Titus, and Tokuda.

To read the full letter, click here.

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