{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-hosts-tariff-discussion-wyandotte-county-small-business-owners", "Davids Hosts Tariff Discussion with Wyandotte County Small Business Owners", "2026-04-09", "2026", "2026-04", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "KANSAS CITY, KS \u2014 Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a discussion with Wyandotte County small business owners and economic development leaders to talk about the successes and challenges facing local businesses, including the impact of reckless tariffs.\n\nDavids recently announced her support for new legislation that would provide automatic refunds to small businesses and families forced to pay President Trump\u2019s tariffs. While large corporations can fight in court to reclaim their losses, most small businesses lack the resources to recover these payments \u2014 leaving them and their customers to bear the cost.\n\n\u201cDuring our conversation today, I heard directly from small business owners here in Wyandotte County who are dealing with higher costs and tighter margins because of these reckless tariffs,\u201d said Davids. \u201cThey shouldn\u2019t have to spend time and money fighting to get back what was taken from them. I\u2019m pushing for bipartisan solutions that make that process simpler and more accessible, so local businesses aren\u2019t left carrying the burden of policies they had no control over.\u201d\n\nTrump\u2019s tariff policies have hit Kansas hard, driving up costs for families and threatening small businesses and farmers. According to estimates, average American households will pay roughly $2,500 more this year because of these policies. Local industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and retail, have faced higher costs for imported goods, forcing some businesses to raise consumer prices, cut jobs, or close entirely.\n\nThe Supreme Court struck down these tariffs, but the administration is still moving forward with others. Refunds are being discussed, but under the current system, small businesses often lack the resources to reclaim funds, while large corporations can pursue lengthy litigation to recover tariff payments.\n\nThe Restoring Economic Lifelines for Independent Enterprises and Family Businesses (RELIEF) Act would:\n\nRequire automatic refunds for certain tariffs collected since January 1, 2025 \u2013 so small businesses and families don\u2019t have to wait years or hire lawyers to get back the money they were forced to pay.\n\nEnsure refunds are processed within 90 days of enactment \u2013 giving immediate relief to businesses struggling with higher costs and helping keep prices lower for everyday consumers.\n\nEliminate the need for individual applications or formal protests \u2013 removing bureaucratic hurdles so small businesses and families can actually access the refunds without extra cost, confusion, or delay.\n\nWATCH: Davids speaks on her support for the RELIEF Act\n\nDavids has consistently pushed back on the President\u2019s blanket tariffs and supported bipartisan approaches to trade that balance competitiveness with consumer protection. She spoke during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing on the trade disruptions Kansas agricultural producers will face due to these tariffs \u2014 a concern echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland. She also visited a local toy store and manufacturer who are being hit hard by these unstable policies and hosted a press conference on her efforts to push back on tariffs. Most recently, she voted to end President Trump\u2019s reckless tariffs on Canada, which are raising costs for Americans.\n\nParticipants in the roundtable included representatives from:\n\nBonner Springs Chamber of Commerce\n\nCST Sweets\n\nDewey\u2019s Pizza\n\nEdwardsville Chamber of Commerce\n\nFancy Your Fanny\n\nFran Sutton Homes\n\nGrill 32\n\nHarvest & Hearts Juicing\n\nJohnson County Community College (JCCC) Small Business Development Center\n\nKansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce\n\nKansas Small Business Development Center\n\nRange 23 Brewing\n\nWyandotte County Economic Development Center", 1, "2026-04-25T05:38:36Z", "2026-04-25T05:40:21Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-hosts-tariff-discussion-wyandotte-county-small-business-owners"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7202850431203842, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}