{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-introduces-legislation-to-refund-small-businesses-for-trump-tariffs", "Pappas Introduces Legislation to Refund Small Businesses for Trump Tariffs", "2025-12-01", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Chris Pappas", "P000614", "pappas.house.gov", "pappas", "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Last week, ahead of Small Business Saturday, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Kelly Morrison (MN-03) introduced new legislation, the Small Business RELIEF Act, to exempt small businesses from global baseline and reciprocal tariffs and to provide refunds to the small businesses that were forced to pay them. The Senate companion to this legislation is led by Senator Ed Markey.\n\nArticle I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes and tariffs, not the President. During arguments in the tariff case brought by small businesses earlier this month, the Supreme Court expressed skepticism about the legality of Trump\u2019s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs. Small importing businesses may be entitled to relief if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Main Street.\n\n\u201cIn an entirely predictable outcome, President Trump\u2019s tariffs have forced American small businesses to freeze hiring, hit pause on plans to expand, and cut their already tight budgets to keep their doors open,\u201d said Congressman Pappas. \u201cThey can\u2019t wait for a Supreme Court ruling or the end of this administration to get back on track. They need us to act now. That\u2019s why we\u2019re introducing the Small Business RELIEF Act, which would exempt all goods imported by small businesses from the Trump tariff tax and refund any tariffs they've paid. New Hampshire\u2019s Main Street businesses are the heart of our communities, and we need to act now so that they can keep their doors open.\u201d\n\nRecently Pappas joined an effort calling for Speaker Johnson to immediately take up the bipartisan resolutions that passed the Senate last month to end the Trump Administration\u2019s tariffs, which have worsened our nation\u2019s affordability crisis, driven up costs for consumers, and pose an existential threat to our nation\u2019s small businesses.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s tariffs have placed enormous financial strain and stress on so many hard-working small business owners, and it\u2019s long overdue for Congress to act,\u201d said Congresswoman Morrison. \u201cI\u2019ve heard from countless small business owners: small businesses desperately need relief from the Trump Administration\u2019s tariffs. Congress needs to reclaim its Constitutional authority and right this wrong. I\u2019m proud to lead the Small Business RELIEF Act and will keep working every day to bring much-needed relief to our small business owners.\u201d\n\n\"Small businesses need relief from tariffs because tariffs put small firms at a competitive disadvantage relative to larger companies. Due to the thin margins on which many small businesses already operate, sweeping tariffs will force many small firms to pass higher costs on to customers. Larger businesses, however, are more likely to have flexibility to absorb increased overhead, keeping prices lower and undercutting their smaller competitors. There is no time to lose as far as small businesses are concerned, and lawmakers must act now to save small businesses from damaging tariffs,\" said John Arensmeyer, Founder and CEO, Small Business Majority.\n\n\"Small business owners have been sounding the alarm for months: President Trump\u2019s so-called \u2018Liberation Day\u2019 tariffs are nothing more than an illegal tax on Main Street. They\u2019re driving up costs, squeezing margins, and forcing entrepreneurs to make impossible choices between raising prices, cutting staff, or closing their doors. The Small Business RELIEF Act is a critical step toward righting those wrongs. Exempting small businesses from these reckless tariffs\u2014and refunding the dollars already taken\u2014will deliver immediate, overdue relief. Main Street Alliance strongly supports this legislation and urges members of Congress to stand with the small, independent businesses that form the backbone of our local economies,\u201d said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director.\n\nThe bill text is here.\n\nBackground:\n\nCongressman Pappas has loudly and strongly opposed President Trump\u2019s sweeping tariffs on New Hampshire\u2019s #1 trading partner, Canada, and other U.S. allies.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-introduces-legislation-to-refund-small-businesses-for-trump-tariffs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9119301103055477, "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"}