PebbleCreek Republican Club

Leading in the Right Direction

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President’s Corner

Supreme Court Rules on Tariffs

After months without word, on Friday the Supreme Court made their ruling with a 6-3 decision stating that President Trump “overstepped his authority” by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which, according to them, he is not permitted to do without congressional authorization. They said this was a “textual argument”, that the president overstepped, and that taxing power belongs to congress. The usual left-leaning Justices, Sotomayor, Kagan, & Brown-Jackson were joined by the impotent Chief Justice Roberts in voting against the president. Not surprisingly Coney Barrett also voted against him, as she has been known to do. What was surprising was Neil Gorsuch who also voted with these 5.

Chief Justice Roberts also said, “the president checked the wrong strategic box,” suggesting to Trump that he has possible other avenues to use. The stalworth Conservative Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh dissented, the latter stating that “this decision will be a “mess, and the tariffs are clearly lawful.” Kavanaugh also questioned whether the tariffs collected would have to be repaid, which could be extremely difficult and cause even more problems.

In usual fashion, President Trump took to the stage in a typically optimistic and strong rebuke of the decision. He praised the three who voted in his favor and called out the 6 who did not. He said there are many ways around this ruling and that he would go in a different direction. He also stated that the decision made his powers clearer and more powerful than he expected and that the court only overruled a particular part of the tariffs that cannot be charged. He mentioned that other statues authorize the president to impose tariffs and all the national security tariffs will remain in place. These will bring in more money, our income will increase and our country will be protected. He confirmed that the steel and aluminum tariffs would stand.

The president stated that he has been waiting for this decision for months and that the Supreme Court's decision, though deeply disappointing, gives him many other options. "We now have certainty and will do much better." He said that the tariffs were used effectively to boost our economy in one year and that tariffs settled 5 of 8 wars and helped establish the Board of Peace, giving us greater national security and keeping fentanyl out of our country. He stated that the court said he can’t charge even $1.00 to other countries but that he can cut off trade with them and embargo them, destroying the other countries instead! What a foolish decision.

According to our president, we have options like “the right to license” which is more powerful than tariffs, or we could charge tariffs under a different section of the law. His administration is immediately instituting 10% overall tariffs, and we have alternatives. He said some will stand; others will be replaced, but bottom line, nothing changes! Donald Trump will always stand for the American people and put America First!

Patricia Moore