Democrats urge Trump to refund $1,700 per family after court blocks tariffs

After the Supreme Court struck down tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Democratic officials called on the president to repay Americans. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, "Donald Trump should return that money immediately. He has an obligation," and cited "$1,751 per family." Illinois Gov.

JB Pritzker sent a letter demanding a refund of $1,700 for every family in Illinois and sent an invoice for more than 5.1 million families totaling more than $8.6 billion, marked "PAST DUE - DELINQUENT." Both governors appeared to base their demands on a Joint Economic Committee report that found American families paid an average of $1,745 in tariff costs between February 2025 and January 2026, a total of over $231 billion.

Other studies, including from Harvard Business School and The Budget Lab at Yale, have found that tariff costs are largely paid by American businesses and consumers. The court ruled the IEEPA tariffs exceeded the president's authority.

United States, California, Illinois

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