SACRAMENTO — Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas issues the following statement on Friday’s United States Supreme Court ruling that President Trump’s sweeping tariffs are illegal:
“Trump illegally imposed the largest tax increase of our lifetime. While I appreciate SCOTUS’ decision, the damage is done — Trump’s tariffs cost families thousands of dollars. Congress must hold him accountable— and if they won’t, voters will.”
How Trump’s Tariffs Hurt Working Families
Instead of focusing on lowering the cost of groceries and everyday essentials, President Trump imposed detrimental tariffs that shifted billions of dollars in costs onto working families and businesses.
- American consumers paid more than $231 billion in tariff costs between February 2025 and January 2026 — an average of roughly $1,751 per family.
- The price of imported goods rose about 4%, while domestic goods rose 2% in the last year.
- Prices relative to pre-tariff trends increased across necessary household categories, including: laundry and cleaning supplies (up 4.7%) and food items such as meat (up 6.2%) and fruit (5.5%).
- Economists estimate that consumers and businesses are bearing at least 90% of the cost of the tariff policies.
Californians Hit Even Harder By Failed Trump Policy
California households are projected to face approximately 15% higher impacts than the national average.
If the average U.S. household lost $1,751 to tariffs in 2025, the average California household likely lost between $1,900 and $2,000.
How California Leaders are Fighting for Affordability
While Washington Republicans defend Trump’s reckless and costly policies, California is focused on affordability and accountability.
The Assembly will continue advancing policies that lower everyday costs, protect consumers and strengthen economic oversight — because families should never be forced to pay the price of unlawful federal actions.
- Implemented landmark housing affordability legislation in order to speed-up housing and infrastructure projects, expedite permitting and approval processes, and stabilize costs by freezing new residential building standards through 2031.
- Passed significant climate and energy affordability legislation, including the extension of “Cap and Invest” to return $3 billion every year in Climate Credits on Californians’ utility bills while creating 287,000 jobs through 2045.
- Allocated $25 million to allow the California Department of Justice to file over 50 lawsuits and protect over $188 billion in federal funding for the state.
- Delivered dozens of new laws to support working families, strengthen consumer protections, and put California on a path to greater affordability.
Read More About How Assembly Democrats Are Prioritizing Affordability During This Two-Year Legislative Session