Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the undersigned groups representing millions of taxpayers and consumers across the country, we urge you to reconsider the tariffs on aluminum and steel announced on March 1, 2018. We appreciate your work cutting taxes and promoting America, but tariffs on aluminum and steel will be a tax on the Middle Class with everything from cars to baseball bats to even beer being more expensive.
Free trade is an integral foundation for any economy seeking growth, innovation, and expanded opportunity. Not only is free trade good for the U.S. economy, it is also good for the American taxpayer.
As President, you pledged to put America and American jobs first. But imposing tariffs would be bad for the economy and bad for American workers. U.S. manufacturers that consume steel employ an estimated 40 to 60 times more U.S. workers than do steel producing facilities. This tax hike would put these jobs at risk. In fact, when George W Bush increased tariffs on steel, 200,000 jobs were lost as a direct result.
If the U.S. government develops a fortress mentality in a global marketplace, it will spur trading partners to treat U.S. products in the same manner. If foreign governments imitate the U.S. government’s use of tariffs, U.S. exports of manufactured goods could decline. Nothing is more important to long-term U.S. prosperity than being able to sell America’s exceptional products in markets that 95 percent of the world’s population call home.
In December, you signed into law the most significant tax reform in more than 30 years. These tax cuts will revolutionize the US economy, create new jobs and increase living standards throughout the country. This new tariff proposal puts all of that at risk. A new tax on steel and aluminum will cost jobs, increase costs to consumers, and force businesses to go overseas. We strongly urge you to reconsider this proposal.
Sincerely,
David Williams
President, Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Phil Kerpen
President, American Commitment
Steve Pociask
President, American Consumer Institute
Lisa B. Nelson
CEO, American Legislative Exchange Council
Ashley N. Varner
Executive Director, ALEC Action
Robert Alt
President & CEO, Buckeye Institute
Norm Singleton
President, Campaign for Liberty
Andrew F. Quinlan
President, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Jeffrey Mazzella
President, Center for Individual Freedom
Iain Murray
Vice President for Strategy, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Matthew Kandrach
President, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy
Frederik Roeder
Managing Director, Consumer Choice Center
David McIntosh
President, Club for Growth
Robert Roper
President, Ethan Allen Institute
Jason Pye
Vice President of Legislative Affairs, FreedomWorks
George Landrith
President, Frontiers of Freedom
Mario Lopez
President, Hispanic Leadership Fund
John Tillman
CEO, Illinois Policy Institute
Carrie L. Lukas
President, Independent Women’s Forum
Heather R. Higgins
CEO, Independent Women’s Voice
Tom Giovanetti
President, Institute for Policy Innovation
Kory Swanson
President and CEO, John Locke Foundation
Lindsay Boyd Killen
Vice President for Strategic Outreach and Communications, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Brent Mead
CEO, Montana Policy Institute
Pete Sepp
President, National Taxpayers Union
Paul Gessing
President, Rio Grande Foundation
Richard M. Esenberg
President/General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty