Medford, OR – On Wednesday, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden took to the Senate floor to deliver a scathing critique of President Donald Trump’s recently announced tariffs, which the president rolled out as part of a broader economic strategy. The tariffs, which are set to range from 10% to as high as 50%, target countries that the U.S. has the largest trade deficits with. Trump framed the new tariffs as a necessary measure to address the nation’s trade imbalances.
However, Wyden, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee, wasted no time in condemning the tariffs, calling them a “tax on things we buy from other countries.” He further emphasized that, in the end, it is American consumers who bear the brunt of the economic burden. “The bottom line is those taxes make it more expensive for Americans to buy those products,” Wyden stated. “No other country pays the tariffs… the consumer pays the tariffs.”
In his speech, Wyden framed the tariffs as an economic misstep that would not benefit American workers or industries. Instead, he argued, the policy would exacerbate economic hardships for families already struggling with rising prices and stagnant wage growth. “American families need relief from rising prices and stagnant growth,” Wyden remarked. “But instead, Donald Trump—with buy-in from Congressional Republicans—is administering economic poison to our economy.”
The senator’s comments reflected his concern that the tariffs would not bring about the promised revival of American manufacturing. Rather, Wyden suggested that the move was nothing more than a mechanism for further enriching the wealthiest Americans while offering little relief to the average working family. “Trump’s short-sighted tariff plan won’t rebuild American manufacturing or help working families get ahead. It’s a tax on almost everything families buy, so Trump can give his billionaire friends a tax cut,” Wyden said.
Wyden also pointed out the unpredictability surrounding Trump’s tariff strategy, suggesting that businesses—both large and small—would be left in limbo due to the erratic nature of the administration’s decisions. “After Trump spent months flip-flopping about tariffs, no business, large or small, can make investments based on today’s announcement,” Wyden observed. “There is every chance in the world Trump wakes up in a week and decides to do something else.”
The senator’s remarks underscored the broader political tensions surrounding U.S. trade policy, with Wyden asserting that the Republican-led approach was fostering “chaos and uncertainty” for American businesses and consumers alike. Wyden vowed to lead the effort to repeal the new tariffs, promising to fight for a policy that would provide relief for American families.
“The Republicans’ trade policy amounts to chaos and uncertainty all the way down, and working Americans are the victims,” Wyden declared. “I plan to lead the effort to repeal these mindless blanket tariffs and give working families the relief from high prices that they need.”
As the debate over the tariffs continues to unfold, Wyden’s outspoken criticism signals the ongoing divide in Washington over the effectiveness and consequences of the Trump administration’s trade strategy. With the impact of these tariffs still unclear, it remains to be seen how Congress will respond to Wyden’s call for action.