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March 6, 2018

 

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

 

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

 

 

CC:           Mr. Wilbur Ross

Secretary

Department of Commerce

 

CC:           Mr. Gary Cohn

Director

National Economic Council

 

CC:           Peter Navarro

Director

White House National Trade Council