Senator Welch Slams Trump's Tariff 'Fantasy' and 'Lawless Rampage'

Constitutional Authority and Executive Power

• 🏛️ Senator Welch argues that Congress is abdicating its constitutional responsibility by allowing the executive branch to accumulate power.
• ⚖️ He criticizes the concentration of power as leading to abuse, referencing the Federalist Papers and the need for independent branches of government.
• ⚠️ The executive's actions are described as a 'lawless rampage', accommodated by an appeasing Congress that fails to stand up for its authority, including over the budget and tariffs.

Trump's Tariff Policy and Economic Fantasy

• 💭 President Trump's economic agenda is characterized as being grounded in a 'total fantasy world,' particularly regarding tariffs.
• 📈 Welch disputes the idea that high tariffs will lead to a 'golden age' or be paid for by other countries, stating there is 'literally no support' for this economic theory.
• 🛒 He points out that tariffs will increase costs for American consumers, citing examples like shopping at Target or Walmart and the potential $25,000 increase in Vermont home prices.

Devastating Impact on Vermont's Economy

• 🚜 Vermont farmers face a 25% increase in fertilizer costs from Canada, threatening their ability to stay in business due to operating on thin margins.
• 🍁 Maple sugar producers are hit with a 25% increase in equipment costs, such as evaporators.
• ⛽ Consumers and businesses in Northern Vermont will see higher bills for home heating fuel, gasoline, and electricity due to tariffs on imports from Canada.

Voices from Vermont

• 💬 Vermonters express concerns about the tariffs feeling like 'death by a thousand cuts'.
• 🥕 The Vermont Food Bank anticipates a significant unbudgeted hit to its procurement efforts if tariffs are applied to vegetables from Quebec.
• 🏗️ Construction companies foresee stagnation in much-needed projects due to increased equipment costs and potential for making homes unaffordable.
• 🪵 Loggers will face tariffs on logs shipped to Canada, and subsequent tariffs on returned lumber, ultimately impacting home builders and buyers.

Call for Congressional Action

• ✊ Congress must assert its authority over tariffs, which are not the executive's prerogative, to protect the constitutional promise of separation of powers.
• 💡 The economic theory behind Trump's tariffs is dismissed as a 'fantasy' with no credibility or intellectual foundation.
• 🗣️ The impact on everyday Vermonters – farmers, builders, syrup producers, food banks – is overwhelmingly negative, contrary to the promised 'golden age'.