Merkley Statement on CBO Analysis Showing Trump's Tariffs Will add $2 Trillion to the Debt Following Supreme Court Ruling

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement following new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projecting that because the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's chaotic and reckless tariff policy, the debt is going to grow to even higher levels than previously assumed. CBO now says that freeing American businesses and families from Trump's tariffs will add an additional $2 trillion to our national debt over the next 10 years.

"Just last week, CBO told us how the Republican Big, Ugly Betrayal law was crafted to hurt families, benefit billionaires, and explode our national debt to unforeseen levels. Now, following the Supreme Court overturning Trump's illegal and chaotic tariffs, we see that the debt will increase by another $2 trillion - all because Trump's self-imposed tax on American families that he used to 'offset' many of the costs in his Big, Ugly Betrayal law couldn't survive the scrutiny of even an incredibly conservative Court. As always, his agenda: 'families lose, billionaires win.'

"With only a little over a year in office, this president and this Republican-led Congress added trillions to our debt at the expense of working families. This has to end. We cannot continue to allow our government to operate this way," said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley.

In February, CBO released its baseline showing the national debt would increase by $24 trillion over the next 10 years and rise to 120 percent of GDP by 2036. Following the Supreme Court's decision, the debt will instead increase by $26 trillion and rise to 124 percent of GDP, according to today's analysis.

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