Rosen, Colleagues Call on Small Business Administration to Mitigate Damage from Trump Tariffs to Small Businesses

WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, joined colleagues in a letter demanding that U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler take immediate action to address the impacts of Trump’s reckless tariff policies on small businesses. In Nevada, 99 percent of all businesses are small businesses, and tariffs are threatening their ability to stay afloat.

“The situation is dire. From mom-and-pop restaurants unable to afford basic supplies like cooking oil to small manufacturers and high-tech startups struggling to afford the raw materials needed for innovation, small businesses across all sectors are facing the same crippling reality,” wrote the Senators. “As these costs rise, consumer confidence continues to plummet, and the economy stagnates. A survey by Small Business for America’s Future found that 71 percent of small businesses will need to increase prices to survive, but with consumer confidence at its lowest since the pandemic, many owners know their customers cannot afford higher prices. The tariffs, therefore, are not only increasing costs, but also are undermining the very demand from customers that small businesses rely on.”

“Failure to act will not only jeopardize the livelihoods of small business owners but may also lead to long-term financial hardship for the 60 million workers employed by small business – especially those working paycheck to paycheck who cannot afford to be laid off or have jobs delayed or denied,” the Senators’ letter continued. “We urge you to take swift action to ameliorate the damage being inflicted on small businesses by the President’s tariff policies, combined with the chaos of cuts to federal services and investments that small businesses rely on. As a representative of millions of entrepreneurs who are on the brink of disaster and the voice of small businesses in the administration, you have an obligation to fight for their survival… America’s small businesses—and the workers they employ—are counting on you to take action before it is too late.”

The full letter can be found HERE.

Senator Rosen has been fighting back against President Trump’s reckless tariffs and the destructive impacts they’re having on Nevada’s economy. Earlier this week, Rosen led a letter demanding that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and President Donald Trump immediately reverse course on the sweeping tariffs that are devastating small businesses in Nevada and across the nation. Senator Rosen also recently took to the Senate floor to oppose President Trump’s tariffs and highlight a letter she received from a small business owner in Reno outlining the devastating impact these tariffs will have on his business. Senator Rosen also helped pass a Congressional resolution to reverse President Trump’s devastating tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods that have raised prices for families and hurt Nevada’s businesses and economy. Senator Rosen also sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico to prevent housing prices from rising even further.

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