Nevada’s five Democrats urge Trump to reverse ‘reckless’ tariffs
Nevada’s five congressional Democrats; Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, led Senator Jacky Rosen and Representatives Dina Titus, Susie Lee, and Steven Horsford have urged President Donald Trump to reverse his blanket tariffs that have had harmful impacts on Nevada.
The delegation expressed concern that the tariffs will continue to raise costs for Nevada families, make small businesses harder to operate, worsen the housing shortage, and threaten Nevada’s tourism economy. It highlighted two key markets; Mexico and Canada which have been particularly affected.
“We write to express our deep concern that your reckless and uncoordinated tariffs imposed on American allies and partners will have a destructive effect on the economy in our home state of Nevada,” wrote the delegation. “Targeted tariffs on our adversaries can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and support our national security; however, your blanket tariffs are the opposite of that. We urge you to reverse your approach and remove harmful tariffs that will only create uncertainty and higher costs for hardworking families and small businesses across Nevada.”
Your administration has done all of this unilaterally without seeking the approval or consultation of Congress, which is at odds both with the constitutional separation of powers and the longstanding statutory interpretation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the law you have dubiously used to impose your chaotic tariff regime.
It is impossible for American businesses and investors to plan their long-term investments, hire employees, and make other vital decisions while operating under the massive economic uncertainty created by your administration. Your actions are driving up costs and placing an extreme burden on workers and businesses. We have already begun to see the consequences of your policies in a cratering stock market and recent economic data from Q1 of 2025 showing the American economy shrunk for the first time in years.
We are deeply concerned that in addition to thrusting the broader U.S. economy into a recession, your reckless tariff actions will specifically harm Nevada’s key industries, sharply raise costs on its hardworking families, and threaten its small businesses. We are especially concerned that your tariffs on two of our key trading partners, Mexico and Canada, will raise the prices of groceries, medicine, and new cars and will result in thousands of lost jobs. Nevadans buy more than $3 billion in goods annually from Mexico and Canada. Your tariffs on Canada and Mexico are likely to cost Nevada households hundreds of dollars a year, if not more, and reputable, non-partisan economists have estimated the full suite of your tariffs will likely cost American households thousands of dollars.5 This could entail significant price increases in the retail sector and in the food and beverage industry, which are both critical to the overall success of Nevada’s service economy and heavily reliant on imports from Mexico and Canada.
“Maintaining good relationships with America’s allies is also critical for Nevada’s tourism-dependent economy, which relies on international visitors. Nevada is one of the top five states most visited by international travelers, and the industry makes up nearly 16 percent of our state’s economy, generating $23.6bn in total income. As of 2024, more than 300,000 Nevadans are employed by our tourism industry. The US travel industry is already experiencing a noticeable decrease in room bookings, business travel, and recreational visits from both domestic and international travel. Travel experts have estimated the number of people arriving in the US. from abroad will decline by up to 9.4 percent in 2025. This fact is the direct consequence of your administration’s imposition of tariffs on nations around the globe and bellicose rhetoric toward even our closest allies. Your administration’s tariff actions are already undermining Nevada’s tourism economy and, if not reversed, will have devastating impacts on the state’s entire economy in the years ahead.”
“That is why we believe US trade policy must be thoughtfully implemented to strengthen our economic bonds with our allies, while strongly confronting adversaries like China. Your administration’s implementation of blunt, widespread tariffs is just the opposite,” concluded the delegation. “It has only served to create chaos and uncertainty across the economy. Your tariffs are raising prices of everyday items for Nevada families and imposing higher costs on Nevada businesses including manufacturers, tourism, and other companies, stunting our state’s previously booming economic growth. We urge your administration to reverse course and commit to working with Congress to modernize our trade policies to ensure they work in the best interest of Nevada and the United States.”
