Members of the Congressional Dads Caucus, including Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Shomari C. Figures (AL-07), and Derek Tran (CA-45), held a press conference on April 8, 2025, to highlight the adverse impact of former President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on working families, particularly parents.

At the conference, lawmakers emphasized that the tariffs would significantly raise the cost of everyday essentials, ranging from food and clothing to vehicles and building materials, while offering no tangible benefit to American workers.

Formed following the Speaker vote in the 118th Congress on January 26, 2023, the Dads Caucus serves as a platform for legislators advocating for policies that support working families. Since its inception, the Caucus has emerged as a vocal proponent of measures aimed at making life more affordable for American families. These include advancing a national paid family leave policy, expanding access to affordable childcare, bolstering the Child Tax Credit, and securing critical resources for working parents, according to a statement from Rep. Subramanyam’s office. 

“President Trump’s tariffs will continue to devastate small local businesses and raise prices on families that are already reeling from the high costs of groceries, household goods, and prescription drugs,” said Rep. Subramanyam. “These tariffs will be a self-imposed recession and a blow to the budgets of American families everywhere. I ask my Republican colleagues to stand with working families and reject the President’s actions.”

“Families are waking up with less money in their retirement savings, higher prices at the grocery store, and less confidence in the economy because of Trump. And Congressional Republicans are supporting his catastrophic economic agenda,” said Dads Caucus Chair Rep. Gomez. “Trump’s tariffs are an added sales tax on working parents, and they’re driving up the cost of everyday essentials and making life harder for families. That’s why my fellow Dads Caucus members and I are calling on Congressional Republicans to do their jobs and join us in reining in Trump’s dumb tariffs.”

“For families, Trump’s trade war and tariff tax are a five-alarm fire. Parents are already facing huge costs as they raise their kids with the crazy price of childcare and expensive groceries,” said Congressman Schneider. “Instead of looking seriously at solutions that can help hardworking families not just get by but get ahead, Trump is hitting them with a massive tax. Our Republican colleagues here in the House could put a stop to this today. They could stand up and stop President Trump from unilaterally setting fire to our economy and creating an entirely self-inflicted recession. Speaker Johnson must bring legislation to the floor that restores Congress’s trade authority and puts the people back in the driver’s seat.” 

“A tariff is a tax, and Donald Trump owns these erratic taxes,” said Congressman Horsford. “In Las Vegas, we’re already grappling with high prices and a housing crisis. We desperately need more houses, but tariffs on steel and aluminum – both of which come from Mexico and Canada – are working against us. I’m proud to stand with my Dads Caucus colleagues to oppose Trump’s blanket tariffs because every dad – and every parent – deserves better when it comes to the country we leave our children.”

“President Trump’s tariffs are just another example of the fact that this administration seems to have only one tool in its toolbox – a sledge hammer. Instead of fixing our schools, they dismantle the Department of Education. Instead of delivering better health care, they cut funding for Medicaid,” said Congressman Tran. “And now – instead of investing in American industry, they impose reckless tariffs that will slow production and raise prices. The facts are very clear. These reckless tariffs mean that Americans will face higher prices, fewer jobs, and a world that is less safe.”

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