King Cosponsors Bill to Return Unconstitutional Tariff Fees to Maine Small Businesses, Urging Corporations to Pass on Refunds to Consumers Who Paid Them

February 24, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C.–U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring legislation that would return tariff revenue to the pockets of small businesses and encourage large corporations to pass on those refunds to their consumers, after months of bipartisan oppositionpointing out that tariffs amount to additional taxes on Americans.TheTariff Refund Act of 2026would require full refunds of the Trump Administration’s tariffs after they were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in a6-3 ruling last week, a ruling Senator King considered a “civics lesson” for Congress and the President.
“Over the last year,American businesses or consumers paid $134 billionto cover the Trump administration’s costly, complicated, and unconstitutional tariffs. Now that the policy has been thrown out by a 6-3 Supreme Court decision, Americans – including the thousands of small businesses and Maine people who footed the bill for this policy – deserve their money back,”said Senator King.“In response to the Supreme Court’s decision deeming the tariffs unconstitutional, it’s time to return the excess revenue to the folks who bore the burden. TheTariff Refund Act of 2026would help alleviate the higher costs and prices caused by the illegal tariffs over the past year and, in turn, reinstate the taxing authority back to Congress, as Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution clearly states.”
TheTariff Refund Act of 2026would ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) completes the payment of refunds quickly and prioritizes the interests of small businesses in that process. Importantly, the bill would ensure that importers are not required to take costly administrative steps to receive a refund of the tariffs unlawfully collected by the Administration. The bill also directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to coordinate with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide information and technical support. Finally, the bill’s reporting requirements would provide Congress, which has constitutional authority over trade and tariffs, with proper oversight over the refund payment process.
More specifically, the bill:
Joining King on the legislation are U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).
Senator King has beenoutspoken in his oppositionto President Trump’s tariffs since they were imposed last year, including in his statement following the Supreme Court’sdecision deeming the tariffs unconstitutional.Last June, Senator King joined anamicus briefopposed to an appeals’ court stay on a lower court ruling the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs illegal. In July, he joined an additionalamicus briefin support of the Court of International Trade’s ruling that the IEEPA tariffs are illegal ahead of its hearing in the federal appeals circuit court. In September, Senator King cosponsored a Joint Resolution of Disapproval (JRD) to terminate the underlying emergency at the Northern border and eliminate tariffs on Canada, and cosponsored a JRD to terminate the underlying emergency with respect to the Brazilian tariffs. In October, ahead of the hearing before the Supreme Court, Senator King joined anamicus briefin support of plaintiffs arguing that tariffs imposed under IEEPA are illegal. As recently as last month, Senator King referred to the White House’s “illegal tariffs” in a statement expressing concern over the administration’s overreaching ICE operations in Maine, as well as its threats against Greenland.
###