FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org
ICYMI: Van Orden and Steil just voted to make your morning coffee more expensive
Wisconsin Congressmen voted to keep 50 percent tariffs in place on Brazil, which are already raising costs on morning routines and grocery bills as Republicans in Congress are set to protect even more tariffs this afternoon
MADISON, Wis. – In case you missed it, last night Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil voted to keep 50 percent tariffs in place on goods imported from Brazil, making it even more expensive for families filling up their coffee cups. This move to protect costly tariffs comes ahead of an expected vote this afternoon which would protect more of President Trump’s tariffs through March.
Last night both Steil and Van Orden voted in favor of keeping tariffs on Brazil in place even as reports show coffee prices have been forced up nearly 21 percent over the past year as a result — the largest spike in coffee prices since the 1990s. Consumers could bear the brunt of even more of the cost increase as businesses are forced to pass on more of the tariff burden to consumers.
“Costly tariffs are making everyday life more difficult for working families across Wisconsin. Whether it’s stopping for a morning coffee or stocking up on groceries, prices are increasing thanks to tariffs that Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden continue to vote for,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “It’s time for them to wake up and realize that tariffs, along with the disastrous cuts to healthcare and SNAP they voted for, aren’t helping their constituents get ahead. It’s time for them to restore funding and put an end to these tariffs that are stretching family budgets even thinner.”
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