FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org
Tariff Tuesdays - February 24th, 2026
Your weekly update on how Trump’s tariff chaos is hitting Wisconsin families and small businesses — and what Congress is (not) doing about it.
Welcome to Opportunity Wisconsin’s new weekly feature, Tariff Tuesdays! As President Trump and Republicans in Congress continue to stand by costly tariffs that are squeezing small business owners and families across Wisconsin, we’ll be highlighting the latest tariff news each week.
NEW AD: A Wisconsin Coffee Roaster Speaks Out
Opportunity Wisconsin today released a new ad featuring TJ, co-owner and president of Wonderstate Coffee in Viroqua. Wonderstate roasts half a million pounds of coffee a year and employs 85 people — and tariffs are crushing them.
"We're roasting half a million pounds of coffee a year and we employ 85 people. But these tariffs are crushing us. You're looking at $100,000 in tariffs right here. That's on top of all of our other supplies getting more expensive. We've had no choice but to raise prices. Congressman Derrick Van Orden voted to support the tariffs. And he called them a success. That doesn't feel like success to me. All I see are higher prices. We need to tell Derrick Van Orden to stop raising our costs." — TJ, Wonderstate Coffee
THIS WEEK: Supreme Court Strikes Down Tariffs. Trump Doubles Down. Van Orden and Steil Stay Silent.
In a 6-3 ruling last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump's sweeping tariffs were unconstitutional — finding that the power to tax belongs to Congress, not the executive branch. It was a landmark decision that should have given Wisconsin's congressional delegation an opening to stand up for working families and small businesses. Instead, Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil have said nothing.
Rather than accept the ruling, Trump immediately announced a new 10% global tariff under a separate legal authority — then raised it to 15% the following day. The 10% global tariff took effect this morning. The new tariff is the legal maximum allowed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and can remain in place for up to 150 days before Congress must vote to extend it.
That means another vote on tariffs could be coming. And Van Orden and Steil's records offer little reason for optimism. Both congressmen have repeatedly voted to support Trump's tariffs and block Congress from challenging them — including voting against a resolution earlier this year to stop tariffs on Canada. When given a clear opportunity to stand up for Wisconsin families and small businesses, they chose to stand with the tariffs instead.
Details on how tariffs are hitting Wisconsinites are in Opportunity Wisconsin’s new reports, “Paying the Price” released yesterday. Check them out here: WI-01, WI-03
BY THE NUMBERS: The Tariff "Tax Cut" Math Doesn't Add Up
The Trump administration has been touting bigger tax refunds this year as proof that working families are coming out ahead. A new report from the Center for American Progress shows why that claim doesn't hold up.
Fewer than half of Americans making less than $100,000 will see an increased refund this year — while 93% of those making over $100,000 will. The tax law's biggest benefits flow to those earning more than $200,000.
Meanwhile, tariffs are costing the average family between $1,250 and $1,750 annually — roughly two to three times the size of the average tax refund. And for lower- and middle-income families, the expiration of Affordable Care Act health care tax credits amounts to a $27 billion tax increase this year that wipes out whatever refund bump they might see.
The bottom line: for most Wisconsin families, the tariff tax is bigger than the refund check. And Van Orden and Steil voted for both.
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