Treasurer Pieciak, Attorney General Clark hail Supreme Court tariff rebuke

February 23, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority when imposing sweeping tariffs using a law reserved for a national emergency.

The 6-3 decision by the nation’s highest court strikes down the extensive slate of tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on goods from countries around the world. The court’s ruling found tariffs that Trump imposed under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional, including the sweeping ‘reciprocal’ tariffs he levied on nearly every country, the Associated Press reported. 

The president reacted after the ruling with stinging attacks directed at Supreme Court justices and with an announcement on social media that he would respond by enacting a new 150-day 10% tax on imports via executive order. 

In Vermont, state Treasurer Mike Pieciak and Attorney General Charity Clark each issued statements praising the Supreme Court ruling, emphasizing the role the Constitution outlines for Congress to play in levying tariffs and the impact the tariffs to date have had on consumers. 

“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of our multistate coalition, declaring President Trump’s broad tariffs unconstitutional,” Clark stated. “The court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the President to impose tariffs – a tax on Americans. This is a win for Vermont families and small businesses who have been impacted by rising costs caused by the President’s unlawful tariffs.

“This is also a win for the rule of law – the Court held that the President cannot usurp authority the Constitution vests in Congress.”

Likewise, Pieciak praised the ruling and its emphasis on upholding the law. 

“By striking down Trump’s misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Supreme Court is ending the so-called ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs and levies on imports from Canada and Mexico. These tariffs represented one of the biggest tax increases in history on working- and middle-class Americans,” Pieciak wrote. 

“This is welcome news for Vermont families, workers, and small businesses – especially those that rely on trade with our neighbors to the north.  

But let’s be clear: no court decision can undo the harm inflicted by these tariffs. The federal government collected more than $120 billion from these tariffs, and the facts show that nearly all of it was paid for by American businesses and consumers – not foreign countries. 

The tariffs have forced small businesses to lay off employees and raise prices, costing households an extra $1,000 in 2025 alone. While it is not entirely clear what happens next, the message is clear: the president alone does not have the authority to impose a tax on the American people.”