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Joint Economic Committee Democrats

Issue Briefs

Apr 23 2026

NEW REPORT: President Trump’s Tariffs Crush Small Manufacturers, Threaten U.S. Economy and National Security

The Joint Economic Committee - Minority issued a report today that details the ways in which President Trump’s reckless tariffs have inflicted harm on the small businesses that make up the American manufacturing base. In his inauguration speech, President Trump promised to make the U.S. “a manufacturing nation once again.” Yet more than a year into his second term, the Trump administration’s policies have done the opposite – resulting in a loss of more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs and a significant decline in small manufacturers’ profit margins.

Apr 07 2026

NEW REPORT: Trump Tariffs and Economic Uncertainty Exacerbate the U.S. Housing Crisis

Following President Trump’s 2025 tariff announcements and the ensuing economic uncertainty, home construction costs increased over the last year and fewer new homes began construction. These challenges continue to grow in 2026, which will further drive up the cost to rent or buy homes and make it harder to address the nation’s housing shortage.

Mar 17 2026

NEW DATA: Families Paid Even More For Electricity Under Trump Than Previously Projected

The Joint Economic Committee – Minority released a new report on nationwide and state-by-state changes in electricity costs from 2024 to 2025. The updated Committee calculations show that the energy cost crisis facing American families is worse than previously projected, with the average U.S. electric bill increasing by $110, or 6.4 percent, last year.

Mar 13 2026

UPDATE: Families to Pay $2,500+ in Tariff Costs This Year

WASHINGTON – The Joint Economic Committee – Minority today released new data estimating that families could pay more than $2,500 in tariffs costs this year. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling that the bulk of the President’s tariff agenda was illegal, the administration moved immediately to enact new tariffs that Treasury Secretary Bessent claims will result in “virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026.” 

Read the full report on the cost of Trump’s tariffs here.