Small Business Owners Join Press Conference with Sen. Markey on the Small Business RELIEF Act

Last week, Small Business Majority network member Rebecca Melsky, Co-Founder of Princess Awesome, joined Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) at a press conference on the Small Business RELIEF Act.

The event followed a U.S. appeals court decision upholding a ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the administration to impose broad baseline and reciprocal tariffs. The Supreme Court is expected to review the case later this year.

If the Court upholds the ruling, small businesses that paid tariffs under IEEPA could qualify for reimbursement. The Small Business RELIEF Act would codify this by requiring refunds for affected small businesses and exempting them from future tariffs imposed under IEEPA.

The bill aims to ease financial burdens on small businesses impacted by rising import costs.