Nov. 19, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s proposal for $2,000 checks for low and middle income households using tariff revenue:

“The $412.9 billion of checks that were sent out in 2020 on a bipartisan basis during Covid were designed to be inflationary, because they were occurring at a thankfully in hindsight brief moment of deflation. Oil had dropped to below-zero dollars per barrel as demand collapsed, global production was on its back amid the economic lockdowns and in the U.S., 25 million Americans temporarily lost their jobs in the blink of an eye. But for that bipartisan intervention by Congress and President Trump, including the relief sent to small businesses, and it is entirely possible the U.S. would have found itself in a depression that lasted much longer. Instead, it was a very steep but short-lived recession.

“That said, if the $412.9 billion of checks to households on a bipartisan basis in 2020 were questionable, then the $401.5 billion by then-President Biden and the Democratic Congress on a singularly partisan basis in 2021 was inexcusable, throwing fuel on the fire at a time when the economy was already fully recovering. A part of Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Democrats in Congress thought deflation was still a threat, and so those checks too were designed to be inflationary, and boy were they as demand came back rapidly while global supplies were still on their pandemic footing. By June 2021, inflation was up to 5.4 percent. By December 2021, inflation was up to 7 percent before peaking at 9.1 percent in June 2022. The checks and all of the other interventions over those two years played a substantial role in increasing the money supply by $6.3 trillion from February 2020 to March 2022, most of which occurred by January 2021.

“We’ll never know the counterfactual of what might have happened had there been no more checks in 2021. What’s important is the checks were sent out, and four years later, the American people are still paying for them.

“Today, there is no deflationary threat, although we might be in a prolonged slowdown with unemployment up 1.6 million since Jan. 2023. This is certainly not the economic emergency seen in 2020, and if anything, we are still experiencing the disinflation from the last spending and borrowing binge. As it is, with the deficit clocking in at $1.77 trillion in 2025 and inflation still cooling, we need another round of $2,000 checks like we need a hole in the head. They might not be intended to be inflationary but that wouldn’t change the likelihood that they will be inflationary. We might be better off burning $1 trillion or so in a bonfire to reduce the money supply but my second choice is try to balance the budget, boost production to increase supplies and cut prices, and to boost wages.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 17, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement in support of President Donald Trump’s reductions of tariffs on several agricultural items the United States does not produce or does not produce enough of:

“Food prices have skyrocketed since the beginning of 2021 by 26 percent, but average weekly earnings only increased 20 percent. Only 1.9 percent of the price increase has been since President Trump reassumed office in January, and so while the tariffs were not the cause of the inflation at all — for that we should look to the $6.3 trillion printed during and after Covid and the global supply crisis from the economic and production lockdowns that did not catch up to demand after the economy reopened — the President’s pivot on tariffs for agriculture is therefore very timely to help boost imports and increase supplies.

“For, ultimately, what will matter the most is not the tariff rate, but how much of the foodstuffs are imported. Whatever we’re not producing enough of, and the prices are still too high for, we should endeavor to import more. Politically, the President and Republicans might discover that it is better to flood the markets now particularly with food than to wish they had later.”

Attachments:

“Cutting Prices Is Job Number One, Mr. President,” By Robert Romano, Nov. 6, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/11/cutting-prices-is-job-number-one-mr-president/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 14, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging President Donald Trump to use his trade and tariff negotiation powers to get the European Union to repeal Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD):

“On Nov. 13, the EU voted to take steps to protect business growth by removing damaging provisions from its CSDDD law — a positive step, but not nearly enough. The directive still extends the EU’s reach far beyond its borders, forcing American companies to bear unnecessary reporting and compliance costs that weaken their global competitiveness and make them vulnerable in the face of foreign adversaries. The Trump administration should use its full trade and tariff negotiating power to force the European Union to fully repeal CSDDD.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 12, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging the House to adopt the Senate-passed continuing resolution and minibus appropriations package immediately:

“The Democratic Party’s government shutdown is finally coming to an end after more than 40 days. Democrats’ original demand for boosted Obamacare premium tax credits and lifting prohibitions on illegal aliens receiving publicly funded health insurance are now out the window, with nothing to show for it except perhaps for diminished economic output of as much as $92 from the Gross Domestic Product by some estimates that peg the six-week shutdown costing the economy some $15 billion a week. The Congressional Budget Office estimates between 1 to 2 percentage points of GDP could be lost, although it’s hard to say because the government stopped collecting economic data last month. In addition, 5.1 million federal workers and military were risking going even longer unpaid. And 42 million Americans who receive food stamps will now be able to start receiving aid again, too.

“This is the busiest travel time of the year in the U.S. and this past weekend, 2,100 air flights were cancelled and 7,000 flights were delayed, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation as air traffic controllers called in sick. By the holiday, the entire U.S. airline industry was going to be crippled, with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy warning, ‘As I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.’ And now, the shutdown ripple will be felt for months to come, with 4 million travelers already stranded in airports with shuttered control towers.

“Now, even if enough Democrats in the House vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, the U.S. government will not be functioning at full capacity for some months to come. It’s time for the House to come together with the Senate, end the Democrats’ shutdown and reopen the government — before any more damage is done.”

To view online: https://getliberty.org/2025/11/house-should-end-shutdown-and-reopen-government-immediately-before-any-more-damage-is-done/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 10, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement in response to the government shutdown coming to an end in the U.S. Senate as the Senate moves forward with the Republican plan to reopen the government until Jan. 30:

“A month ago, we knew that Senate Democrats would come away with no real concessions from the government shutdown, and that it would end with a clean continuing resolution. That was always how it was going to end. And that is exactly how it ended. Senate Democrats could have made the same deal with Senate Republicans a month ago, who all along have offered to negotiate on health care only after the government shutdown ended, and avoided all this. In the meantime, a token vote on the expanded Obamacare tax credits in December might not amount to much but at least it’s no longer tied to keeping the government open. No president should be expected to talk about major legislation while the Senate minority held as hostages the more than 5 million federal employees and military who have gone more than a month without pay. The Senate should finish its work, then the House should act and then pass the remaining appropriations bills. There’s no reason we should be in the same situation in January but maybe that’s still up to Senate Democrats who need to decide if another tantrum won’t just result in nothing — again.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Majority Leader Thune Should Put The Amendment Up For Two-Thirds Vote

Nov. 7, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to put an amendment on the floor to amend Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate to reduce the requirement for cloture from three-fifths to a simple majority:

“The standing rules of the Senate say that in order to amend the Senate rules takes two-thirds of the Senate: ‘on a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules… [a] necessary affirmative vote shall be two-thirds of the Senators present and voting.’

“The President has called upon Senate Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster rules, which currently requires a three-fifths majority to end debate, using the so-called nuclear option, whereby Senate rules are overruled on a simple majority vote. Senate Democrats attempted to do this in 2022 and failed. Today, several Senate Republicans appear unwilling to end the legislative filibuster in this manner, even to end the current government shutdown.

“However, a thoughtful debate on the filibuster might be just what the Senate and the American people really need. Most Americans appear unaware that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass a bill and the regrettable part of that is to ‘blame’ the government shutdown on the party in power, the Republicans, who without changing the rule cannot pass anything on a partisan basis. Democrats want Republicans to try and go nuclear to abolish the filibuster and fail — Democrats will be energized, Republicans divided and demoralized — but there’s another way.

“Instead, Senate Republicans who want to end the filibuster should bring up the motion under Senate rules and then everyone can very publicly debate it and vote on it, Democrats included. They say they want to end the filibuster. They just tried to do it in 2022 via the nuclear option. So make everyone vote on it. Call their bluff.

“Nationwide, Democrats in the Senate not in power will either be alarmed that their own party was voting to give ‘absolute’ power to President Trump, which might demoralize them instead in the 2026 midterms, while others will argue how longer term abolishing the filibuster will ultimately benefit Democrats when they win the trifecta. Make them go on the record explaining why it should always be 60 votes to pass funding bills and everything else. Then make commercials out of it to end the shutdown. President Trump can speak from the Oval Office to end the impasse. The bid might very well fail, only for Democrats to come back and do it later after 2028 or 2032 the next time they have the trifecta. But if there is truly bipartisan support to end the filibuster, then let’s do it by the rules and let’s get on with the business of making America great again. Maybe the filibuster is what’s holding the country back, or maybe the filibuster is the only thing saving it. But let the Senate decide. And then reopen the government.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 6, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement pointing to a 1977 House Report on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that married its language to “regulate… importation” to Section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act:

“President Trump followed the Constitution and the law in implementing his emergency national security tariffs. Both under the original legislative intent and on the language of the statute itself, the House Report on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act is unequivocal that ‘the grant of authorities basically parallels section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act’ including the language to ‘regulate… importation’ that President Richard Nixon used in 1971 to declare a national emergency to address the $2.2 billion U.S. trade in goods deficit and levied 10 percent duties on every trade partner in the world across the board, which was upheld at the time and therefore widely understood by Congress in 1977 to be a valid exercise of that authority when it re-included that exact delegation in IEEPA without amendment. IEEPA uses the same exact language and had the same exact intent as the Trading With the Enemy Act, and we know that because the House report explicitly said so. The House report even addressed Nixon’s 1971 usage and the court decision upholding it explicitly noting ‘the existence of the national emergency [declared by Nixon] made section 5(b) available for purposes which would not be contemplated in normal times.’ Justices don’t even need to guess or wonder what the intent was. It’s right in the report. Read the House report. It’s all in there. The Supreme Court must affirm the President’s unquestionably valid exercise of this authority.”

To view online: https://getliberty.org/2025/11/1977-house-report-said-ieepa-basically-parallels-section-5b-of-the-trading-with-the-enemy-act-that-allows-president-to-regulate-importation-of-goods/

Attachments:

Trading With the Enemy Act Reform Legislation, House Committee on International Relations, June 23, 1977 at https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IEEPA-House-Committee-on-International-Relations-report_1977-copy_clean.pdf#page=17 : “The 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) “defines the international emergency economic authorities available to the President in the circumstances specified in section 202. This grant of authorities basically parallels section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act.” And “the existence of the national emergency [declared by Nixon] made section 5(b) available for purposes which would not be contemplated in normal times.”

1977 House Report: IEEPA ‘Basically Parallels Section 5(b) Of The Trading With The Enemy Act’ That Allows President To ‘Regulate… Importation’ Of Goods, May 30, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/05/1977-house-report-ieepa-basically-parallels-section-5b-of-the-trading-with-the-enemy-act-that-allows-president-to-regulate-importation-of-goods/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 5, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement warning of the strategic consequences if the Supreme Court strikes down President Donald Trump’s emergency, national security tariffs on China:

“We could be at war with China any moment from now, and the strategic situation particular to rare earth minerals will ultimately demand the United States put an embargo on Chinese exports and to secure sources of rare earths for the war effort and as a part of the national emergency the President has already declared. For now, the President has used national security emergency tariffs on China in order to secure trade agreements to keep rare earths flowing for the entire world and, critically, to prevent a much wider conflict. Short of a full embargo, the tariffs give the President the flexibility to negotiate with Beijing, as he was just able to successfully negotiate with Chinese President Xi to keep global trade moving.

“But if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs because Congress was not explicit enough in the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — a distinct possibility — then the President will be left with no alternative but to invoke the same act, charge China with using slave labor and other human rights abuses and threatening national security, and just use the explicit embargo and sanction powers that Congress has also  granted under the same law. These authorities have been used to place a variety of trade sanctions including embargos on North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and other adversary countries who act against U.S. national security interests and threaten international peace and stability. If the President cannot use tariffs, then he might be left with no choice but to cut off trade completely in order to get China back to the table. China threatening the global supply of rare earths is national security threat, and the President has the power to do use economic sanctions to rein that in.

“The result would be escalation,  make resolution of the global supply chain crisis practically impossible via conventional negotiations and ultimately make war more likely. The fact is, Congress has already acted, the President already has all the authority he needs. 50 U.S. Code Sec. 1702 already delegates the power to ‘regulate… importation’ of goods. It’s a political question that the branches have discretion with.

“Besides having to go to embargos and further sanctions, alternately, if the Court forces the issue, then Congress can come back clarify that Presidents have the emergency tariff power when it is needed. Or Congress could act right now, stick clarifying tariff authority in the continuing resolution and make the Supreme Court case moot. Future presidents can thank Trump later.”

Attachments:

“1977 House Report: IEEPA ‘Basically Parallels Section 5(b) Of The Trading With The Enemy Act’ That Allows President To ‘Regulate… Importation’ Of Goods” By Robert Romano, May 30, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/05/1977-house-report-ieepa-basically-parallels-section-5b-of-the-trading-with-the-enemy-act-that-allows-president-to-regulate-importation-of-goods/

“The Judicial Tyranny Undercuts The President’s Ability To Conduct Foreign Affairs As Court For International Trade Strikes Down Tariffs,” By Robert Romano, May 29, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/05/the-judicial-tyranny-undercuts-the-presidents-ability-to-conduct-foreign-affairs-as-court-for-international-trade-strikes-down-tariffs/

“Tariff Ruling Will Bankrupt This Country If Not Overturned,” By Robert Romano, Sept. 4, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/09/tariff-ruling-will-bankrupt-this-country-if-not-overturned/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Nov. 1, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement responding to President Donald Trump’s Oct. 30 call on Truth Social to end the Senate filibuster:

“Democrats want Senate Republicans to end the filibuster. That’s why they keep saying Republicans have the votes to pass the continuing resolution. As usual, the question Republicans have to ask themselves is if they are okay with Democrats governing in the same way when they ultimately come back to power, weighing the fact that they already tried to do this in 2022 and failed. Democrats always win the trifecta of the House, Senate and White House when they win the Presidency for the past century. They’ll try again if not after 2028 then after 2032. It’s going to happen and when it does the party looks like it will be even more radical than it is today.

“The key filibuster question for the President and Republicans is whether they are fully prepared to implement an agenda that preemptively offsets what Democrats would do without the filibuster? Make more states? Pack the Supreme Court? If Trump lacks the votes in the Senate to do those things specifically, then there will be no offset for when the Democrats come back to power, pack the House with illegal aliens in the Census and with mass amnesty, pack the Senate with more blue states like D.C. and Puerto Rico and pack the Supreme Court. Medicare for all? You name it, they’ll do it. Is it worth the cost?

“Another factor to consider are the 2026 Congressional midterms. Senate races will matter a whole lot more without the filibuster. Maybe that can be beneficial in boosting turnout, but the President should be careful what he wishes for. Could abolishing the filibuster galvanize the opposition? Or would the public just shrug?

“The President must also be able to count to 50 in the Senate. If he truly has the votes to abolish the filibuster on legislation, then the American people expect there to be substantial reforms. There’s no turning back. Can he get voter identification with a citizenship requirement in every federal election? Or expand presidential tariff authorities to make the Supreme Court case moot? Restructure Social Security to get a better return on investment? Offer big baby bucks (needs to compete with long term benefits of college degrees so do the math) to end the fertility collapse once and for all? Spend money to reindustrialize America rapidly and modernize the military? Reform the federal civil service and bureaucracy? Intel reform? Dismantle weaponization? End DEI and ESG? If we’re breaking the filibuster, it better be for something more important than a clean continuing resolution, because when the other side gets back into power, they will do the same thing.

“The only reason to do a clean continuing resolution is to preserve bipartisan oversight of Congressional appropriations and to allow time for appropriators to work. If the parties want to continue to govern in a bipartisan way, then keep the Senate filibuster and reopen the government. If not, the sky’s the limit — and that’s the problem. That goes for both sides. This is irreversible. It’s like Daffy Duck eating the gunpowder and swallowing the match. You can only do it once.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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