Rep. Suhas Subramanyam speaking at Congressional Dads Caucus. / Suhas Subranayam

Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, with fellow members of the Congressional Dads Caucus, took aim at President Donald Trump’s tariffs, calling them a “self-imposed recession” that would hurt American families and small businesses already struggling with rising costs.

“President Trump’s tariffs will continue to devastate small local businesses and raise prices on families that are already reeling from the high costs of groceries, household goods, and prescription drugs,” Subramanyam said at a press conference held by the Dads Caucus on Capitol Hill.

He added: “These tariffs will be a self-imposed recession and a blow to the budgets of American families everywhere. I ask my Republican colleagues to stand with working families and reject the President’s actions.”

In a post on X, Subramanyam stressed the personal stakes of the issue: “Proud to stand with my fellow dads in the @DadsCaucus against the Trump Administration’s revenge tariffs that are raising costs on families and family-owned small businesses.”

Proud to stand with my fellow dads in the @DadsCaucus against the Trump Administration’s revenge tariffs that are raising costs on families and family-owned small businesses. pic.twitter.com/4CokqOaftt

— Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) (@RepSuhas) April 8, 2025

The press conference brought together a chorus of Democratic voices, all members of the Dads Caucus who were unified in their opposition to what they described as punitive and harmful economic policies being pursued by Trump and backed by Congressional Republicans.

It is to be noted that this press conference was held before Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for all countries, except China.

Dads Caucus chair Jimmy Gomez spoke about the day-to-day financial stress families are enduring under the weight of inflation and economic uncertainty — pressures he believes Trump's tariffs will only intensify.

“Families are waking up with less money in their retirement savings, higher prices at the grocery store, and less confidence in the economy because of Trump. And Congressional Republicans are supporting his catastrophic economic agenda,” Gomez said. “Trump’s tariffs are an added sales tax on working parents, and they’re driving up the cost of everyday essentials and making life harder for families. That’s why my fellow Dads Caucus members and I are calling on Congressional Republicans to do their jobs and join us in reining in Trump’s dumb tariffs.”

Rep. Brad Schneider compared Trump’s trade policies to a “five-alarm fire” for working parents. “Parents are already facing huge costs as they raise their kids with the crazy price of childcare and expensive groceries,” he said. “Instead of looking seriously at solutions that can help hardworking families not just get by but get ahead, Trump is hitting them with a massive tax.”

Schneider urged House Republicans to act: “They could stand up and stop President Trump from unilaterally setting fire to our economy... Speaker Johnson must bring legislation to the floor that restores Congress’s trade authority and puts the people back in the driver’s seat.”

In Las Vegas, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) said, the consequences of the tariffs are already tangible. “We’re already grappling with high prices and a housing crisis. We desperately need more houses, but tariffs on steel and aluminum – both of which come from Mexico and Canada – are working against us,” he said. “A tariff is a tax, and Donald Trump owns these erratic taxes.”

Freshman Congressman Derek Tran (CA-45) joined the call with a sharp rebuke of the President’s broader approach to governance. “President Trump’s tariffs are just another example of the fact that this administration seems to have only one tool in its toolbox – a sledge hammer,” Tran said. “These reckless tariffs mean that Americans will face higher prices, fewer jobs, and a world that is less safe.”

The Dads Caucus, formed during the 118th Congress following the drawn-out Speaker vote, was established as a forum to champion legislation that benefits working families. Since its inception, the group has advocated for policies such as a national paid leave program, affordable childcare, expansion of the Child Tax Credit, and broader economic support for working parents.