Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum proposes bill to study impacts of tariffs

Published 3:49 pm Tuesday, March 25, 2025

A bill recently proposed by U.S. Congresswoman Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon, and two other members of the House Financial Services committee would require the Federal Reserve to study the impacts of tariffs imposed by the United States dating back to 2017, including those recently implemented by the Trump administration.

Bynum and fellow Democratic Reps. Cleo Fields of Louisiana and Sam Liccardo of California introduced the Protecting Families From Inflation Act Monday, March 24.

The bill would require the “Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to conduct a study on the impact certain United States tariffs have on the cost of goods and services in the United States, and for other purposes.”

The bill further states the study would examine “the collective impact” of every tariff imposed by the United States since 2017.

In a virtual press conference March 25, Bynum said she was tired of seeing costs of everyday goods like groceries continue to rise.

“I’m sick of Congress not doing anything about it,” she said.

Bynum went on to state that since arriving in Washington D.C., she has not had the chance to vote on a single bill that would lower costs. Instead, she said, recent policies from the Trump administration — including newly implemented tariffs on materials like steel and aluminum and goods from Canada, Mexico and China — have only raised costs, despite Trump’s campaign promise to reduce costs “on Day one.”

“I won’t let this administration recklessly increase costs for our families,” Bynum said.

So she, Fields and Liccardo decided to introduce a bill of their own.

“Lowering costs has always been priority number one for me. It’s unconscionable to me – and frankly, unacceptable – that anyone would impose taxes that make things more expensive right now,” Bynum stated in a press release. And I won’t stand by and let it happen – that’s why I’m fighting back with this bill to lower costs for my constituents.”

Though the bill itself will only study the impacts of tariffs and will have no direct impact on prices, Bynum said “You have to start with the facts” to understand the impacts of the tariffs.

In their joint press release, Liccardo called Trump’s tariffs “misguided economic measures” and said the study would allow Congress to advance “common-sense legislation that would provide much-needed relief to hard-working Americans.”

The bill, also known as HR2287, now awaits a hearing in the House Committee on Ways and Means.