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The Facts on U.S.–Canada Tariffs Nearly One Year Into Trump’s Plan

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The power of libraries to connect communities

The power of libraries to connect communities
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By Annie Caplan,
Annie Caplan
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Cristy Moran
Cristy Moran
See More Writings by author
Mar 22, 2023

Annie Caplan (she/her) is a former librarian and currently the Libraries Partner for Living Room Conversations. She provides consulting, tools, and resources for libraries across the country to hold community conversations.

Cristy Moran (she/ ella) is the Adult Library Services Senior Consultant at the Colorado State Library. She is the librarian’s librarian, facilitating equitable access to resources to libraries across the state so that libraries can provide equitable access to resources to all members of their communities.

People may hear the word "library" and imagine librarians sitting behind a circulation desk, reading a book and telling patrons to be quiet. What many folks may not know, is that most of us are spending our days imagining ways to transform our communities from the inside out. Do you want to know what countless library staff are really doing behind the scenes? Coordinating activities and programs that draw neighbors into a shared space to enter in conversations, exchange ideas, ask questions, tell their stories, and - in short - talk. We’re dreaming up ways to foster shared experiences for our neighbors and then putting them into action with programs and events that showcase the vibrant communities in which we live and the hard work that goes into them. One of the cornerstone programs that we facilitate are community conversations.

Libraries have been described as “America’s most democratic institution” and they are. Public libraries are a reflection of the communities, their values and their needs. Libraries are natural gathering places for the public because they are situated in their communities and provide open, free, safe spaces to be. Libraries invite people from an array of lived experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, and beliefs to share space together and to engage in conversations where they can share their own stories, as well as listen to the stories of others. Libraries have unlimited potential to expand their community impact. When we bring our communities together in conversation, we connect people back to our shared humanity.

Throughout our collective time in the library world, we have organized, facilitated, and witnessed community conversations in libraries across the country. We are continually blown away by the understanding built, connections fostered, and relationships formed as these conversations unfold.

After holding a series of community conversations at her library, Josie Brockmann, Adult Services Librarian at Longmont Public Library, commented, “Nowadays, we may be even closer to bridging our divides because of the amount of people we can reach, the amount of different people we can meet, and people’s stories that we can hear that we never would have been able to hear before. For our national health, our spiritual health, and our individual health, we need to learn to talk to each other.”

When we engage in conversation with each other, we break down the walls that make us “other” and recognize our similarities, shared values, and common needs. When people tell their stories, we learn why they believe what they do. When we share our experiences, we come to see that even though we may have vastly different opinions about certain issues, we all want what’s best for our families and loved ones.

During these times of increasing polarization, community conversations in libraries continue to show us there is so much more that connects us than divides us. Conversations remind us that we’re in this together. We are each members of a bigger unit. We use the same roads. We shop at the same stores. We drink the same water.

We believe real, sustainable, cultural change starts from the ground up. We don't know how we as a society achieve racial and gender equity. We don't know how to reverse climate change and bridge the wealth gap. We don't know how to heal our nation's political divides or address the countless social and environmental issues facing our communities, nation, and world. But, we do know that if we want to stand a chance at changing things, we have to first talk about them. There is no better time than now for us to make a way for conversations in our communities - and libraries can play a revolutionary part.

National Week of Conversation (NWOC) encourages us to consciously show up and enter into conversation with one another. It is an opportunity for us to unite, connect, and heal together. Whether you are a library professional, patron, or fellow member of your community, you can learn more about getting involved at https://conversation.us/libraries/ or email annie@livingroomconversations.org.

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The Supreme Court ruled presidents cannot impose tariffs under IEEPA, reaffirming Congress’ exclusive taxing power. Here’s what remains legal under Sections 122, 232, 301, and 201.

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Just the Facts: What Presidents Can’t Do on Tariffs Now

The Fulcrum strives to approach news stories with an open mind and skepticism, striving to present our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.


What Is No Longer Legal After the Supreme Court Ruling

  • Presidents may not impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Court held that IEEPA’s authority to “regulate … importation” does not include the power to levy tariffs. Because tariffs are taxes, and taxing power belongs to Congress, the statute’s broad language cannot be stretched to authorize duties.
  • Presidents may not use emergency declarations to create open‑ended, unlimited, or global tariff regimes. The administration’s claim that IEEPA permitted tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope was rejected outright. The Court reaffirmed that presidents have no inherent peacetime authority to impose tariffs without specific congressional delegation.
  • Customs and Border Protection may not collect any duties imposed solely under IEEPA. Any tariff justified only by IEEPA must cease immediately. CBP cannot apply or enforce duties that lack a valid statutory basis.
  • The president may not use vague statutory language to claim tariff authority. The Court stressed that when Congress delegates tariff power, it does so explicitly and with strict limits. Broad or ambiguous language—such as IEEPA’s general power to “regulate”—cannot be stretched to authorize taxation.
  • Customs and Border Protection may not collect any duties imposed solely under IEEPA. Any tariff justified only by IEEPA must cease immediately. CBP cannot apply or enforce duties that lack a valid statutory basis.
  • Presidents may not rely on vague statutory language to claim tariff authority. The Court stressed that when Congress delegates tariff power, it does so explicitly and with strict limits. Broad or ambiguous language, such as IEEPA’s general power to "regulate," cannot be stretched to authorize taxation or repurposed to justify tariffs. The decision in United States v. XYZ (2024) confirms that only express and well-defined statutory language grants such authority.

What Remains Legal Under the Constitution and Acts of Congress

  • Congress retains exclusive constitutional authority over tariffs. Tariffs are taxes, and the Constitution vests taxing power in Congress. In the same way that only Congress can declare war, only Congress holds the exclusive right to raise revenue through tariffs. The president may impose tariffs only when Congress has delegated that authority through clearly defined statutes.
  • Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Balance‑of‑Payments Tariffs). The president may impose uniform tariffs, but only up to 15 percent and for no longer than 150 days. Congress must take action to extend tariffs beyond the 150-day period. These caps are strictly defined. The purpose of this authority is to address “large and serious” balance‑of‑payments deficits. No investigation is mandatory. This is the authority invoked immediately after the ruling.
  • Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (National Security Tariffs). Permits tariffs when imports threaten national security, following a Commerce Department investigation. Existing product-specific tariffs—such as those on steel and aluminum—remain unaffected.
  • Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Unfair Trade Practices). Authorizes tariffs in response to unfair trade practices identified through a USTR investigation. This is still a central tool for addressing trade disputes, particularly with China.
  • Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Safeguard Tariffs). The U.S. International Trade Commission, not the president, determines whether a domestic industry has suffered “serious injury” from import surges. Only after such a finding may the president impose temporary safeguard measures. The Supreme Court ruling did not alter this structure.
  • Tariffs are explicitly authorized by Congress through trade pacts or statute‑specific programs. Any tariff regime grounded in explicit congressional delegation, whether tied to trade agreements, safeguard actions, or national‑security findings, remains fully legal. The ruling affects only IEEPA‑based tariffs.

The Bottom Line

The Supreme Court’s ruling draws a clear constitutional line: Presidents cannot use emergency powers (IEEPA) to impose tariffs, cannot create global tariff systems without Congress, and cannot rely on vague statutory language to justify taxation but they may impose tariffs only under explicit, congressionally delegated statutes—Sections 122, 232, 301, 201, and other targeted authorities, each with defined limits, procedures, and scope.

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A mirage can look real from a distance. The closer you get, the less substance you find. That is increasingly how Washington talks about the federal deficit.

Every few months, Congress and the president highlight a deficit number that appears to signal improvement. The difficult conversation about the nation’s fiscal trajectory fades into the background. But a shrinking deficit is not necessarily a sign of fiscal health. It measures one year’s gap between revenue and spending. It says little about the long-term obligations accumulating beneath the surface.

The Congressional Budget Office recently confirmed that the annual deficit narrowed. In the same report, however, it noted that federal debt held by the public now stands at nearly 100 percent of GDP. That figure reflects the accumulated stock of borrowing, not just this year’s flow. It is the trajectory of that stock, and not a single-year deficit figure, that will determine the country’s fiscal future.

What the Deficit Doesn’t Show

The deficit is politically attractive because it is simple and headline-friendly. It appears manageable on paper. Both parties have invoked it selectively for decades, celebrating short-term improvements while downplaying long-term drift. But the deeper fiscal story lies elsewhere.

Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt now account for roughly half of federal outlays, and their share rises automatically each year. These commitments do not pause for election cycles. They grow with demographics, health costs, and compounding interest.

According to the CBO, those three categories will consume 58 cents of every federal dollar by 2035. Social Security’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, triggering an automatic benefit reduction of roughly 21 percent unless Congress intervenes. Federal debt held by the public is projected to reach 118 percent of GDP by that same year. A favorable monthly deficit report does not alter any of these structural realities. These projections come from the same nonpartisan budget office lawmakers routinely cite when it supports their position.

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Americans are watching a government that seems to have lost its balance. Decisions shift by the hour, explanations contradict one another, and the nation is left reacting to confusion rather than being guided by clarity. Leadership requires focus, discipline, and the courage to make deliberate, informed decisions — even when they are not politically convenient. Yet what we are witnessing instead is haphazard decision‑making, secrecy, and instability.

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