Shaheen Guest for Joint Address to Congress Will Highlight Impact of Trump’s Proposed Tariffs on Granite State Small Businesses

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced that Rebecca Hamilton, the co-owner and co-CEO of Badger in Gilsum, New Hampshire, will be her guest for President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tomorrow night. Badger, a family-owned manufacturer of natural personal care products, is one of dozens of small businesses in New Hampshire that have been impacted by the uncertainty around President Trump’s proposed tariffs and would be devastated if the tariffs on Mexico and Canada go into effect.

“I’m honored to have Rebecca Hamilton joining me for the Joint Address to Congress to call attention to the harmful and costly impact of President Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada,” said Senator Shaheen. “Badger is family-owned and operates on razor-thin margins—they can’t afford to budget for tariffs that would amount to another tax on their small business. To grow and create good-paying jobs that boost our local economies, small businesses like Badger need to see federal policies that support a stable and strong economy—tariffs do the exact opposite.”

“The decision to levy tariffs on key trading partners hurts small businesses like ours, which are the backbone of the U.S. economy,” states Rebecca Hamilton, co-CEO and second-generation owner of Badger. “We rely on smooth international trade for sourcing raw materials and packaging that are either not grown or commercially available in the U.S.  These tariffs would destabilize our business, damage our distribution and market position in Canada, and result in higher prices for our consumers in both the U.S. and the 15 other countries in addition to Canada that import our products. It becomes a no-win situation.”

Shaheen immediately condemned the proposed Trump tariffs after they were announced and took to the Senate floor to detail the harmful impacts that the delayed Trump tariffs would have on Granite Staters. Shaheen also led the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to the White House urging him not to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China which are expected to cost the average American $1,200 per year. Shaheen also recently met with representatives from local Chambers of Commerce across New Hampshire about the harmful impact of the potential Trump tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

Earlier this year, Shaheen introduced new legislation with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) to shield American businesses and consumers from rising prices imposed by tariffs on imported goods into the United States. The Senators’ legislation would keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools.

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