RELEASE: Gottheimer Fights Back Against Trump’s “Summer Fun Tax” —  Tariffs Jacking Up Prices on Summer Essentials

Above: Gottheimer announces new action to protect against President Trump’s “Summer Fun Tax.” 

GLEN ROCK, NJ — Today, June 3, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced new legislation to protect Jersey families and small businesses from President Trump’s “Summer Fun Tax” — a result of his reckless tariffs that are jacking up prices on everything from grills to swimsuits to beach umbrellas.

Video of Gottheimer’s announcement can be found here.

“Despite all of the fun Jersey has to offer, the Trump Administration is cooking up more chaos with their reckless, cost-increasing tariffs that will make enjoying the summer fun impossible for many Jersey families. Thanks to Trump’s Summer Fun Tax, everything from grills to bathing suits to pool floats will cost a lot more this summer,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “It’s all part of Trump’s outrageous tariff policy, which is in effect a $2,400 tax on every American family — crushing our economy.”

Gottheimer continued, “From the beginning, I have been laser-focused on making life more affordable for Jersey families. The President’s sweeping tariffs, including on our key trading partners, will do just the opposite. They will drive costs up and put a tax on your summer fun. Jersey families here are already getting killed with higher food prices, tolls, rents, property taxes, and utility bills, which are now up 40% in one year. It’s unacceptable, and I’m fighting it on all fronts.”

President Trump’s “Summer Fun Tax”:

• According to the National Retail Federation, facing higher costs of goods, small and medium-sized retailers will have a harder time mitigating tariffs and will be the first to run out of inventory.
• A recent study from WalletHub showed that 45% of Americans say tariffs are impacting their summer travel plans, while 63% said that inflation is stopping them from seeing top destinations, including the Jersey Shore.
• Trump’s reckless tariffs are jacking up prices on everything from grills to swimsuits to beach umbrellas.
  • Costs for beach umbrellas and sporting goods have increased by more than 15%. 
  • Tariffs on steel and aluminum have led to price increases of 10–30% for grills and related accessories.
  • The cost of inflatable pool toys have increased as much as 30%.
  • Prices for coolers have seen increases of 10–30%.

Gottheimer’s New Action to Counter Rising Costs & Make Life More Affordable:

• First, Gottheimer announced new legislation today — the Tariff Impact Act — to require the independent Congressional Budget Office to review the economic impact of any future tariffs before they can go into place. 

• Second, Gottheimer announced the Congressional Oversight of Low-Value Imports Act (the COOL Act) to prohibit changes to the “de minimis exemption” — affecting imports that cost less than $800 — without explicit approval from Congress.
  • This will allow Congress to put a stop to any unnecessary price hikes on everyday products.
• Lastly, Gottheimer formally requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive study on the impact Trump’s tariffshave had on everyday household costs.
  • This will identify the hardest-hit regions by breaking down the cost increases by zip code.
• In April, Gottheimer introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act with Representative Don Bacon, which will limit the President’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs without first getting the approval of Congress. 
• Gottheimer also introduced the Reclaiming Congressional Trade Authority Act, which will require the President to submit a clear strategy to Congress to justify imposing tariffs for emergency purposes.

Gottheimer was joined today by Glen Rock City Councilman Seth Rosenstein at Wilde Memorial Park. 

Below: Gottheimer announces new action to protect families from tariffs.

Gottheimer’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Councilman Seth Rosenstein for joining me today as we fight for more affordability for families. And it’s great to be with you all here, as spring begins to turn to summer. I love being outside in the Jersey sun — whether it’s heading down the shore, hanging by the lake, hiking, playing sports, or barbecuing with friends and family.

Yet, despite all of the fun Jersey has to offer, the Trump Administration is cooking up more chaos with their reckless, cost-increasing tariffs that will make enjoying the summer fun impossible for many Jersey families. Thanks to the President’s tariffs, what I’m calling his “Summer Fun Tax,” everything from grills to bathing suits to pool floats will cost a lot more this summer. It’s all part of Trump’s outrageous tariff policy, which is, in effect, a 2,400-dollar-a-year tax on every American family. And it’s crushing our economy. As one headline in Business Insider screamed this morning, “It’s official: Trump’s tariffs are damaging the economy.”

Last week, a federal court declared what I’ve been saying all along — the President can’t put sweeping tariffs on everything under the guise of a national emergency without a strategy or without Congress. An Appeals Court reversed that decision, and then Trump immediately doubled down, announcing that the U.S. would double its tariffs on steel and aluminum from twenty-five percent to up to fifty percent. That means the materials to build grills will be even more expensive, and now families are looking at price increases of ten to thirty percent on all grills and accessories. It’s ridiculous.

Beach umbrellas and sporting goods are already up by more than fifteen percent. Instead of packing in sand, plastic buckets like this one will be packing in extra costs. Instead of throwing around frisbees between friends, the Trump Administration is throwing around higher costs. These tariffs are also a disaster for our local small businesses, who survive on the seasonal sales boost they see in the summer.

According to the National Retail Federation, facing higher costs of goods, small and medium-sized retailers will have a harder time mitigating tariffs and will be the first to run out of inventory. So, these tariffs are making it harder and harder to import the supplies our mom-and-pop stores need to do business. That means higher costs for families. And it doesn’t stop there. Everyone knows Jersey has the best trails and beaches, but Trump’s chaos is making families across the country rethink their travel plans. 

A recent study from WalletHub showed that forty-five percent of Americans say tariffs are impacting their summer travel plans, while sixty-three percent said that inflation is stopping them from seeing top destinations, including the Jersey Shore. This is on top of the President slashing 3,400 workers from the U.S. Forest Service and a thousand from the National Park Service, which helps keep these destinations, including Sandy Hook Park and Jersey’s seventy-two miles of the Appalachian Trail, safe and clean for families to visit.

In typical Trump fashion, there’s no strategy or plan — it’s all chaos. And it’s coming at the cost of Jersey families and their ability to afford everything from clothing to food to cars. Its latest victim is summer fun. Massive turbulence and uncertainty are wreaking havoc on our economy and driving up prices — that’s unacceptable. So, here’s what I am doing to protect Jersey families from Trump’s Summer Fun Tax — and all of his cost-increasing tariffs.

First, I will say this again, the President cannot put sweeping tariffs into place without knowing how it will impact hardworking families. It’s why I introduced new, bipartisan legislation with Don Bacon called the Trade Review Act, which will limit the President’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs without first getting the approval of Congress. That’s also why I am formally requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive study on the impact Trump’s tariffs have had on everyday household costs. This will identify our hardest-hit regions by breaking down the cost increases by zip code.

Second, I’m also announcing new legislation, the Tariff Impact Act, to require the independent Congressional Budget Office to review the economic impact of any future tariffs — before they can go into place. It’s critical that we understand the full impact of any new tariff on American families and businesses, instead of firing and then asking questions later. That’s what Trump has been doing, and it’s killing our families, small businesses, and economy. 

Finally, to help families avoid the crossfire of new tariffs, our government had long-standing protections in place to prevent arbitrary price increases on goods that cost less than 800 dollars. Yet, arbitrarily using his emergency powers, President Trump changed this bipartisan rule that Congress put in place, to no longer apply to products from China. This unnecessarily jacked up the costs of everyday things like phone chargers, shaving razors, and diapers. In the end, tons of household items we rely on every day are now caught in the web of new tariffs and higher prices.

That’s why I am announcing the Congressional Oversight of Low-Value Imports Act, or what I call the COOL Act, to prohibit changes to the so-called “de minimis exemption” — things that cost less than $800 — without explicit approval from Congress. My bill will, in effect, allow Congress to put a stop to any unnecessary price hikes on everyday products before the President jacks up costs because he woke up and felt like it. By helping take back Congress’ control over trade, we will help keep costs down and make life more affordable for families.

From the beginning, I have been laser-focused on making life more affordable for Jersey families. The President’s sweeping tariffs, including on our key trading partners, will do just the opposite. They will drive costs up and put a tax on your summer fun. Jersey families here are already getting killed with higher food prices, tolls, rents, property taxes, and utility bills, which are now up 40 percent in one year. It’s unacceptable, and I’m fighting it on all fronts.

I know that if we have a clear strategy to lower costs and help our families and small businesses, and work together, here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us.

Thank you. God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

###