Payback Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7646 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7646 To direct the Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury to refund American consumers for increased costs resulting from tariffs imposed without congressional authorization, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 23, 2026 Ms. Crockett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To direct the Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury to refund American consumers for increased costs resulting from tariffs imposed without congressional authorization, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Payback Act''. SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the Supreme Court of the United States clarified that although the International Emergency Economic Powers Act authorizes the President to exercise certain economic authorities during a bona fide national emergency, that statute does not confer authority to impose tariffs absent clear and express congressional authorization; in so holding, the Court reaffirmed that article I, section 8 of the Constitution vests exclusively in Congress the power to lay and collect duties and tariffs, and that such legislative authority may not be exercised by the executive branch solely by virtue of an emergency declaration. (2) The Constitution establishes a deliberate separation of powers, vesting in Congress alone the authority to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises under article I, section 8; allowing the executiv