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ADVOCACY UPDATE |
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We’ve been on a bit of a tariff rollercoaster this week as President Trump announced a wide range of tariffs; including a minimum 10% tariff rate on most countries (excluding Russia and North Korea) importing goods into the U.S.—unless a tariff had already been announced on a particular product or industry. Then, on April 9th, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for over 75 countries that chose not to retaliate against his earlier trade measures. The Trump administration’s 10-percent baseline tariffs remain on nearly all foreign trading partners. However, there are still some open questions regarding Mexico and Canada, which a White House official said yesterday will still have their exports hit with a 25% tariff. Meanwhile, after China responded with steep tariffs, the nation now faces an even higher 145% levy on its goods.
After the pause, markets rallied on the news, with stocks surging after a turbulent week. In addition, President Trump also told reporters he was open to exempting certain companies from future tariff regimes.
HILL UPDATE
House Republicans on Thursday adopted the Senate’s framework that will be used to enact key parts of President Trump’s legislative agenda, getting the blueprint over the finish line after a last-minute scramble to win over conservatives who had spent days railing against the measure. The successful vote closes the first phase of the budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are hoping to use to advance Trump’s domestic policy priorities. The process allows the Senate to bypass Democratic buy-in by working around the 60-vote filibuster. This is a similar tactic Democrats used in 2021. The initial part of the procedure requires both chambers to adopt a resolution, which acts as instructions for the rest of the process.
The adopted budget resolution—which was crafted after House and Senate Republicans advanced their own contrasting blueprints—seeks to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, with many provisions set to expire at the end of the year, in addition to raising the debt limit, appropriating money for the border and enacting energy policy.
Beyond the budget resolution passing the House, another bill with unintended consequences for women passed the House floor this week. NAWBO’s National Advocacy Chair Megan Patton released a statement after the vote:
“We understand lawmakers are working to ensure that only American citizens vote, but it is the unintended consequences of the SAVE Act that NAWBO is concerned about,” said NAWBO Advocacy Chair Megan Patton. “For married businesswomen who have legally changed their last name after marriage, it could be incredibly difficult to meet the new requirements because the last name on their birth certificate does not match their current ID that contains their spouse’s surname. One common way to prove citizenship is through a passport, but more than 50% of Americans do not have a passport according to survey data. As we’ve stated in meetings on Capitol Hill, we encourage Congress to modify this legislation to ensure that it does not create unintended barriers to women’s participation in the electoral process.”
You can also click here to see NAWBO’s online statement on the House action. However, with only 20 Republican Senators on the bill, it does not look likely to land on the Senate floor. We will continue our advocacy efforts regardless, but Senator Alsobrooks said last week that she could not imagine it gaining any legs in the Senate.
Also, on the Hill this week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the U.S. House Small Business Committee held a Joint Hearing: Prosperity on Main Street: Keeping Taxes Low for Small Businesses. Republicans focused on ensuring the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act policies remained, while Democrats used it as an opportunity to discuss tariffs. You can watch the hearing here.
KUDOS CORNER
Another shout-out to NAWBO Greater DC. They have received several proclamations/greetings celebrating NAWBO and NAWBO Greater DC’s 50th Anniversary and Celebrations.
Advocacy Day Is Selling Out Fast!
Remember Advocacy Day kicks off the Women’s Business Conference on June 5, 2025. There is limited seating in the room on Capitol Hill, and we’ve already sold more than half of the tickets. Get your tickets now!
ADVOCACY CALLS
As discussed on the most recent Advocacy Call, due to member feedback, we closed the political identity survey and will not be using the results.
As the new Administration is very busy, we shifted to a bimonthly call schedule in advance of our conference in June. You can get all the details on NAWBO's Advocacy strategy on our monthly calls slated for the first Thursday of the month at 11 a.m. PT/1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET and the third Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m. PT/11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET. Our next two meetings will be on April 15th and May 1st.
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