PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield made oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in a multistate lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The complaint, initially filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade in April, argues that President Trump exceeded his authority by enacting tariffs via executive order without congressional approval. Mayes and Rayfield serve as co-leaders of the lawsuit, which includes 10 other state attorneys general.
The other states participating as plaintiffs are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont.
“This case is so important — maybe the most important case that this court has heard in 100 years, especially to our economy and to consumers and businesses large and small,” Mayes told the media outside the Supreme Court building after the arguments concluded.
**Kris Mayes Feels ‘Good’ After Oral Arguments**
According to Mayes, the attorneys general left the courtroom feeling confident both about the strength of their arguments and the questions posed by the justices.
“There were multiple judges who raised the major questions doctrine issue,” Mayes said. “This is a court that has favored the idea that when an agency does something that is extraordinary and major, it cannot do so without going to Congress first.”
Mayes also noted that several justices drew comparisons between Trump’s “tariff scheme” and the major questions doctrine.
“I thought that was a really good sign,” she said. “Again, we’re not going to predict anything, but I thought it was a good sign for the plaintiffs, for us.”
**The Stakes Are High**
The Arizona attorney general emphasized the serious economic impact if the lawsuit fails.
“If we don’t win this case, prices will continue to rise,” Mayes stated. “Americans are now dealing with an average 17.5% national sales tax because of these tariffs. The people of this country are hurting. They are now laboring under the triple whammy of ACA price increases, SNAP benefits not coming through at Thanksgiving, and tariffs that are driving up inflation. We need to win this case, and we’re really hoping that we do.”
Mayes added that small businesses are particularly vulnerable with tariffs in place.
“We have small businesses in Arizona going out of business every day,” she said. “I’ve talked to a furniture manufacturer, a restaurateur, a hotel owner, and cattle ranchers along the southern border of Arizona — all of whom are struggling because of these tariffs. The stakes of this particular argument could not be higher for our country and for our economy.”
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