URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PROVIDE TAXPAYER RELIEF FOR TARIFF-RELATED COST-OF-LIVING IMPACTS ON HAWAII HOUSEHOLDS.

HCR153

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

153

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging the united states congress to provide taxpayer
relief for tariff-related cost-of-living impacts on Hawaii households
.

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WHEREAS, tariffs
imposed under the current federal administration have resulted in increased
costs for essential goods, including food, fuel, agricultural inputs, and
consumer products, directly impacting American households and
disproportionately burdening low- and middle-income families; and

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WHEREAS, farmers,
small businesses, and consumers have experienced economic disruption due to
tariff-related price increases, retaliatory trade actions, and supply chain
instability; and

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WHEREAS, the
United States Supreme Court has determined that certain tariff actions were
imposed without proper constitutional or statutory authority, raising concerns
regarding executive overreach and the lawful exercise of executive power; and

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WHEREAS, Hawaii
households face uniquely high costs of living due to geographic isolation and a
heavy reliance on imported food, fuel, construction materials, and consumer
goods, making residents especially vulnerable to price increases resulting from
tariff policies; and

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WHEREAS, tariff-driven
cost increases threaten food security in Hawaii by raising grocery prices and
disrupting supply chains, thereby increasing vulnerability during emergencies
and periods of economic instability; and

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WHEREAS, Hawaii's
supply chains are particularly fragile due to limited shipping options and long
transit times, and increased costs or disruptions disproportionately affect
neighbor island communities, where residents face fewer retail choices, higher
transportation costs, and limited access to affordable goods and services; and

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WHEREAS, these
impacts fall especially hard on asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed
(ALICE) households who earn above the federal poverty level but struggle to
afford basic necessities and are highly sensitive to increases in food, fuel,
and household costs; and

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WHEREAS, when
federal actions are later found to be unconstitutional, taxpayers who bore the
economic burden of those actions are left without remedy unless Congress acts
to provide relief; and

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WHEREAS, Congress
has previously authorized rebates, refunds, and direct payments to taxpayers to
mitigate economic harm caused by federal policy decisions and administrative
actions; and

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WHEREAS, restoring
public trust in government requires accountability, transparency, and
corrective action when unconstitutional policies impose financial harm on the
public; now, therefore,

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BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the
United States Congress is urged to provide taxpayer relief for tariff-related
cost-of-living impacts on Hawaii households; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the United States Congress is urged to:

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(1)
�
Acknowledge the economic harm experienced by
American households, including those in Hawaii, as a result of unconstitutional
tariff policies;

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(2)
�
Develop and enact legislation establishing a
taxpayer rebate or comparable financial benefit to offset increased costs borne
by families due to these tariff policies;

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(3)
�
Ensure that any rebate or benefit is equitably
structured, with particular consideration for Hawaii residents, neighbor island
communities, farmers, and ALICE households most affected by rising costs; and

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(4)
�
Reaffirm Congress's constitutional role in
matters of taxation and trade policy to prevent similar economic harm in the
future; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the
President of the United States; President Pro Tempore of the United States
Senate; Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; and members of
Hawaii's congressional delegation.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Tariffs;
Cost-of-Living Impacts; United States Congress; Taxpayer Relief