A grave injustice is being hidden behind the complicated jargon of international trade and customs law. Following the Supreme Court's decision to invalidate billions in executive tariffs, a massive pool of $170 billion is now slated for return. However, instead of this money flowing back to the families who paid the price through inflated grocery and clothing bills, corporate giants like Costco are moving to pocket the windfall for themselves. This is nothing short of a moral heist at the kitchen table.

For years, these retailers told the American public that price hikes were the inevitable result of trade policy. The consumer, acting in good faith, bore the burden of these costs to keep their homes running. Now that the courts have ruled those levies illegal, the retailers claim the refunds as 'unearned rent' or corporate profit. This reflects a terminal rot in our corporate culture, where the person is seen only as a source of revenue, never as a neighbor or a partner in the national economy.

Class-action lawsuits are now being filed to ensure this money is passed through to the rightful owners: the American people. If a company raises prices to cover a tax, and that tax is returned, that money belongs to the one who actually paid it. To keep it is to violate the basic principles of fair dealing that have underpinned our markets for generations. We urge the federal government to ensure that the refund process is transparent and that not one cent is allowed to stay in the coffers of a billionaire retailer while the middle class continues to struggle with the rising cost of living.