Schumer joins Long Island store owner to discuss impacts of Trump's ongoing trade war
COMMACK, Long Island (WABC) -- Like many local business owners, the recent trade war has caused uncertainty and strain on those like Tandy Jeckel, the owner of TandyWear.
Since the start of the trade war, she says costs for her store have jumped 30%.
Jeckel says for the time being, those costs will not be passed along to her beloved customers.
"I cannot afford 30% increase costs for months and months and months," Jeckel said. "It can't go on and on and on. How are we going to be able to survive?"
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer joined Jeckel at her Long Island store on Thursday to talk about the real life impacts of the ongoing trade war.
He says Long Islanders will pay $5,000 more a year and more than 35,000 jobs in Suffolk and Nassau are on the line.
"Tariffs are taxes, quite literally, taxes for the business, taxes for the customers and taxes for the Long Island economy," Schumer said.
President Donald Trump has maintained the tariffs will restore the balance of trade and revitalize the economy in the end.
Schumer says he'll force a vote next week in the Senate to end the trade war and he's calling on the House to act as well.
"This is not a Democratic issue. This is not a Republican issue. This is a people issue," Schumer said. "Helping people, helping business. And we could use bipartisan support."
A dozen states, including New York, have sued the Trump administration to stop the tariffs, saying they are unlawful and have brought chaos to the American economy.
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