Tariff Refunds, DHS Funding, and Capitol Hill Meetings: What Roofers Need to Know

Tile Roofing Industry Alliance Lobbyist, Craig Brightup, has provided the latest government relations update and activities on the following from March 2026:


Tariff Refunds
Now that the Supreme Court has struck down President Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, the issue of refunds is back in the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT).  On March 4, the CIT ordered Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to liquidate or reliquidate all entries on which IEEPA tariffs were paid but this time without the tariffs, thus requiring refunds of those payments.  On March 27, the CIT amended its March 4 order to clarify that CBP must reliquidate and refund even entries reaching final liquidation because with IEEPA tariffs starting in early 2025, many imports were at or beyond final liquidation.  This CIT clarification removes a roadblock to obtain refunds for importers who didn’t file protests on liquidated IEEPA entries and also removes the need to file lawsuits with the CIT.  The Administration has until May 4 to appeal the CIT orders.
 
DHS Shutdown and Reconciliation 
Before leaving town for Easter recess, the Senate passed a bill to fund all DHS functions except ICE and CBP through Sept. 30, but House Republicans revolted and passed a bill funding DHS in its entirety.  This impasse appears to have been resolved with House Speaker Johnson agreeing to take up the Senate-passed bill and the White House supporting a separate reconciliation bill to further fund ICE and CBP and achieve other goals.
 
TRIA DC Fly-In
With TRIA’s Fly-In two weeks away, the schedule now includes meetings with Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) who’s on the Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) who’s Chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, and a meeting with relevant staff at the National Association of Home Builders.
 
Congressional and Other Meetings
In March, Craig Brightup participated in a dinner with Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH), a breakfast with Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), a reception with Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and a meeting with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA).  He also attended a Committee To Unleash Prosperity briefing with White House economic advisors Stephen Moore and Arthur Laffer, and an SBA Office of Advocacy OSHA Roundtable.


​For more information on the TRIA Alliance and our Government Relations efforts, please visit our website at www.tileroofing.org.