Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Pettersen (CO-07) directly called out President Donald Trump for burying families with high costs as they head back to school amid his reckless trade war. In a blistering letter sent to the President, Pettersen highlighted how parents in Colorado and across the country are being forced into debt just to afford school supplies.

Jefferson County schools start classes today for the 2025–2026 school year but for many families, the financial strain began weeks ago. Nearly two-thirds of parents started back-to-school shopping earlier than ever, scrambling to beat price hikes fueled by tariff anxiety. Even with that head start, over one-third of parents say they simply cannot afford the supplies their children need, and nearly half are being forced to take on debt just to cover the basics.

“As a mom, I know how stressful the start of the school year can be – and that’s before you’re left footing the bill for skyrocketing costs,” said Pettersen. “Parents are already being squeezed trying to put a roof over their heads, pay for groceries, and now even basic school supplies come with shocking price tags. Schools are being asked to do significantly more with less, and Trump’s ‘Big Ugly Bill’ will only make it worse. Families are underwater from his broken promises, and our kids shouldn’t be collateral damage in his reckless tariff tirade.”

Since coming to Congress, Pettersen has been a champion for working families and children in Colorado. As a mom of two, she has pushed back against Trump’s policies that would increase costs for child care, health care, and other basic necessities for families. 

Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

Dear President Trump:

I write to express my deep alarm at the damage your reckless tariffs are inflicting on American families as they prepare to send their kids back to school. You promised to lower costs on “day one.” But as summer comes to a close, many parents are facing astronomical costs on everything from school supplies to groceries. Too many families are struggling to make ends meet.  And families in Colorado and across the country are begging for relief.  You must  prioritize lowering costs  and the impact of these tariffs as students return to school.

Let’s be clear: tariffs are a tax hike on the American people. When a company has to pay a fee to import a product into the United States, they pass that cost  directly to the consumer. The result has been made painfully clear as families buy the school supplies their children need – over a third of parents with kids in school say they are unable to afford back-to-school shopping this year. Even more concerning, almost half of these families plan to take on debt to do so. Additionally, 85% of Americans are concerned about rising prices due to these tariffs and more than half plan to sacrifice necessities in order to buy school supplies. All of these numbers are up from 2024. Families are literally being pushed to the brink of bankruptcy in order to prepare their children to go back to school.

As a mom, I know how stressful back to school shopping can be. For many parents in my district, the rising costs have forced them to make hard choices about where and how they spend their money. In addition, almost two thirds of Americans have already begun school shopping in July due to tariff anxiety, which is earlier than ever. Families are scrambling to pick up essentials before being slammed with high prices and we must take their needs into consideration.

You are breaking promises by not lowering prices for American families and the middle class is shouldering the burden. Lowering prices for American families must be a top priority. That is why I urge your administration to prioritize them and thoughtfully consider the impact of your tariffs on their lives. I sincerely hope that you will act to lower costs and stress for millions of hard-working parents, and I look forward to hearing from you. Working families can’t afford any more broken promises.

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To access downloadable, high-quality photos, click here. To stay up-to-date on what Pettersen is doing in Congress, follow her on Twitter here, Facebook here, or Instagram here. Residents can also sign-up for her e-newsletter subscription here.