On the heels of the Supreme Court striking down President Trump’s chaotic tariff war and as Upstate New York faces skyrocketing costs from tariffs, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced he will bring Rochester’s Ben Pearson as his personal guest to attend the State of the Union.

Pearson is a small business owner who manufactures science kits and other products for classrooms across America, but has suffered as Trump’s tariffs devastate his business, with nearly $1 million in increased costs per year.

“Upstate NY’s families and small businesses are being crushed by Trump’s skyrocketing costs and chaotic tariffs. Main Streets and manufacturers across upstate NY are being forced to pay Trump’s tariff tax, and millions of families across America are paying more for goods they need. I’m proud to bring Upstate New York’s own Ben Pearson as my personal guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to show how Trump’s policies are hurting hardworking New Yorker small businesses and families,” Schumer said. “Upstate NY is paying the price for Trump’s cost-increasing policies, and it needs to stop. Tariffs are stretching small business owners to their breaking point and driving up costs for consumers…. No small business should be suffering a $1 million gut punch to their bottom line because of Trump’s tariff chaos. Trump must immediately return tariff money to American businesses that paid it. Senate Democrats will keep fighting to end this damaging trade war once and for all.”

Pearson is the founder and CEO of ENALAS, a small Rochester start-up business that manufactures science-activity kits for classrooms, among other products. He has been hit with $1 million in costs due to unanticipated tariffs. Since August, tariffs have effectively eliminated all of his free cash flow, which forced Ben to cut down his workforce from 50 to 37 just to stay open. After the Supreme Court just last week struck down Trump’s tariffs, Schumer said Trump should immediately and automatically refund illegally collected tariff money to small businesses that paid it and vowed to continue pushing for an end to Trump’s tariffs once and for all.

“Since founding my business in 2012, we have remained deeply committed to producing high-quality science products for researchers and educators at accessible prices. Since August, however, tariffs have significantly strained our operations, forcing us to absorb $1,000,000 in unbudgeted expenses,” he said. “We have been forced to reduce our workforce by 20% and raise prices simply to remain viable. I am proud to join Leader Schumer at the State of the Union to fight for small businesses across America and respectfully urge the administration to consider meaningful tariff relief for small businesses like ours.”

Trump’s health care policies are also hurting the company, with health insurance costs spiking by 19%. As Pearson looks ahead, he worries that for the first time, his company may be unable to fully cover his workers’ premiums. The ongoing rise in health care costs is making it increasingly unsustainable for small businesses like ENALAS and their employees, especially as these increases far outpace revenue and wage growth.