In recent days, President Donald Trump and officials in his administration have discussed the possibility of sending $2,000 checks to Americans, funded by tariffs he has imposed around the world.
But don’t count on that. The measure is unlikely to garner enough support among Republicans who fear it will cause price hikes if a burst of federal dollars is pumped into the economy. The same problem hit former President Joe Biden shortly after taking office in 2021, when he signed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which included $1,400 checks for most Americans.
A senior White House official on Tuesday opened the door to sending checks unilaterally, but also acknowledged that Congress has jurisdiction to designate government funds.
“We will consider as carefully as possible whether there is a way to do this without Congress, because we are cautious about Congress’ willingness to stop [them]” White House deputy chief of staff James Blair told Bloomberg. “The law is the law. I think the most likely outcome is that this requires an act of Congress. »
Republicans suffered crushing defeats in several state-level elections earlier this month that placed greater emphasis on affordability and cost of living. This led Trump to launch the direct payments, which he said could be issued around mid-2026.
This is not the first time he has approved government-funded checks going to Americans. In February, Trump toyed with the idea of a “DOGE dividend” that would funnel payments to Americans based on savings identified by Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Department of Government Effectiveness.
Before that, Trump approved sending $2,000 checks to Americans during the pandemic in late 2020. Congressional Republicans quickly rejected the idea as a costly failure.
In addition to worsening inflation, Republicans are generally skeptical about increasing the national debt with new social spending. But senior members of the Republican Party are getting used to the idea since Trump pushed it. “James Blair and I will have an intense discussion about this,” President Mike Johnson said Tuesday. “We’re constantly collaborating on strategy, but I think it’s an idea that makes sense”
The cost of the program depends on its scope, including the income threshold set.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has projected that direct payments would carry a price tag of at least $600 billion, if they are anything like the pandemic checks issued five years ago.
The obstacles for the White House don’t stop at the legislative branch. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in December that will decide whether most of Trump’s global tariffs are legal. If this decision goes against Trump, the high court will stop the idea in its tracks.
