Topline
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he believes his proposed $2,000 tariff “dividend” checks for Americans can be enacted without Congressional approval, even as top Republicans have said Congress will need to approve the checks for them to be sent out.
Trump spoke to the press Tuesday afternoon.
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump said, “I don’t think we would have to go the Congress route but you know, we’ll find out.”
Trump was responding to a question from a reporter who asked if Trump agreed with White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, who last month said the checks will “depend on what happens with Congress” and that he expected Trump to bring a formal proposal to Congress this year.
Trump said revenue from tariffs, which brought in $289 billion last year, will be used to issue the dividend checks and also pay down the national debt, which was $38.4 trillion as of Jan. 9.
The president added there would be an income limit for the checks and noted, “I believe we can do that without Congress.”
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Contra
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last year the checks would require Congressional approval, telling Fox Business “we need legislation for that.” Bessent previously said payments “could come in lots of forms,” including tax cuts.
Key Background
Trump has tested the boundaries of his executive power and its relationship with Congress. His sweeping tariff policy is perhaps the largest example of that, enacting the duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows presidents to impose sanctions amid national emergencies. The Supreme Court is set to rule on the legality of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs soon, with Hassett saying last week Trump would impose 10% tariffs across the board “to make up most of the room” if the IEEPA tariffs were struck down.
Further Reading
Trump Will Impose 10% Tariffs If Supreme Court Strikes His Down, Hassett Says (Forbes)
Bessent Says $2,000 Tariff Checks Need Approval From Congress—After Trump Says They’ll Come ‘Next Year’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/01/20/trump-suggests-2000-tariff-rebate-checks-wont-need-congressional-approval/
