After months of speculation, a concrete legislative initiative seeks to make new stimulus checks for American families a reality. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill that would use tariff revenue to fund these direct payments.
His proposal establishes a framework similar to that used during the COVID-19 pandemic (that delivered three payment rounds), proposing a minimum of $600 for each member of a household. This legislative action comes amid widespread rumors about a possible new economic stimulus.
New stimulus checks coming? Here’s what we know so far
Previously, figures such as President Donald Trump and his former advisor Elon Musk floated the idea of checks of up to $5,000, tied to federal spending cuts driven by a hypothetical Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
However, those plans never materialized. Hawley’s current proposal focuses specifically on redirecting tariff revenue from the federal government into citizens’ pockets.
Trump has expressed support for this concept, stating that the funds raised could be used to provide a refund targeted at “people of a certain income level.” However, the legislative path to turning this idea into law is expected to be complex, with an uncertain outcome in both chambers of Congress.
Hawley’s initiative faces skepticism within his own party. Earlier this year, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed a negative view of the possibility of a stimulus check, arguing that the government’s focus should be on addressing the national debt.
Even Trump, when speaking about the proposed tariff-linked rebates, seemed to partially align with that priority, declaring, “The most important thing we want to do is pay off the debt.”
Who could get up to $600, if the bill passes?
The figures underscore the magnitude of the fiscal challenge. According to estimates by the Yale Budget Lab, tariffs at current levels would generate approximately $2.2 trillion for the federal government over the next decade.
This sum represents only about 6% of the current $36.7 trillion national debt. The tension between immediate relief for families and fiscal discipline persists. Hawley seeks to channel a portion of that tariff revenue to taxpayers. His bill provides up to $600 per adult and child, which would total $2,400 for a typical family of four.
This legislative push coincides with recent data from the Treasury Department, which reported record tariff revenue of $28 billion in July alone, surpassing the June total and bringing cumulative revenue in 2025 to approximately $150 billion.
Senator Hawley’s proposal comes shortly after Trump publicly hinted at the possibility of issuing refund checks. “We’re thinking about a small refund,” the former president told reporters last week. “But the most important thing we want to do is pay down the debt. But we’re thinking about a refund.”
Hawley justifies his initiative by arguing that “Americans deserve a tax refund after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods.”
“As President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hardworking Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country,” Hawley said in a statement. However, the initiative is not without criticism. Senate Democrats and tax experts have persistently warned that Trump’s tariff policies effectively serve as an additional tax on consumers, as the costs of duties on imported goods typically fall on them.
