"Catch up quick: After months of bringing up the idea, Trump and his economic team have been talking about it more actively in recent days, as the president tries to apply pressure on the Supreme Court to uphold his entire tariff program. The president told reporters in the Oval Office Monday night that the checks would start going out in mid-2026 - though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has cautioned that Congress would have to pass legislation authorizing them, an uncertain outcome."
"The push also comes amid a mounting affordability crisis that's already been politically problematic for Republicans. The proposed timing would put checks in voters' hands just before the crucial 2026 midterm elections. By the numbers: The Yale Budget Lab released an analysis Monday night, finding that the promised checks would cost about $450 billion, assuming that the $2,000 checks went to every individual in the country with an income under $100,000."
Checks of $2,000 funded by tariff revenue are proposed to start going out in mid-2026, contingent on Congress passing authorizing legislation. Yale Budget Lab estimates the program would cost about $450 billion if payments go to individuals with income under $100,000. Fiscal 2025 tariff revenue was $195 billion and fiscal 2026 is on pace for about $420 billion. Yale models a 0.3 percentage point GDP boost and a 0.15 percentage point employment increase in 2026, with inflation rising by less than 0.1 percentage points. The proposal is timed ahead of the 2026 midterm elections while legal and legislative hurdles remain.
Read at Axios
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