After Trump says he doesn't need Congress for his $5,000 'dividend,' House Speaker says not so fast
President Trump has proposed a $5,000 'dividend' payment to American adults, contingent on a Republican victory in the upcoming elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson clarified that such a plan would require congressional approval, despite Trump's initial suggestion that it could be done without legislative authorization.
Why it matters
The proposal highlights potential fiscal policy tensions and the challenges of funding large-scale government spending during a period of high inflation and budget deficits.
President Donald Trump’s proposal to send $5,000 to every American adult if his Republican Party maintains control of the House and Senate in the November election needs congressional approval, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday, while pledging to try to make it happen.
Trump made the unusual pitch at the party’s midterm convention in Dallas last week, promising a “Trump Dividend” if voters keep the GOP in power on Capitol Hill. The president later told CBS News Texas that he did not think Congress would need to authorize the payments, though he did not explain how he spend more than $1 trillion without lawmakers’ authorization.
But Johnson, R-La., said congressional approval is needed. “I would assume, yes, he’d need Congress to act, and that’s a creative idea,” he said.
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