New Stimulus Plan Could Send Families $2,400
A fresh round of potential stimulus payments is back on the table, with Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley introducing legislation that could deliver relief checks of up to $2,400 to American households. The proposal, called the American Worker Rebate Act, would use funds generated by tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump’s trade policies.
What the Proposal Includes
Under Hawley’s plan, every qualifying adult would be eligible for a rebate of at least $600, and each dependent child would also qualify for the same amount. That means a family of four could receive as much as $2,400 in direct payments.
Like the stimulus checks sent during the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposal includes income caps to determine eligibility. Full payments would be available to individuals making less than $75,000 annually, heads of households earning up to $112,500, and married couples filing jointly with incomes up to $150,000. The rebate would phase out for households above those income levels.
“Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods,” Hawley said in a statement announcing the bill. “Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country.”
Funded by Tariffs
The plan would rely on tariff revenue, which is currently at near-record highs. According to Hawley, the U.S. is collecting roughly $30 billion a month in tariff revenue, with projections showing the total could surpass $150 billion this year. If revenues exceed expectations, Hawley said, the rebates could be expanded in future years.
The use of tariff revenue for rebates is not entirely new. During his presidency, Trump floated the idea of directing money raised from tariffs back to American families, though no rebate plan was ultimately enacted.
How It Compares to Past Stimulus Checks
If passed, this would be the first nationwide rebate program since the COVID-19 pandemic, when three rounds of stimulus checks were distributed to households across the country.
The first round, in April 2020, sent up to $1,200 per eligible adult and $500 per dependent child.
The second round, in December 2020, provided up to $600 per person.
The third round, in March 2021, distributed up to $1,400 per individual.
Those payments, combined with enhanced unemployment benefits and other pandemic-era programs, were credited with helping millions of households stay afloat during widespread economic disruption.
The new proposal is smaller in scope but follows a similar model, providing direct payments to families to offset inflation and other financial pressures.
Political Context and Next Steps
Hawley framed the bill as a way to counter what he described as the damaging economic impact of the Biden administration. While the proposal reflects priorities aligned with Trump’s economic agenda, it remains unclear whether it will gain momentum in Congress. Democrats have shown little interest in supporting new tariff-based funding schemes, and even some Republicans have questioned the long-term effectiveness of relying on tariffs as a revenue source.
Still, with Americans continuing to feel the strain of rising costs, the idea of direct cash relief may resonate with voters. Past stimulus payments proved widely popular across party lines, even as lawmakers debated the size and scope of the programs.
For now, the American Worker Rebate Act remains a proposal, but it revives a familiar question: should tariff revenue be returned directly to taxpayers as relief?
If the plan advances, millions of households could once again see rebate checks in their mailboxes—this time not because of a pandemic, but as part of a broader effort to reshape trade and tax policy.
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