Johnson Declines to Guarantee Trump’s $5,000 Checks as $1.3 Trillion Cost Draws Fire
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Sep 13
Johnson Declines to Guarantee Trump’s $5,000 Checks as $1.3 Trillion Cost Draws Fire
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Sep 13
Summary
Mike Johnson said Congress would “work through” Donald Trump’s promise of $5,000 payments to U.S. adults if Republicans hold Congress, but he stopped short of pledging the checks would actually go out.
The hesitation reflects both narrow Republican majorities and the proposal’s scale: sending $5,000 to every adult would cost about $1.3 trillion, while Johnson said he does not want to add to the national debt.
Trump has branded the plan a “Trump dividend” and suggested Congress may not need to approve it, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the money could be generated without taxpayer funds, though no clear mechanism has been laid out.
Democrats, some Republicans and economists have warned the payments could fuel inflation and deepen debt; Senate Majority Leader John Thune also sidestepped backing the idea.
Johnson’s comments came as he also defended Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, where 69% disapprove in an NBC poll and gas prices average $4.31 a gallon, up $1.33 since the war began.