House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that congressional approval is required for President Donald Trump’s proposal to send $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the November election. Johnson pledged to work toward passage despite the party’s small margin in Congress, while the plan could cost more than $1 trillion.
Trump introduced the proposed “Trump Dividend” at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas last week. He later told CBS News Texas that he did not believe Congress would need to authorize the payments, but did not explain how his administration could spend more than $1 trillion without authorization from lawmakers.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said he assumed Congress would have to act and described the proposal as a creative idea. He said lawmakers would work through the plan and seek consensus, while emphasizing that Congress would try to implement as much of Trump’s agenda as possible.
Trump reaffirmed the promise Sunday before boarding Air Force One in Ireland, where he had attended a professional golf tournament at his resort. Earlier that day, he said making the payments would be easy enough because the United States has a strong economy.
The proposal comes as persistent inflation and rising interest rates confront the economy ahead of the midterm election. A program costing more than $1 trillion would add pressure to a federal budget deficit of nearly $1.8 trillion a year and could intensify inflation concerns. Consumer sentiment is weak as gasoline prices rise because of the war with Iran and wages struggle to keep pace with inflation.