On July 28, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced that he had introduced legislation backing the tariff rebate checks first suggested by President Donald Trump.

“Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods. 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,” Senator Hawley said.

Hawley noted that Trump's tariff revenues reached nearly $30 billion in June alone. Projections cited by the Senator suggest that tariff revenue could reach as much as $150 billion for the full year of 2025.

According to Hawley, the legislation he has introduced, titled The American Worker Rebate Act, would:

  • Provide a tariff rebate check this year to American workers and families with similar parameters to the direct payments passed by Congress in 2020.
  • Ensure the amount of the rebate is at least $600 per adult and dependent child (e.g. $2,400 for a family of four).
  • Allow for a larger credit per person if tariff revenue exceeds current projections for 2025.

President Trump's Response

One week previously, President Trump answered questions about the possibility of tariff rebates.

President Trump attending a UFC match with his trademark fist bump pose.

"We're thinking about a little rebate," Trump told reporters last week according to the Daily Mail. "But the big thing we want to do is pay down debt. But we're thinking about a rebate."

President Trump's tariff policies have been a fundamental part of his negotiating strategy as he attempts to re-engineer trade deals with countries around the world. 

Most recently, he reached an agreement with Ursula von der Leyen of the European Union that has been widely interpreted to be a stunning capitulation of the EU to U.S. energy dominance.

The deal will have the EU purchasing $750 billion in US energy exports while investing $600 billion more in the U.S. by 2028. In addition, the deal has the European Union agreeing to pay a 15 percent import tariff to the U.S starting on August 1.