Posted on 11/26/2025 8:03:31 PM PST by SeekAndFind
At least one Republican senator has said that the U.S. government cannot afford a Trump administration proposal to send out $2,000 tariff-derived rebate payments.
“If we’re bringing in revenue through the tariffs, that ought to be applied to reduce the deficit, not just to make cash payments to Americans,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Monday.
Bartiromo then told him: “It sounds like you would vote ‘no’ in terms of $2,000 checks going to individuals.”
He added that “we can’t afford it” and that he wishes the U.S. government was “in a position to return the American public their money, but we’re not.”
“We’ll have at least a $2 trillion deficit this year,” Johnson also said, adding that “we have to start focusing on that and doing something about it,” referring to the national debt.
The Treasury Department said that as of Tuesday, the federal government has a $38.3 trillion national debt. As of the current fiscal year, meanwhile, the United States has spent around $284 billion more than it has collected so far, it said.
“We are on borrowed time here,” Johnson said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said this past week that he wants to see more revenue from the Trump administration’s tariffs to reduce the size of the national deficit before sending out any tariff-related dividend payments.
“Obviously, I think the amount of money coming in from the tariffs is considered to be substantial at this point and hopefully can be put to a useful purpose. Again, in my view, one of which would be repaying the debt,” he told reporters on Nov. 18. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and National Economic Council head Kevin Hassett have both said that Congress would need to pass a measure before any tariff-related payments are sent.
President Donald Trump, who floated the idea on Truth Social earlier this month, has signaled that people who are middle- or low-income would get the payments. The payments may also go out by mid-2026, he has said.
Earlier this month, the Treasury secretary also said in an interview that people making below a certain amount would be eligible, noting that families who earn $100,000 or less per year will likely be able to get the payments.
Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a Fox News interview that aired Monday that Trump’s proposal for a $2,000 rebate is still being worked out, while adding that he believes that the Supreme Court will likely back the Trump administration on tariffs.
Trump has continued to tout his tariff policies, saying that more businesses will be paying import taxes as inventories run out. In turn, that will create more revenue for the federal government, he said.
“Soon Tariffs will be paid on everything they apply to, without avoidance, and the amounts payable to the USA will SKYROCKET, over and above the already historic levels of dollars received. These payments will be RECORD SETTING, and put our Nation on a new and unprecedented course,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Nov. 24. It comes as the Congressional Budget Office revised its revenue estimate. The tariffs, it said in an update this past week, may generate around $3 trillion over the next 11 years if the tariff policies are kept by the current presidential administration and future ones.
Previously, the nonpartisan office estimated that the tariffs would bring in $4 trillion over that time period.
I’m good with either one.
If they don’t give it to people
then THEY BETTER NOT JUST SPEND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dog n Pony show from RINO Johnson from Wisconsin! “We are on borrowed time” he says! This from a person in our government which can’t even make and agree upon a real budget. THIS from a RINO who when light is shone on all the graft/corruption and known foolish spending by every single program that they have lost control of. They were saying the same B. S. in the 70’s/80’s/90’s/00’s/2010 ...and here we are in 2025 a month away from 2026 and the same stale fake line. I am to the point that I’m beyond loathing these thieves and liars, it is bordering on hate .
Johnson’s record aside ( whether you like or loathe him ), I prefer his proposal. Pay down the debt.
If the policy goal is long‑run growth, financial resilience, and offsetting the tariff‑induced drag, paying down debt is the better economic use of a one‑time windfall.
It directly reduces interest costs, modestly lowers future tax burdens, and improves capital formation by easing crowding‑out.
Every $100B reduction in debt saves ~$4–5B annually in interest (assuming 4–5% average rates). Over time, compounding savings free up fiscal space for infrastructure, R&D, or tax relief. High government borrowing competes with private borrowers for capital. So, Paying down debt lowers Treasury yields, easing borrowing costs for businesses and households.
- Lower debt-to-GDP strengthens U.S. credit ratings.
- This reduces risk premiums and stabilizes global confidence in the dollar.
It enhances the U.S.’s ability to withstand shocks without resorting to inflationary financing.
In short: Paying down debt doesn’t give households immediate cash, but it lowers systemic risk, reduces interest burdens, and improves long-run growth capacity. It’s the more durable choice if the goal is resilience and compounding performance.
This aligns with the evidence that tariffs depress long‑run GDP and wages; using the windfall to strengthen the fiscal position helps counteract that damage.
He’s not the decider.
“Bartiromo then told him: “It sounds like you would vote ‘no’ in terms of $2,000 checks going to individuals.”
He added that “we can’t afford it” and that he wishes the U.S. government was “in a position to return the American public their money, but we’re not.”
“We’ll have at least a $2 trillion deficit this year,” Johnson also said”
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OK, the 2 trill will never be “paid back” in any meaningful way that we would be subject to for let’s say, a car loan.
Above that, we have Ron going on about it with a “we could do this if we did that” two step, keeping that moola right where it belongs, in the grubby hands of fed.gov.
No way the mere peasants deserve that 0.000000000001 sliver of it, they will just spend it.
.
Johnson is right. Sending out checks is stupid.
How wealthy is this asshat? Between $54.5 million and $55.0 million. Give me my friggin’ two thousand a-hole!! Let this 78 year old lady get back some of the money the Federal government has stolen from me since I was 16.
You make valid points and I won’t question much in your proposal.
However, the long term debt solution is for the Congress to do their job & provide a budget with receipts, outlays, & debt payment in alignment. They can’t do that because prior Congreses have a majority of the spending on autopilot.
Also, this Congress didn’t enact the current level of tariffs and certainly don’t deserve any new revenue for whatever new spending they decide.
The administration should hold tariffs revenue in reserve in the case of any deflationary economic icebergs that appear on the horizon.
Ay, por favor-esta mierda otra vez? Pero no lo creo, senor. You, the other Rinos and the dems will spend that tariff revenue on pet bulls*** projects as fast as it is in your greedy hands, same as you do with every dividend or windfall congress gets-so you don’t need or deserve to get it. Ordinary, working class Americans have been short of funds to live on for 4 FJB years-we have a real need for a lot more than $2K-but it is a start. So do what pres Trump wants to do and give it to us-he’s right-and it is the least we deserve for all we’ve put up with...
He lies, and we all know it-congress will not do any paying of any dept with that money-they will spend it on govt feel-good stuff-as in waste it. They don’t need to get one damn dollar of it...
And these same ahole senators have no problem giving trillions of our tax dollars to huge corporations in subsidies and other giveaways, and in return these “senators” receive part of that money back as campaign donations or cushy lobbying jobs when they finally retire.
The old song “we can’t afford it” don’ play here, no mo’cuz it ain’t for y’all tuh spend, foist!
D’is money ain’t tax money. Money d’at y’all luv tuh t’ro away, from us. D’is money is whut othuh places done paid tuh sell us whut d’ey make.
An’ two, y’all wanna have y’all dirty mitts on clean money d’at Prez’dent Trump wanna help Amer’cans w’id d’ey bills, since y’all won’t!!!
RE: They don’t need to get one damn dollar of it...
Therefore, we should pay off the debt.
Okay-in that case, send your check to me-I’ll do something that isn’t stupid with it-like pay bills or fix a roof leak...
Run for President, Ron. Until you do that just back the winner we elected.
They.won’t.pay.the.debt-how many times do you have to hear them say they will pay the debt down every time there is extra revenue before you see that? No mas-bastante...
Our entire country has a leaking roof—use the money to fix that instead.
You’re right about that! They’ve been selling that same hogwash for all 7 decades I’ve been alive and for 7 decades before that.
Well, heck, if the low IQ incompetent Congress would stop spending for their pet projects the US would be in a much better position financially. Give the citizens a return on their investment by giving back their money.
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