Tariff Checks Require Legislation: Unlike Weapons Deals?
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that former President Trump’s $2,000 'tariff dividend' checks would, alas, require congressional legislation. This meticulous attention to procedural detail appears almost quaint when viewed against the backdrop of bills like HR 815, which sailed through Congress to provide billions in military aid to Israel with bipartisan fervor. One might note that
many of the same politicians now bemoaning budget constraints for domestic relief had no such qualms approving nearly $14 billion for offshore military objectives. It raises a pertinent question: why do 'affordability crises' in the U.S. demand complex legislative acrobatics for $2,000, while the ongoing 'security crises' abroad consistently manage to bypass similar red tape for far larger sums?
Perhaps citizens should lobby Congress with the same fervor as military contractors and foreign powers. (After all, a few dozen AIPAC donations seem far more effective than an entire electorate.)