The latest from Capitol Hill is generating some buzz: millions of Americans may soon be eligible to receive fresh “stimulus checks” (or more precisely, tax rebates) — but unlike many past checks, these would be funded not through new borrowing, but through revenue collected from the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on imported goods. The proposal driving this is the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 (AWR Act), introduced earlier in 2025 by Josh Hawley (R–Mo.), and backed — at least in spirit—by President Trump himself.

In a press release, Senator Hawley said: “My bill … would enable diligent Americans to reap the benefits from the wealth generated by Trump’s tariffs returning to our nation.” According to the senator, this is about letting working Americans directly share in tariff-generated revenue. President Trump has also chimed in, stating publicly: “We have so much money coming in from tariffs that a little rebate for people of a certain income level might be very nice.”

That said, while the language sounds appealing, several big questions remain. Chief among them: What does it mean for the federal deficit, and will Congress even let this happen?

Here’s a deeper dive into what the proposal is, how it would work, who might benefit, and what hurdles it faces.