Las Cruces Sun News: New Mexico lawmaker proposes bill for tariff rebate payments. What to know

In the months since President Donald Trump first floated the idea of tariff dividend checks, some Americans are still waiting to see if they will receive relief.

In March, Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich led a group of seven Senate Democrats in introducing the Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act, which could create a rebate program for individuals affected by higher prices.

"President Trump’s illegal tariffs have cost New Mexico families an average of $1,355," Heinrich said in a March news release. "This is money that belongs to working families— not the CEOs of Walmart or Amazon or any other big corporation. The President may call the affordability crisis a ‘hoax,’ but working people feel it every time they pay for groceries or everyday essentials. This bill will return the money lost to Trump’s tariffs back to the people who paid the price."

What does the proposed tariff rebate legislation say?

Trump first floated the idea that a $2,000 dividend check could come to some Americans in 2026 in November 2025, according to USA Today. But in February, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's tariffs that he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, rejecting one of his most contentious assertions of his authority in a ruling with major implications for the global economy.

Since then a new portal has now launched where businesses can request refunds for tariffs.

Senator Martin Heinrich on March 4 in the U.S. Senate Energy and Mineral Resources Committee hearing where he voted no on the nomination of Steve Pearce as director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Heinrich's proposed legislation will establish the "Working Families Refund" and will:

• Provide a tax rebate of $600 to individual filers making $90,000 or less;
• Provide a tax rebate of $600 to head of household filers making $120,000 or less;
• Provide a tax rebate of $1200 to joint filers making $180,000 or less; and
• Provide an additional tax rebate of $600 for each dependent child.

For example, a family of four with two parents filing jointly and two dependent children making less than $180,000 a year would receive a $2,400 Working Families Refund.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Finance in March.

Heinrich’s Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

What would need to happen to get a $2,000 stimulus check?

Any form of stimulus payment issued by the U.S. government would have to be approved by Congress.