U.S. House Speaker: "Trump's $5,000 Dividend Requires Congressional Approval"

[Financial News] Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to pay $5,000 (approximately 6.7 million won) per person if Republicans win the midterm elections in November, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump loyalist, said on the 13th (local time) that the proposal would require congressional discussion and approval.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press that day, Johnson said of the so-called "Trump dividend"—Trump's proposed $5,000 payment per person—"I promise that, as with everything else, Congress will work through this issue and find common ground."
Regarding implementation of the pledge, he added, "I don't step out front and make grand pronouncements because we have to work through the issues. That's what we do every day."
When the host asked whether he was not actively supporting the dividend proposal, Johnson avoided a direct answer, saying, "As I always have, I will continue to work closely with the president and work for the American people."
That same day, Johnson also made clear on CNN's political talk show State of the Union that President Trump's dividend proposal would require congressional approval.
However, Johnson added, "We have had no time at all to process, review, or discuss this issue."
Earlier, at the Republican National Convention for the midterm elections held in Dallas, Texas, on the 9th, President Trump sparked controversy by promising, "If Republicans win the House and Senate, I will pay a $5,000 dividend to every adult citizen of the United States."
As Democrats launch strong criticism of the dividend pledge, questioning its legality, fiscal burden, and feasibility, dissenting voices are also emerging within the governing Republican Party and the conservative camp.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, regarded as one of the Republican Party's potential presidential contenders, pointed out that President Trump's dividend plan could fuel inflation. Republican Representatives Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Chip Roy of Texas have also publicly voiced opposition, citing its economic burden, feasibility, and appropriateness.
The conservative economic newspaper The Wall Street Journal also criticized the proposed $5,000 payment, contingent on an election victory, as "an overt vote-buying scheme" in an editorial.

[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, International Affairs Specialist Reporter