SMART: Sen. Josh Hawley introduces bill to send tariff rebate checks to Americans.

Hawley submitted his legislation after pledging to do so Friday following President Donald Trump’s remark to reporters that he would be interested in sending a tariff-related rebate check to Americans.

“Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country,” Hawley said in a statement.

Hawley, who championed stimulus check legislation with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., amid the Covid pandemic in 2020, authored his new bill to echo that past effort. The program would be set up as a refundable tax credit, with the government sending checks this year should the bill advance through Congress and get Trump’s signature. The bill would ensure that the amount provided to each adult and dependent child is at least $600. It also allows for a larger rebate per person should tariff revenue exceed projections.

This one ought to be a no-brainer — which means very little in Washington, unfortunately.