Scott Bessent
Role at the time: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Statement summary
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified that Treasury is examining ways to deliver the $5,000 payment "that would not affect the deficit," while committing to work with Speaker Johnson if congressional authority proves necessary.
“there are ways to do it that would not affect the deficit”
Yahoo Finance report on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's September 15, 2026 House Financial Services Committee testimony on funding mechanisms for the $5,000 dividend.
Why we used this label
Bessent commits Treasury to exploring non-deficit-increasing mechanisms while also committing to work with Congress if congressional authority proves necessary -- a conditional position that neither confirms the payment can bypass Congress nor rules it out, the first Cabinet-level statement addressing the funding/appropriation mechanism directly.