President Trump hosted a roundtable event to tout an initiative in Republicans’ massive reconciliation package that would provide $1,000 for newborn babies to be put into an investment account.
“This is a pro-family initiative that will help millions of Americans harness the strength of our economy to lift up the next generation,” Trump said. “And they’ll really be getting a big jump on life, especially if we get a little bit lucky with some of the numbers and the economies into the future.”
The so-called “Trump Accounts” would put $1,000 in government money into an index fund tied to the stock market for newborns. The accounts would be managed by the child’s legal guardians.
Trump was joined at the event by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other Republican lawmakers, as well as several CEOs who are supportive of the initiative. Among those in attendance were leaders from Dell, Uber, Altimeter Capital, ARM Corp, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Robinhood and Goldman Sachs.
“With these accounts, children will be much more likely to graduate from college, to start a business, to buy a home and achieve lifelong financial stability,” Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, said at the roundtable event.
The reconciliation bill must still pass the Senate before making its way to Trump’s desk.
Johnson told reporters he hoped the Senate would not make significant change to the version the House passed because of the narrow majority Republicans have in the lower chamber. But some GOP senators, including Rand Paul (R-Ky.), have expressed concerns about the legislation adding to the national debt.