‘Just getting started’: Trump speech on DOGE, budget and border
President Donald Trump outlined his vision for the next four years during his address to Congress.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, took center stage during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
Trump highlighted the organization’s success in reducing costs and cutting back on government size, revealing that it has eliminated thousands of jobs, ended billions in contracts, and created widespread uncertainty in the federal space.
He attributed much of the praise for DOGE’s accomplishments to Elon Musk, positioned prominently at the front of the chamber.
“I have established the brand new Department of Government Efficiency. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. It’s led by Elon Musk, who is here tonight,” Trump stated. “Thank you, Elon, for your hard work. You didn’t have to do this, but thank you very much.”
But should Musk receive all the acclaim—or criticism—for DOGE’s drastic cutbacks in federal employment and funding?
Does Elon Musk lead DOGE?
Who is Amy Gleason, the woman who actually heads DOGE?
Initially, it was thought that Elon Musk was at the helm of the agency, having played a key role in establishing the framework for Trump’s objectives.
Scripps News
Opinions vary on this matter. Trump consistently refers to Musk as the head of DOGE, acknowledging his contributions during his congressional address.
However, the Trump administration has stated in legal proceedings that Musk is neither the leader of DOGE nor an employee. Instead, they characterize him as a senior advisor lacking decision-making powers.
Amy Gleason, a former official with the U.S. Digital Service, was publicly appointed as the acting DOGE administrator on February 25. Gleason is a health technology executive and has served as a senior advisor within the U.S. Digital Service since January, according to the Tennessean.
What has DOGE saved thus far?
DOGE maintains a “wall of receipts,” purportedly demonstrating its effectiveness in eliminating waste and fraud in federal agencies.
As of March 2, the site claims it has saved $105 billion through various measures, including fraud detection/removal, contract/lease cancellations, renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings.
This translates to approximately $652.17 per taxpayer, according to the website.
While DOGE asserts it provides evidence of its budget-cutting initiatives, many of the items listed are merely canceled contracts across various federal departments and agencies.
Reports from USA TODAY have uncovered significant inconsistencies with the savings DOGE claims on its website. For instance, it alleged a savings of $881 million from terminating contracts with the Education Department, despite the actual contract values being around $676 million. Another claim of $8 billion in savings turned out to be only $8 million.
Are DOGE payments being sent to taxpayers?
Could $5,000 DOGE stimulus checks happen? Here’s what we know.
The discussion of $5,000 stimulus checks from the Trump administration’s efforts to cut federal spending is ongoing, but will it materialize?
Currently, the answer is no. However, the idea is frequently debated.
Proposals to send stimulus checks of up to $5,000 to American households from the funds saved by DOGE are in the works. Congress would need to approve the plan before any stimulus payments could be issued, so for now, no checks will be distributed and there is no established timeline for such payments.
Responses from congressional officials on this concept vary widely. Some lawmakers express support for the idea, while others prefer to address the deficit or await a more detailed proposal before offering their support.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, indicated he would like to see more details about the plan. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, showed support for passing savings down to Americans, but suggested this could be better done through the child tax credit.
What amount could DOGE distribute?
According to James Fishback, CEO of Azoria investment firm, if the checks are 20% of DOGE’s savings, the agency must save about $2 trillion to deliver $5,000 checks to each of the approximately 80 million federal tax-paying households in the country.
Based on the reported savings on the wall of receipts as of March 2, a 20% “DOGE Dividend” could amount to around $130 per taxpayer.
Musk has previously stated that achieving $2 trillion in cuts might be unrealistic. Should it occur, it could take more time than anticipated.
What does DOGE mean?
DOGE stands for Department of Government Efficiency, although it is not an actual department. Trump established it as a temporary initiative authorized to function until July 4, 2026.
DOGE’s mandate is to reduce spending and regulations to diminish the bureaucracy and size of the federal government.
The name “DOGE” also alludes to dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that Musk has supported for several years.
