How did Elon Musk gain influence in Washington?
As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk has introduced significant changes. But who exactly is Elon Musk and what led to his rise in Washington?
About two months ago, discussions about a new kind of stimulus check, funded through government savings, started to trend on social media.
Although the idea quickly caught on, taxpayers will have to wait to see what actually happens with the DOGE stimulus check.
This stimulus check, proposed by CEO and investor James Fishback, is still in its preliminary phase and has not yet received Congressional approval.
Elon Musk, the billionaire overseeing DOGE, has recently revised the department’s projected savings to $150 billion, down from his earlier assertion of $1 trillion in federal spending cuts by the end of May.
Here’s the latest on DOGE stimulus checks, including eligibility criteria and the timeline for payments.
Update on DOGE Dividend Checks
There have been no significant updates regarding the DOGE stimulus check. A formal proposal has yet to be introduced in Congress, which is a necessary step in the process.
Fishback remains confident that the stimulus checks will eventually materialize. He recently told Chris Cuomo that he has received positive feedback regarding the DOGE dividend check proposal and stated, “I am very optimistic this will happen.”
DOGE faced scrutiny after a whistleblower raised alarms about the department’s handling of sensitive data, as reported by NPR. The department accessed the National Labor Relations Board’s internal systems in March, with allegations of a data spike and disabled monitoring systems, plus an alarming IP address from Russia attempting to log in.
How Much Has DOGE Saved So Far?
The DOGE website (doge.gov) claims to provide receipts of its budget-cutting measures, mostly listing canceled contracts across various federal agencies.
As of April 14, the website reports savings of $155 billion, achieved through a mix of fraud detection, contract cancellations, renegotiations, asset sales, and regulatory savings.
This equates to roughly $962.73 for each taxpayer, according to the site.
However, USA TODAY and other news outlets have indicated that the DOGE website has previously shared misleading figures, including discrepancies amounting to over $8 billion.
When Will DOGE Stimulus Checks Be Sent?
The stimulus checks associated with DOGE savings have not received formal approval from Congress.
Until Congress passes a bill that authorizes the dividends—which Fishback says is in progress—no checks will be distributed, and no timetable for payments has been established.
Who Would Be Eligible for Stimulus Payments?
Fishback’s proposal suggests that dividends will only be sent to households surpassing a specific income threshold, as opposed to the indiscriminate pandemic-era checks.
The potential refund would be directed at households that pay more in taxes than they receive back, excluding lower-income residents. According to Pew Research Center, most Americans with an adjusted gross income below $40,000 effectively pay no federal income tax.
