Are you anticipating a stimulus payment from the Trump administration’s DOGE initiative? Is this a stimulus payment, a refund, or a dividend, and from where would the funding originate?
During a speech in February, President Donald Trump mentioned that he is contemplating a proposal to distribute $5,000 stimulus payments to taxpayers as a ‘DOGE dividend.’ He outlined this plan as utilizing 20% of the savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and returning it to the American people.
The concept of a ‘DOGE dividend’ was initially suggested on Tuesday by James Fishback, the CEO of Azoria investment firm, on Musk’s platform X. He proposed that President Trump and Musk “should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’ — a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, entirely funded by a portion of the total savings generated by DOGE.” Musk responded, “Will check with the President.”
Here’s what you need to know about the potential DOGE check.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency, officially called the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative established by Trump and overseen by ‘special government employee’ Musk.
DOGE aims to reduce federal expenditure, streamline regulations, and modernize federal technology and software to improve governmental efficiency and productivity.
Is there a DOGE stimulus check?
Currently, there is no indication that DOGE will issue a stimulus check as a result of its cost-cutting efforts. Any stimulus payment from the U.S. government would require Congressional approval. Don’t expect a check in the near future.
How much has DOGE saved so far?
At its inception, DOGE aimed to save up to $2 trillion annually. While DOGE claims to have already saved $105 billion through government budget cuts, this figure remains unverified.
According to WHYY.org, these figures appear questionable. “An NPR review of over 1,100 contracts in that initial release indicates that DOGE’s ‘maximally transparent’ calculations still exaggerate its estimated savings by billions of dollars,” WHYY.org reports.
The agency has enforced substantial reductions across various federal departments, resulting in widespread layoffs of federal employees. Departments such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have been notably affected.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DOGE stimulus check: Will Texans get $5,000 from President Trump?
