With the ongoing mass layoffs of federal employees, both President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have suggested the possibility of providing American citizens with stimulus checks funded by reductions in the federal budget through the Department of Government Efficiency.
Recently, DOGE, under Musk’s leadership, has facilitated the termination of tens of thousands of federal workers, including approximately 10 staff members at a VA medical facility in Milwaukee, with at least three being veterans. DOGE’s budget cuts could endanger vital state programs, impacting areas from cancer research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to the upcoming tourism season at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
The proposed DOGE stimulus checks, initially suggested by a CEO on social media, would depend on further significant cuts to the federal workforce and overall government spending.
So, will residents of Wisconsin receive a $5,000 check from DOGE? It’s improbable for several reasons:
The Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
Will there be a DOGE stimulus check?
DOGE has not yet achieved its total savings target to make the checks viable, and even if this goal is met, many lawmakers in Congress have indicated their unwillingness to back the initiative. Any stimulus payment provided by the U.S. government, similar to prior pandemic relief checks, requires Congressional approval.
When it was initially proposed, DOGE aimed to cut up to $2 trillion annually from federal expenditures. However, even Musk admitted last month that this figure constituted a “best-case scenario.”
As of February 26, DOGE’s website claims to have achieved $65 billion in federal spending cuts, although these figures are not substantiated. In fact, an itemized breakdown of DOGE’s cuts revealed a total closer to $16 billion, as noted by USA TODAY — this accounts for an $8 million contract that DOGE incorrectly reported as an $8 billion reduction, thereby lowering the total even further.
Several agencies have experienced budget cuts, including the Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the United States Agency for International Development.
Where did the idea for stimulus checks originate?
The DOGE stimulus check concept was first proposed by James Fishback, CEO and co-founder of Azoria Partners, who has also recently initiated an “anti-woke” investment fund.
“President Trump and @ElonMusk should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE,” Fishback suggested on X on February 18. He also mentioned that the checks should amount to $5,000 per recipient.
Musk replied to Fishback’s post, stating, “Will check with the President.”
Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 political rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
What has Trump said regarding DOGE stimulus checks?
Shortly after the concept gained traction on social media, Trump expressed his endorsement of DOGE stimulus checks, as reported by USA TODAY.
During the Saudi-sponsored FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami Beach last week, the president stated, “We’re considering allocating 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% toward reducing the debt.”
At the same time, House Speaker Mike Johnson conveyed his preference for addressing the federal debt instead of distributing stimulus payments.
“Politically, that would be beneficial for us, you know, since everyone would receive a check,” Johnson remarked at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference. “However, when we consider our fundamental principles, fiscal responsibility is what defines us as conservatives. That’s our identity, especially with a $36 trillion federal debt.”
Is the IRS still dispensing stimulus payments?
Currently, Americans are receiving a stimulus payment from the Internal Revenue Service, with checks of up to $1,400 being issued.
These payments are directed to one million Americans who were eligible for — but did not claim — a Recovery Rebate Credit during the pandemic. Though the IRS has already dispatched a majority of these payments, those eligible taxpayers who did not file a 2021 tax return can still receive a check if they file their return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by April 15, as indicated by the IRS.
For more information on IRS stimulus payments, click here.
Mike Snider of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Will Wisconsin residents receive $5,000 DOGE stimulus checks?
