DOGE staffers resign amidst Musk’s ultimatum to federal employees
The uncertainty surrounding Elon Musk’s email demanding that government employees validate their positions or face termination escalated when he announced they had “another chance” to reply.
As mass layoffs of federal employees persist, former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have considered issuing stimulus checks to Americans by reallocating funds from the federal budget through the Department of Government Efficiency.
In recent weeks, DOGE, under Musk’s leadership, has led to the termination of tens of thousands of federal workers, including approximately 10 personnel at a VA medical facility in Milwaukee, three of whom are veterans. The cuts to federal spending driven by DOGE could also threaten state programs, from cancer research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to the upcoming tourism period at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
The proposed DOGE stimulus checks, initially suggested by a CEO in a social media post, would depend on further mass reductions in the federal workforce and government expenditures.
So, will residents of Wisconsin receive a $5,000 check from DOGE? The likelihood seems low, and here’s why:
Will there be a DOGE stimulus check?
DOGE is still far from its overall savings target necessary to make the checks practical, and even if the target is met, multiple lawmakers in Congress have indicated they would not support the initiative. Any stimulus payment issued by the U.S. government, reminiscent of the pandemic stimulus checks, requires Congressional approval.
Initially, DOGE announced its intention to slash up to $2 trillion annually from federal spending. However, even Musk acknowledged last month that this objective was a “best-case scenario.”
As of Feb. 26, DOGE’s website states that $65 billion in federal spending cuts have been achieved, although these figures are unverified. In reality, an itemized breakdown of DOGE’s cuts listed on the website amounts to closer to $16 billion, according to USA TODAY — this includes an $8 million contract mistakenly reported as $8 billion, meaning the actual total is even lower.
The agencies experiencing reductions include 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.
How did the idea of stimulus checks originate?
The concept of DOGE stimulus checks 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 launch a ‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively from a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE,” Fishback mentioned on X on Feb. 18. He further suggested that the checks should amount to $5,000 per recipient.
Musk replied to Fishback’s tweet, saying, “Will check with the President.”
What are Trump’s views on DOGE stimulus checks?
Shortly after the idea emerged on social media, Trump expressed his support for the DOGE stimulus checks, as reported by USA TODAY.
During the Saudi-sponsored FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami Beach last week, the former president stated, “We’re considering allocating 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% for debt reduction.”
On the other hand, House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated over the weekend that he would prefer prioritizing debt repayment over distributing stimulus checks.
“Politically, that would be great for us, since everyone would receive a check,” Johnson mentioned at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference. “But if you think about our core principles, fiscal responsibility defines who we are as conservatives. That’s our identity, and we have a $36 trillion federal debt.”
Is the IRS currently issuing stimulus payments?
A form of stimulus payment still being distributed to Americans is a check of up to $1,400 from the Internal Revenue Service.
These payments are being sent to one million Americans who were eligible for — but did not claim — a Recovery Rebate Credit during the pandemic. Although the IRS has already distributed the majority of these payments, eligible taxpayers who failed to file a 2021 tax return can still receive a payment if they file their return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by April 15, according to the IRS.
For further details regarding IRS stimulus payments, follow this link.
Mike Snider of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
