The idea of DOGE stimulus checks has been a topic of much recent conversation. DOGE is the Department of Governmental Efficiency. This organization, which CEO Elon Musk leads, has the stated purpose of sorting out supposed governmental excesses to then find ways to save money.
Now discussed is the possibility that savings generated by the Department of Governmental Efficiency could be used for the issuance of DOGE stimulus checks. While there is not yet certainty about whether such a thing is likely to be in the works, details have been mentioned about how taxpayers may someday receive checks generated from DOGE financial savings. These are key topics within the current conversation surrounding a possible DOGE stimulus.
Overview of DOGE
The Department of Governmental Efficiency, or DOGE, was established when Trump renamed the U.S. Digital Service. The U.S. Digital Service became the U.S. DOGE Service. Under its old name, this organization focused on fixing technological glitches within governmental operations. Under the name of DOGE, the organization was set to change its focus. According to the NBC Chicago Staff and the Associated Press, Trump stated that DOGE’s mission would be to be a source of “advice and guidance from outside the government.”
DOGE is run by Elon Musk, who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the car and clean energy company Tesla. DOGE as an agency aims to cut financial expenditures within the government. It approaches its mission via a variety of methods, including seeking to peruse governmental records, planning the closing of governmental agencies, and letting government employees go. Governmental entities affected by DOGE’s methodology include the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Stimulus Checks
Presidents have issued economic stimulus checks before. They have the authority to do so if Congress authorizes a stimulus check issuance. Since the 2000s, stimulus checks have been used to help alleviate the economic effects of difficult situations affecting many people. President George W. Bush provided stimulus checks to people dealing with a dot-com bust and a collapse in the housing market. President Barack Obama also authorized stimulus checks. President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump provided stimulus to help people cope with the ravages of COVID-19.
There has therefore been a historical context for stimulus checks. However, whether such checks could be issued by DOGE could depend on the accuracy of DOGE’s claims of producing savings. For instance, according to Washington Correspondent Chris Matthews at MarketWatch, though the DOGE website states that the organization “has saved taxpayers $140 billion, or about $870 per taxpayer, that tally includes many errors and in many cases doesn’t provide enough information to fact-check the claims.” DOGE-generated savings would likely be the source of stimulus checks.
Recent Areas of Discussion
Elon Musk has not ruled out the idea of issuing stimulus checks and discussed the idea with people who attended a recent town hall that took place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At the Wisconsin town hall, Musk stated: “It’s somewhat up to Congress and maybe the president as to whether specific checks are cut.” Musk acknowledged at the town hall that he would not be solely responsible for a stimulus check decision.
There is no consensus about how DOGE savings should be used. For instance, according to Christ Matthews of MarketWatch, “Henrietta Treyz, director of economic policy at consulting firm Veda Partners, wrote… that Republicans in Congress are wary of the steep budget cuts to programs like Medicaid that would be required to pay for the Trump-promised tax cuts, making it likely that whatever savings DOGE produces would need to go toward deficit reduction rather than taxpayer checks.” Issuing stimulus checks is one possible use for DOGE savings, but not the only one.
