Tesla CEO Elon Musk spars with moderator over DOGE savings
At the Qatar Economic Forum, Elon Musk sparred with journalist Mishal Husain over DOGE savings.
- Congressional approval is needed for DOGE stimulus checks, but there’s been little discussion among lawmakers.
- The DOGE program’s savings are significantly lower than the $2 trillion threshold previously suggested for issuing checks.
- Eligibility criteria for the potential stimulus checks remain unclear, though initial proposals targeted tax-paying households.
The idea for a DOGE dividend caught the attention of many Americans feeling the pinch of inflation and rising prices earlier this year.
Though the interest has remained high, the lack of news and progress on the suggested stimulus check seems to indicate checks will not be coming.
In order for any stimulus check to be sent out, Congress has to approve the proposal for the dividends. There has been little discussion of the topic by lawmakers aside from initial reactions when the suggestion was made earlier this year.
Previous discussions of the dividends hinged on DOGE meeting a threshold of $2 trillion in savings before sending out the check. This also seems unlikely as time has gone on. The DOGE website touted $180 billion in savings as of May 29.
Without any new information and savings falling short of expectations, it seems less likely the checks will happen.
Who gets a DOGE stimulus check?
It is still unclear who would get a DOGE stimulus check if they are approved by Congress, which seems increasingly unlikely.
The original idea for DOGE stimulus checks indicated they would be sent to taxpayers.
James Fishback, the CEO who originally suggested the dividends, shared a four-page proposal for a DOGE dividend in March. The proposal described a refund “sent only to tax-paying householders.”
The potential refund would be sent only to households that are net-income taxpayers — people who pay more in taxes than they get back — with lower-income Americans not qualifying for the return, according to news reports. The Pew Research Center cites most Americans who have an adjusted gross income of under $40,000 pay effectively no federal income tax.
When is the DOGE stimulus check coming out?
A stimulus checks from DOGE savings has not been formally approved by Congress. As this first step in turning the idea into a reality has not happened, no payment timeline exists.
Is DOGE still active?
DOGE is set to continue operations until the summer of 2026 under an executive order Trump signed in January. But without Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, at the helm, it’s unclear if DOGE will operate with the same slash-and-burn aggressiveness.
USA TODAY reporter Joey Garrison contributed to this article.
