President Donald Trump has stated that his administration is considering returning 20% of “DOGE savings” to taxpayers. Could you receive a $5,000 stimulus check from the DOGE in Mississippi? Who qualifies?
The idea that the Trump administration might give American citizens a cut from reduced federal spending has been floated. But do not rely on it.
It’s all theory right now, and one proposal would prevent low-income households from receiving any returns.
The United States House of Representatives recently approved a budget that would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and provide for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over a decade.
If approved, it would also raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion in two years, adding approximately $3 trillion to the deficit over a decade.
The United States’ national debt was $35.5 trillion in the fiscal year 2024.
To make the checks possible, the Department of Government Efficiency would need to recoup $2 trillion in savings, which Elon Musk, the department’s unofficial leader, has said may not be possible in January.
Before any checks could be issued, Congress must approve the spending.
Here is what we know about the DOGE check timeline so far.
What is DOGE?
On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order renaming the United States Digital Service, an executive branch agency, the Department of Government Efficiency. Officially, it is the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization.
Musk was later designated a “special government employee.”
Multiple Democratic state attorneys general filed lawsuits, challenging Musk’s authority and arguing that his ability to access data and cut government funding violates the Constitution. The Appointments Clause requires Congress to approve executive branch officers.
Trump had previously referred to Musk as DOGE’s leader, but a key change in DOGE leadership was announced after a lawsuit filing revealed that the world’s richest man is not in charge or an employee of the department, but rather serves as a senior advisor to the president.
The judge declined to prevent Musk from accessing sensitive records.
Amy Gleason was recently appointed as DOGE’s acting administrator.
Who suggested the DOGE checks?
CEO James Fishback of Azoria Investments pitched the concept on Musk’s social media platform X. He proposed that they “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.”
“Will check with the President,” Musk stated.
In a subsequent speech, Trump cited hundreds of billions in savings and stated, “We’re considering giving 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% to paying down the debt.”
Do DOGE cuts add up?
So far, DOGE has announced massive cuts that have not stood up to fact-checking. Some get rolled back later. It has received criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
“DOGE has an unprecedented opportunity to cut waste and bloat,” Nat Malkus, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, wrote on his blog. “However, the sloppy work shown so far should give pause to even its most sympathetic defenders.”
In mid-February, the agency announced $55 billion in savings for taxpayers. The largest accounting error on the “Wall of Receipts” increased $8 million to $8 billion. However, canceled contracts, real estate leases, and grants totaled $16.5 billion.
Musk also stated that they terminated 89 research contracts at the Education Department, totaling $881 million. DOGE later adjusted the figure to $489 million. New America, a left-leaning think tank, estimated that the total was closer to $278 million.
As of Monday, March 3, the Wall of Receipts reported a total savings of $105 billion. This includes canceling 13 Mississippi federal real estate contracts.
The March 2 update has not yet been fully fact-checked, and changes have been made to the real estate section in the most recent data, removing information about the type of contract and its use as opposed to previously published information that listed what type of office/agency used the facility or land.
Who could qualify for a check?
Fishback shared a four-page “DOGE dividend” proposal, claiming that it should only go to households that pay taxes and earn more than a certain income level.
He stated that the plan was created in about two and a half hours before being sent to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other members of the Trump administration.
Will check with the President
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 18, 2025
According to Fishback, the COVID-19 pandemic stimulus checks resulted in transfer payments of 25-30% of low-income households’ annual income.
“This exclusively goes to households that are net-payers of federal income tax, and what that means is that they have a lower propensity to spend and a higher propensity to save a transfer payment like the DOGE dividend.”
According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 18% of Mississippi residents live in poverty. The median household income in the state is $54,915, with an average income per person of $30,529.
According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of citizens with an adjusted gross income of less than $30,000 pay no federal income tax. Refundable credits primarily benefit those with low incomes.
Could DOGE checks reach American citizens?
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has stated that the funds should be directed toward reducing the national deficit.
It is unclear whether Congress will take up the proposal, as well as what the final version of the requirements will look like.