USPS strikes deal with Elon Musk’s DOGE team
The United States Postal Service has entered into an agreement with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to assist the struggling agency.
Are you still waiting for the $5,000 DOGE dividend check, or will it be less? Here’s the latest update on the status of the stimulus and the income eligibility required to qualify for it. Will the payment be per individual or per household? Here’s what you need to know.
Last month, President Donald Trump stated he would contemplate a plan to issue $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a “DOGE dividend.” He explained that it would involve taking 20% of the savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and redistributing it to American taxpayers.
The idea of the “DOGE dividend” was initially proposed by James Fishback, CEO of the Azoria investment firm, on Musk’s social media platform, X. He suggested that Trump and Musk should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check issued to every taxpayer, funded solely by savings generated by DOGE. Musk responded, “Will check with the President.”
In a recent interview with NewsNation, Fishback expressed optimism that a bill will soon be introduced to implement Trump’s vision for DOGE. He added, “It’s not enough just to identify waste, fraud, and abuse. We need to return taxpayers’ hard-earned money that has been wasted, and that’s what the DOGE dividend proposes.”
Fishback described his meetings with lawmakers in both the House and Senate as “very productive” and mentioned that a plan might be forthcoming.
Trump has not provided any further details or specifics about the potential ‘DOGE dividend’ or its likelihood.
Fishback’s four-page proposal for the ‘DOGE dividend’ stated that it would be a refund “sent only to tax-paying households.” He emphasized that unlike previous stimulus checks, DOGE checks would not be inflationary, as they would be “funded exclusively by DOGE-driven savings, unlike COVID stimulus checks that increased the deficit.”
Fishback’s proposal suggests that dividends would only be allocated to households exceeding a specific income threshold, contrasting with the indiscriminate distribution of pandemic-era checks.
“Many low-income households received transfer payments amounting to 25 to 30% of their annual income,” Fishback noted regarding pandemic stimulus checks. “This initiative specifically targets households that are net tax payers, which means they have a lower tendency to spend and a higher inclination to save a transfer payment like the DOGE dividend.”
“I am proud to have the president’s support, but the plan is quite straightforward,” Fishback stated. “DOGE is projected to save a certain amount of money over the next few years. Let’s take 20 percent of those savings and return it to the hardworking taxpayers who originally provided those funds to Washington.”
By definition, a dividend refers to a share of profits distributed by a corporation to its shareholders, while a refund is a payment returned to a customer who has previously made a payment. Conversely, a stimulus check is a direct payment intended to encourage spending and stimulate the economy by providing money directly to consumers.
Who would qualify for the DOGE dividend?
The proposed refund would be directed exclusively to households that are net-income taxpayers—individuals who pay more in taxes than they receive back. According to news reports, lower-income Americans would not qualify for this refund. The Pew Research Center states that most individuals with an adjusted gross income of less than $40,000 pay little to no federal income tax.
The suggested DOGE refund check would be issued to households rather than to individual taxpayers, including those receiving Social Security benefits who meet the tax requirements.
Musk ramps up DOGE as Tesla stock tanks, backlash grows
Tesla’s stock saw a 15% decline on March 10. Nevertheless, CEO Elon Musk has no intention of slowing down his efforts in U.S. government.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formally known as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative established by Trump and led by special government employee Musk.
The mission of DOGE is to reduce federal spending, streamline regulations, and “modernize federal technology and software to enhance governmental efficiency and productivity.”
Initially, DOGE aimed to save up to $2 trillion annually. As of now, DOGE claims to have already saved $115 billion.
Maria Francis is a journalist based in Pennsylvania with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
