Thousands join ‘Hands Off!’ protest in Phoenix
Thousands of Arizonans gathered at the ‘Hands Off!’ rally in Phoenix and Tucson to express their opposition to the Trump administration and Elon Musk.
For those still hoping for a DOGE dividend, recent statements from Elon Musk suggest any expected checks may be smaller than initially thought.
Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur overseeing DOGE, updated the anticipated savings from the Department of Government Efficiency during an April 10 Cabinet meeting.
He announced his prediction that the Department would save $150 billion from the federal budget in the upcoming fiscal year by targeting “waste and fraud,” significantly reducing earlier projections he had made.
This estimate has dropped from his previous assertion of cutting $1 trillion from federal spending by the end of May.
Here’s the latest on DOGE stimulus checks, detailing how much the department has saved and the requirements for checks to be issued.
Latest DOGE Dividend Check Update
No significant updates have emerged regarding the DOGE stimulus check. A formal proposal has yet to be introduced in Congress, which is the first necessary step.
However, the CEO associated with this concept has mentioned that his team is working on it. In an interview with Chris Cuomo on April 8, James Fishback was asked, “Do you think it is going to happen?” He confidently replied, “Yes, I truly believe it will happen, and I have unique information from my recent time on the Hill, where I’ve been meeting with members in the House and Senate.”
Fishback elaborated that he has received positive feedback regarding the DOGE dividend proposal, stating, “Overall, the support for this idea has been overwhelmingly positive.” He added, “I am very optimistic that this will come to fruition.”
He asserts that he has the backing of President Donald Trump, Musk, and the Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett.
How Much Has DOGE Cut So Far?
The DOGE website (doge.gov/savings) claims to monitor its savings initiatives and their financial impacts.
As of April 8, the site reports that it has saved $150 billion through various methods, including fraud detection, contract cancellations, renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings.
The DOGE site claims to share transparent records of its budget-saving measures; however, many entries consist mainly of canceled contracts across various federal departments and agencies.
Nonetheless, USA TODAY and other news outlets have discovered that the DOGE website has disclosed misleading information about its claimed savings, including inaccuracies totaling over $8 billion.
How Much Is That Per Taxpayer?
The DOGE website states that the calculated savings equate to approximately $931.68 per taxpayer.
Who Would Qualify for Stimulus Check Payments?
Fishback’s proposal includes issuing dividends only to households above a specific income threshold, contrasting with the indiscriminate pandemic-era checks.
“This specifically targets households that are net-payers of federal income tax, which means they typically have a lower tendency to spend and a higher propensity to save a payment like the DOGE dividend,” Fishback explained.
The proposed refund would be directed exclusively to households that are net-income taxpayers — those who pay more in taxes than they receive back — excluding lower-income Americans from eligibility, as noted by various news reports. The Pew Research Center indicates that most individuals with an adjusted gross income of less than $40,000 effectively pay no federal income tax.
When Will DOGE Stimulus Checks Be Sent?
As of now, the DOGE stimulus checks have not received formal approval from Congress. No checks will be distributed nor a payment timeline established until Congress sanctions a bill authorizing the dividends.
USA TODAY reporter Joey Garrison and USA TODAY Network reporter Maria Francis contributed to this article.
