The potential distribution of a $5,000 stimulus check by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has sparked widespread national attention and debate on social media and forums such as Reddit and X (previously Twitter). Former President Donald Trump proposed giving 20% of savings to citizens and another 20% to reduce public debt.
However, its legal and operational viability continue to be debated. Trump proposed the proposal at the FII Priority Summit in Miami Beach, citing executive James Fishback’s suggestion. “We are considering giving 20% of DOGE savings to US citizens and 20% to pay off debt,” he told me. The announcement coincided with a USA TODAY investigation revealing anomalies in DOGE savings reports, including a roughly $8 billion miscalculation.
Are stimulus checks coming? This is what we know so far
According to legal experts, the federal government must obtain legislative approval before issuing any stimulus checks. Currently, there are no current proposals or legislative debates on the subject. Analysts argue that without bipartisan political support, the plan would be difficult to achieve, particularly in an election year dominated by budget pressures.
Under the Biden administration, the IRS paid up to $1,400 in December 2024 and January 2025 to taxpayers who did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. These monies, authorized after discovering underutilization of the benefit, might still be requested by April 15, 2025 through adjusted returns.
Conditions to access the possible DOGE stimulus check
Fishback’s proposal suggests the benefit would be limited to taxpaying households with incomes above an unspecified threshold. This contrasts with the widely distributed pandemic stimuli of 2020-2021. Trump has not detailed eligibility criteria, deadlines or distribution mechanisms, raising doubts about its practical implementation.
Created during the Trump administration, DOGE is run by a publicly unnamed “special government employee.” Its official mission includes reducing federal spending, simplifying regulations, and modernizing government technology systems. Critics argue that the entity lacks transparent oversight and that its reported achievements have been exaggerated in official statements.
Economists warn that even if Congress approved the stimulus checks, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would have to demonstrate real savings equal to $5,000 per eligible household. Given that there are approximately 130 million households in the United States, the total cost of the program would exceed $650 billion, a figure that far exceeds the $40 billion in “efficiencies” declared by the entity in 2023.
The 2025 payments, focused on fiscal corrections, show the challenges of targeting benefits. According to the IRS, thousands of taxpayers failed to claim credits due to ignorance or errors on forms. This raises questions about DOGE’s ability to run a massive program without robust verification mechanisms.
Until a formal initiative is presented to Congress, the DOGE check remains a theoretical proposal. Political observers anticipate that, in an approval scenario, the process would involve prolonged negotiations, adjustments in amounts and possible budget restrictions, delaying its materialization until 2026 or beyond.