Wyoming Senator Responds to Possible Trump DOGE Dividend Tax Refunds

In the past few days there has been a lot of talk about whether a $5,000 DOGE Dividend Check will be given to eligible taxpayers, which would be funded by savings from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

Speaking at an investment conference in Miami President Trump reportedly said his administration is considering a concept in which 20% of the savings from DOGE's cost-cutting efforts would go to U.S. citizens and another 20% towards paying down the national debt.

The potential for dividend payments, Trump said, would incentivize people to report what he called “wasteful spending.”

“They’ll be reporting it themselves,” Trump said. “They participate in the process of saving us money.”

Elon Musk, speaking at conference on February 20, said of the proposed DOGE dividends:"It's money that's taken away from, from things that are destructive to the country, that and from organizations that hate you, to you. That's awesome."

Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis has commented on the matter. She said: "I’m very interested in eliminating the debt and the deficit. . . as well as getting inflation under control. So those would be my top priorities for the savings associated with DOGE." She continued, “If there’s money left after we address inflation, and the debt, and the deficit, it’s always a good idea to send taxpayers their money back. But when we're $36 trillion in debt, we've dug ourselves a pretty big hole.”

Republican Congressman of Louisiana Mike Johnson also emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility over political gains, citing the nation's $36 trillion debt as a reason for concern.

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis echoed this sentiment. He told Business Insider: "I have three grandchildren, all under the age of eight years old. Their fractional share of the national debt is about $100,000. I think maybe it makes sense to help pay down that debt obligation."

Conversely, Republican Senator Josh Hawley told Scripps he "[likes] the idea of returning money to the American taxpayer" but suggested channeling the funds toward direct relief measures like a child tax credit could be a beneficial approach.

The liklihood of eligible taxpayers recieving a $5,000 check is questionable. Even if DOGE meets its savings goal and the idea moves forward, Congress would need to approve the pay-outs. If approved, the payments wouldn't go to eligible taxpayers until 2026.

Read More: Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office Shares Info Concerning Tax Refunds