Mike Johnson tamps down 'DOGE dividend' talk at CPAC

NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) backed away from supporting a proposal to send 20% of any funding cuts the Department of Government Efficiency makes back to taxpayers.

Johnson demurred on the proposal, which would send up to $5,000 to taxpayers if DOGE reaches its goal of cutting $2 trillion in federal spending, while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, even while conceding the plan would be great for Republicans “politically.”

“Fiscal responsibility is what we do as conservatives, that’s our brand,” Johnson said. “And we have a $36 trillion federal debt. We have a giant deficit that we’re contending with. I think we need to pay down the credit card, right?”