Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said his state returned $878 million to the federal government on Friday, which it had tried and failed to do during former President Joe Biden’s administration, following a meeting with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk.
Newsweek contacted DeSantis and the Treasury Department for comment on Saturday via email outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump formed DOGE, which is not an official government department despite its name, shortly after his inauguration on January 20, and he placed it under the direction of Musk, a billionaire tech tycoon and his close political ally.
DOGE’s mission is to cut back on what Trump and Musk view as wasteful government spending, and its actions—such as firing thousands of federal employees and gutting the U.S. Agency for International Development—have sparked controversy.
CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/GETTY
What To Know
On Friday, DeSantis shared part of a letter his office sent to the Treasury Department earlier that day on X, formerly Twitter, which said he was returning $878,112,000 in federal funding provided to Florida “as part of DOGE’s efforts.”
In the social media post, the governor wrote: “For years, Florida has been trying to return federal funds to the federal government due to the ideological strings attached by the Biden Administration—but they couldn’t even figure out how to accept it.
“Today, I met with @elonmusk and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the same day. Other states should follow Florida in supporting DOGE’s efforts!”
For years, Florida has been trying to return federal funds to the federal government due to the ideological strings attached by the Biden Administration—but they couldn’t even figure out how to accept it. Today, I met with @elonmusk and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the… pic.twitter.com/uWyloPAhBU
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 21, 2025
DeSantis did not elaborate on what “ideological strings” had been placed on the funding by the Biden administration or why he had previously been unable to return the money.
In February, DeSantis announced that Florida was creating its own DOGE task force to target “waste” and “ensure accountability” within state government.
Similarly, the Texas House of Representatives created a new Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency, which one expert on state politics told Newsweek was primarily a case of “partisan exhibitionism.”
DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the at times bitter 2024 Republican presidential primary, recently called out congressional Republicans for what he described as a lack of progress in supporting the president’s agenda.
What People Are Saying
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office said in a letter to the Treasury Department on Friday: “At the direction of Governor DeSantis and following his meeting with Elon Musk today, the State of Florida is formally returning $878,112,000 in taxpayer dollars to the federal government as part of DOGE’s efforts. …
“We will also continue to identify other unused or surplus federal funding granted to Florida and determine if further refunds can be made. We hope our actions serve as a model for other states to follow.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether other states will follow Florida’s lead in returning money to the federal government.
