CALIFORNIA, USA — As President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to make cuts, it’s gotten people in California wondering what will happen to the federal tax dollars once cuts have been made.
“I think that money will be clawed back to the federal government,” said Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is an organisation that advocates for taxpayers to avoid overspending. Coupal supports DOGE’s current efforts and believes Californians will recover their savings in other ways.
“I don’t see California receiving it, except perhaps through Social Security payments to its citizens. “It just goes back into the budget,” Coupal said.
Regardless of the work DOGE is doing, Coupal believes taxpayers may see a federal tax reduction.
“Tax reductions will happen irrespective of what happens with the DOGE project because President Trump promised the tax reductions as part of his tax reduction package,” Coupal told CNN.
California Democratic leaders have openly opposed DOGE’s proposed cuts. Last week, Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing federal funds. Bonta has claimed that the federal funds are critical to the state.
Sacramento State Economics Professor Rob Wassmer believes there is no connection between California tax dollars and what taxpayers receive, and that Californians will bear the brunt of the cuts to state programs and resources.
“Do Trump and his supporters have an affinity for blue states? So, with the cuts they’re making, they’re probably going to be more focused on hurting California,” Wassmer said.
Finally, experts believe it is too early to determine how directly Californians will be affected.
