Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) recently made a bold move, announcing that his state had returned $878 million in taxpayer funds to the federal government. This move comes after a high-profile meeting with DOGE’s Elon Musk. By returning the excess funds, DeSantis demonstrates his commitment to ensuring that taxpayer money is used wisely, avoiding wasteful government spending, and empowering the private sector. This action showcases his ongoing effort to keep Florida’s government lean and responsive to the needs of its citizens without relying on federal handouts or unnecessary bureaucratic red tape.
“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,” DeSantis wrote in a post on X. “Today, I met with @elonmusk and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the same day.”
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
The Florida governor urged other states to follow in his footsteps and meet with DOGE to return unused federal funds.
DeSantis stated that Florida has been trying to return $878,112,000 to the government for years. However, the Biden administration blocked each attempt. He added that the previous administration was even unable to figure out how to accept the money back.
In an email to the Treasury Department, DeSantis’s office vowed to search for additional unused federal funds that can be returned to the feds.
“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," the email stated. "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."
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In response to DeSantis’s X post, Musk praised the governor, saying that nearly a million dollars of Florida’s taxpayer money was saved.
This comes after the governor announced last month that he would be establishing a similar version of DOGE in Florida, aimed at further eliminating waste within the state’s government.
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