The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced that approximately $4.3 billion in COVID-era funds remain unused and dormant as of March 28. This announcement was made in a post on the social media platform X on March 31.
According to DOGE's post, $1.4 billion of these unused funds have been recovered and returned to the Treasury’s general account. This recovery is attributed to the efforts of U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling. The remaining $2.9 billion is still being processed, with efforts underway to return it to the Treasury.
A 2023 Inspector General report indicated that an audit recently identified the unused $4.3 billion in COVID-era funds, tracing them back to the "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act." Congress passed this act on March 27, 2020, to expand Unemployment Insurance benefits for workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID Era funds
| https://x.com/DOGE/status/1906795559748321398
DOGE is a federal agency focused on optimizing government spending, reducing waste, and ensuring accountability in contract management. According to their statement on X, by reviewing expenditures and canceling non-essential contracts, DOGE aims to improve fiscal responsibility and enhance the effectiveness of public resource allocation.
