DOGE Caucus senator pushes to end ‘slush fund’ for presidential candidates: ‘Welfare for politicians’
In honor of Presidents Day, a prominent DOGE senator is making moves to retrieve $400 million from a stagnant “slush fund” designated to assist presidential candidates that has not been put to use since the year 2000. Senator Joni Ernst is championing the Eliminating Leftover Expenses for Campaigns from Taxpayers (ELECT) Act in an effort to dismantle what she refers to as “welfare for politicians.”
Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and the chair of the DOGE caucus in the Senate, argues that the fund has been dormant for decades, with the last successful withdrawal being made by former Texas Governor George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. Other unsuccessful candidates, such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Green Party nominee Jill Stein in the 2024 election cycle, have tapped into the fund as well.
The late Senator John McCain of Arizona also received a substantial sum of $84.1 million from the fund in 2008. According to FEC records, major party nominees are entitled to $20 million plus adjustments for inflation dating back to 1974. Ernst first proposed defunding the account in a letter to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in November, as part of a series of DOGE-centered initiatives.
Stein, responding to inquiries from Fox News Digital, criticized the fund as being “raided” of $375 million and highlighted Democratic efforts to undermine its effectiveness through legislation like H.R.-1 during the Biden administration. She emphasized the importance of publicly funded campaigns as a means to counteract the influence of big corporate donors and ensure fair representation for all Americans.
The IRS requires taxpayers to indicate whether they would like to contribute $3 to the fund on their 1099 tax forms, a unique feature that distinguishes it from other public funding mechanisms. Stein stressed the need for reforms such as publicly financed elections, inclusive debates, ranked choice voting, and ending voter suppression in order to combat the pervasive influence of money in politics.
Despite the push to defund the account, FEC regulations allow candidates to continue seeking public funds to offset campaign debt. IRS Code 9006, which dates back to the 1970s, stipulates that eligible candidates can receive payments from the fund upon certification by the Federal Election Commission.
In a notable development, Congress redirected a portion of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund earmarked for political party conventions to pediatric cancer research in 2014. The initiative, known as the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, was championed by then-Rep. Gregg Harper and signed into law by President Barack Obama.
Efforts to reach out to a representative for Mike Pence for comment were unsuccessful. Charles Creitz, a reporter for Fox News Digital, contributed to this article. Creitz covers media, politics, and culture for the platform and can be contacted for story tips at charles.creitz@fox.com.
