Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) launched his annual Festivus report on the greater than $1 trillion in authorities waste, together with thousands and thousands spent on ice-skating drag queens, a Sesame Avenue present in Iraq, Ukrainian influencers and extra.
“This yr, I’m highlighting a whopping $1,008,313,329,626.12. That’s over $1 trillion in authorities waste, together with issues like ice-skating drag queens, a $12 Million Las Vegas pickleball advanced, $4,840,082 on Ukrainian influencers, and extra! Irrespective of how a lot cash the federal government has wasted, politicians maintain demanding much more,” Rand Paul stated.
“As at all times, taking the trail to fiscal accountability is usually a lonely journey, however I’ve been combating authorities waste like DOGE earlier than DOGE was cool. And I’ll proceed my struggle towards authorities waste this vacation season.
Right here’s the complete record of initiatives:
- Ghost Cities on the Authorities’s Dime: The federal authorities spent $10 billion on sustaining, leasing, and furnishing virtually totally empty buildings
- A Pandemic Plunder: A Florida man stole $8 million in COVID-19 Aid funds to purchase an island and extra
- Your Tax {Dollars} at Play: The Division of the Inside (DOI) spent $12 Million on a Las Vegas Pickleball Complicated
- Taxpayers Fund a Disinformation Index: The Division of State (DOS) wasted $330,000 to fund censorship of nonliberal and conservative media
- Snack Assault: The Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) awarded a $2 million grant to check children taking a look at Fb advertisements about meals
- Taxpayers {Dollars} Down the Drain in Nevis: The Division of State (DOS) spent $108,272 on a non-functioning lodge
- Direct File Fail: Congress spent $15 million to show the Inside Income Service (IRS) into an unconstitutional drive to organize, file, and audit your hard-earned cash
- Oh Rats! HHS Spends Practically Half a Million on a Miserable Examine of Lonely, Starved Rats: The Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) spent $419,470 to find out if lonely rats search cocaine very happy rats
- Maintain on to Your Steering Wheels: The Division of Power (DOE) spent $15.5 billion to push Individuals towards electrical autos they don’t need
- The Influencer Impact Hits Overseas Coverage: The Division of State (DOS) squandered $4,840,082 on influencers
- Cirque du Taxpayer: The Nationwide Endowment for the Arts (NEA) spent $365,000 to advertise circuses in metropolis parks
- Women Simply Wanna Have Funds: The Division of State (DOS) spent $3 Million for ‘Woman-Centered Local weather Motion’ in Brazil
- A State Division Manufacturing That includes Your Exhausting-Earned Cash: The Division of State (DOS) paid the Royal
- Movie Fee $873,584 for films in Jordan
- Goalposts and Grandstanding: The Division of State (DOS) spent $345,434 on soccer engagement to counter terrorism
- When Bailouts Go Bust: The USA Division of the Treasury (USDT) granted a failed trucking firm a $700 million pandemic-era mortgage
- Flocking Collectively! DEI Takes Flight: The Nationwide Science Basis (NSF) spent $288,563 to make sure hen watching teams have protected areas aka “Affinity Teams”
- Curiosity-ingly Wasteful: Individuals are paying $892 billion in fiscal yr 2024 on the curiosity on Uncle Sam’s Credit score Card
- Hashtag to Handouts in Ethiopia: The Division of State (DOS) spent $500,000 to broaden the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia’s #USInvestsInEthiopians social media marketing campaign to a bigger nationwide public relations marketing campaign
- Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, There Goes Your Tax {Dollars} Too! The federal authorities spent $7,026,689 on numerous magical initiatives
- As a result of Who Wants a Safe U.S. Border, Anyway? The Division of State (DOS) spent $2.1 million for Paraguayan Border Safety
- The Excessive Worth of Excessive Line Artwork: Since 2015 the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded $385,000 for artwork
shows on the Excessive Line - Cash to Manure: The Division of Agriculture (USDA) is spending $20 million on the Fertilize Proper Initiative to advance
fertilizer use in Pakistan, Vietnam, Colombia, and Brazil - Fauci Funded Feline COVID Experiments: The Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Ailments (NIAID) and U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) spent $2.24 million on COVID experiments
Going Viral for World Peace: The Division of State (DOS) is spending $123,066 to show Kyrgyzstan youth the way to go viral
Spinning Kittens for Science and Movement Illness: The Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) spent $1,513,299 on a research
of waste and cruelty - Cat-Stipated?: The Division of Protection (DOD) spent $10,851,439 on Orwellian cat experiments
- Extra Ducking Waste in Mexico: The Division of the Inside (DOI) spent $720,479 on wetland conservation initiatives for
geese in Mexico - Huge Chook Goes to Baghdad: The Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID) is spending $20 million on “Ahlan Simsim”
a brand new Sesame Avenue present in Iraq - Information We Want Was Faux: The Division of State (DOS) despatched $253,653 to Bosnia to struggle “misinformation”
- Abandon Ship: The Navy Sinks Billions on LCS Vessels: The U.S. Navy is about to waste virtually $90 billion on ineffective Navy vessels
- Dragging Tax {Dollars} onto Skinny Ice: The Nationwide Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded the Bearded Girls Cabaret a $10,000 grant to help a cabaret present on ice skates centered on local weather change
- Taxpayers Get Spun: The Division of State (DOS) allotted $32,596.12 for breakdancing
