Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has issued a report exposing more than $1 trillion in government waste accumulated over the past year. The 2024 “Festivus” report, marking Paul’s tenth annual compilation, includes examples of excessive federal spending such as a pickleball complex in Las Vegas and a climate change-focused cabaret show on ice.
Among the highlighted expenses are $12 million spent by the Department of the Interior on a Las Vegas Pickleball Complex and $720,479 for Mexican wetland conservation projects. The State Department, meanwhile, dedicated $500,000 to extend a social media campaign in Ethiopia dubbed #USInvestsInEthiopians.
Other examples of unnecessary spending include the National Endowment for the Arts funding a $10,000 grant for a climate-themed cabaret show and allocating $365,000 to promote circuses in city parks. Furthermore, the State Department committed $253,653 to combat misinformation in Bosnia and provided millions for border security in Paraguay and “girl-centered climate action” in Brazil.
The report resonates amid rising inflation rates and elevated consumer prices under President Joe Biden’s administration. The national debt currently stands at $36.16 trillion, further underscoring the need for government fiscal responsibility. It comes as President-elect Donald Trump announces Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk as co-chairs of a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at curbing wasteful spending.