The 2024 Festivus Report is Ugly

Written by David E. Smith

If you are not familiar with the annual “Festivus Report,” by U.S. Senator, Dr. Rand Paul (R-KY), and are concerned with out-of-control government spending, you will want to read this short summary.

The “Festivus Report” is a mind-blowing critique of irresponsible (if not reckless) federal government spending. The 2024 report highlights $1,008,313,329,626.12 (that’s over $1 trillion) in government waste, detailing the ways our taxpayer dollars were used unnecessarily and/or frivolously. Here are some key points from the report:

• Government Waste: The report lists numerous examples, including funding for “ice-skating drag queens,” a $12 million Las Vegas pickleball complex, and $4.8 million spent on Ukrainian influencers. Other notable expenditures include $15 million for new furniture in empty federal offices and $873,000 for filmmaking in Jordan. Plus,

—The New York Post reports “One of the most mindboggling spending line items involved the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, which spent $419,470 on a New York University study to “determine if lonely rats seek cocaine more than happy rats.”

—In the same Post article, they also report that “Since January 2022, Dr. [Anthony] Fauci’s NIAID and the USDA have given Cornell University $2.24 million to study whether felines can contract and transmit COVID-19 … Not only is this a waste of over a million in taxpayer dollars, but the experiments have led to the suffering and death of over thirty cats…”

—A Washington Examiner article reports that U.S. Senator Paul “found that the government spent taxpayer funds studying multiple government projects involving magic. Part of this “magical” spending included over $6 million from the Department of Defense on a “Magic City Discovery Center.” Other projects included $250,000 in funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services to modernize its “Magic Lantern Shows and Nickelodeons” exhibition. Other acts of astonishment included giving $94,006 to the National Science Foundation to study The Magic School Bus and $388,863 to assess and analyze the podcast Magic in the United States.”

• Unnecessary and/or Foolish Spending: Other questionable (or laughable) expenditures include:

—$15.5 billion to push Americans toward electric vehicles they do not want (Department of Energy)

—$3 million to watch hamsters on steroids fight (National Institutes of Health)

—$2.5 million on Super Bowl Ads (U.S. Census Bureau)

—$2 million to study kids looking at Facebook ads about food (Department of Health and Human Services)

—$689,222 to study romance between parrots (Department of Health and Human Services)

—$385,00 for art displays on the High Line in New York (National Endowment for the Arts)

—$365,00 to promote circuses in city parks (National Endowment for the Arts)

—$330,00 to fund censorship of non-liberal and conservative media (Department of State)

—$187,500 to verify that kids love their pets (National Institutes of Health)

—$32,596 for breakdancing (Department of State)

• International and Domestic Funding: The State Department was called out for spending on various international projects, including $3 million for “Girl-Centered Climate Action” in Brazil and $2.1 million for Paraguayan Border Security. Domestically, there were criticisms over expenditures like $3.8 million for studying “misinformation” in black and rural communities.

• Criticism of Policy and Administration: Paul specifically criticized the Biden-Harris administration for these spending choices, arguing that such allocations occur while American taxpayers face high living costs and interest rates. He also pointed out systemic issues like spending on underutilized office buildings, suggesting that this reflects broader mismanagement of public funds.

• Previous Reports: Earlier reports had similar themes, with 2023’s report highlighting around $900 billion in waste, including bizarre studies like Russian cats on treadmills and payments to deceased individuals. The 2022 report focused on $482 billion, with examples like funding for hamster fights and incorrect payments during the Paycheck Protection Program.

“No matter where one stands on the debate over government spending, we should all be able to agree that Congress needs to handle Americans’ money thoughtfully and hit its deadlines…” 

We are thankful for this effort to better inform and alert citizens to how their federal government are misusing our hard-earned tax dollars. The solution to these fiscal failures, like all government problems, is a biblically informed and assertive citizenry.

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;
and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
~Luke 16:10~

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