This year’s Festivus Report details over $52 billion in wasteful spending, $52,598,515,585 to be exact. Here are the areas of waste he lists:...

https://www.paul.senate.gov/sites/default/files/page-attachments/Festivus%20Report%202021_0.pdf

• Foreign countries use our aircraft for free for 4 years (DOD)..……....…$773,000,000

... • US bought Afghanistan planes that were later thrown away (DOD)………$549,000,000

• US-constructed buildings in Afghanistan left sitting unused (DOD) …………$2,400,000,000

• COVID relief grant for NYC to display art projects across the city………………$25,000,000

• Ineligible and duplicate PPP loans (SBA)…………………………………….$4,290,000,000

• Improper CARES Act unemployment insurance payments…………………$36,000,000,000

• Constructing border walls in the Middle East and North Africa (DOD)………..$250,000,000

• Free trips for Korean kids to visit D.C. (USAID)…………………………………… $150,000

• Grinding up ferrets to develop COVID and flu vaccines………………..………..$4,500,000

• Tax Credit incentivizing CA residents to uninstall fireplaces………………….….$2,100,000

• Translating books into the Georgian language (State)…………………………. ……$182,741

• Teaching French people about US culture (State)…………………………………..$200,000

• Giving irrigation systems to Afghan farmers left unused (USAID)…………..… $88,000,000

• Developing a film about dinosaurs to inspire middle schoolers (NSF)………..…. $2,500,000

• Pigeons playing slot machines (NIH)………………………………………………..$465,339

• Telling people to not burn their trash (USAID)………………………..………..$11,300,000

• Funding Green Energy programs in Africa (State)………………………………$179,000,000

• DC Metro paid Lyft to subsidize riders……………………………..……………….$28,005

• Attempting to replace an assault vehicle over 2 decades (DOD)……………. $3,400,000,000

• Funding the Wilson Center to put on parties for Congressmen…………………$14,000,000

• Study verified that hearing bad news decreases happiness levels (NIA)……………$1,300,000

• Planting trees in New York City………………………………………..……….$400,000,000

• Government paid for students who didn’t actually attend those schools……….…$2,100,000

• Kids crave junk food and gain weight if they’re exposed to it (NIDDK)….…………$352,000

• Getting high schoolers excited about being airplane pilots (FAA)…………………$5,000,000

• Fattening eels for human consumption (FDA)……………………….………….…..$337,500

• Social Security overpayments to beneficiaries in the Fiscal Year 2019 (SSA)………$4,200,000,000