Rand Paul’s 2024 Festivus Report Unveils Over $1 Trillion in Shocking Government Waste

Senator Rand Paul’s annual Festivus Report has once again put the spotlight on rampant government waste, highlighting over $1 trillion in questionable spending. From funding ice-skating drag queens to subsidizing Sesame Street in Iraq, the report lays bare the absurdities of federal expenditures.

“This year, I am highlighting a whopping $1,008,313,329,626.12 in waste,” Paul announced. “No matter how much money the government wastes, politicians keep demanding even more.” Here’s a breakdown of the projects that made the list:

Complete List of Projects

1. Ghost Towns on the Government’s Dime: $10 billion spent maintaining, leasing, and furnishing empty buildings.
2. A Pandemic Plunder: $8 million stolen in pandemic relief funds by a Florida man to buy an island.
3. Pickleball Complex: $12 million spent on a Las Vegas pickleball complex.
4. Disinformation Index: $330,000 spent on censoring conservative media.
5. Snack Attack: $2 million to study children looking at Facebook food ads.
6. Non-Functioning Hotel: $108,272 spent on a failed hotel in Nevis.
7. Direct File Fail: $15 million to expand the IRS’s unconstitutional role in tax filing.
8. Oh Rats!: $419,470 on a study of lonely, starved rats seeking cocаinе.
9. Electric Vehicle Push: $15.5 billion promoting EVs Americans don’t want.
10. Ukrainian Influencers: $4,840,082 to fund social media influencers abroad.
11. Circus Promotion: $365,000 for circuses in city parks.
12. Girl-Centered Climate Action in Brazil: $3 million spent in Brazil.
13. Movies in Jordan: $873,584 to the Royal Film Commission for films in Jordan.
14. Football to Fight Tеrrorism: $345,434 for a football program aimed at countering tеrrorism.
15. Failed Trucking Loan: $700 million in pandemic aid to a failed trucking company.
16. Bird Watching Safe Spaces: $288,563 for bird-watching “Affinity Groups.”
17. Interest Payments: $892 billion on federal debt interest.
18. Ethiopian PR Campaign: $500,000 for U.S. Embassy PR expansion in Ethiopia.
19. Magic Spending: $7,026,689 on “magical” government projects.
20. Paraguayan Border Security: $2.1 million for Paraguay’s border protection.
21. High Line Art: $385,000 for NYC art projects.
22. Fertilizer Abroad: $20 million for fertilizer programs in four countries.
23. Feline C0VID Experiments: $2.24 million studying C0VID in cats.
24. Kyrgyzstan Viral Videos: $123,066 to teach Kyrgyz youth how to go viral.
25. Spinning Kittens: $1,513,299 for kitten-related motion sickness research.
26. Orwellian Cat Experiments: $10,851,439 for bizarre cat experiments.
27. Ducks in Mexico: $720,479 on duck conservation in Mexico.
28. Sesame Street in Iraq: $20 million on a Sesame Street spin-off called “Ahlan Simsim.”
29. Fighting Misinformation in Bosnia: $253,653 allocated to combat misinformation.
30. Ineffective Navy Vessels: $90 billion wasted on Navy ships.
31. Ice-Skating Drag Show: $10,000 for a drag queen cabaret show on ice skates.
32. Breakdancing Tax Dollars: $32,596.12 allocated to fund breakdancing programs.

Paul’s Festivus Report highlights the staggering disconnect between taxpayer priorities and government spending, calling for urgent reforms. With over $1 trillion wasted, it’s no wonder Americans are demanding fiscal responsibility this holiday season.