Calling out Congress for refusing to make difficult choices on the federal spending, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) again issued a list of government programs that he says clearly demonstrates why the budget deficit keeps going up for Uncle Sam.
"The truth is we would much rather borrow money than cut spending," said Coburn at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol.
The page has 132 pages of details on spending that Coburn believes is questionable - backed up by almost a thousand footnotes from government reports and news stories.
"The Department of Interior was counting sheep with high-tech unmanned aerial drones after delaying the opening of some national landmarks and closing others early," the report said on its opening page.
Coburn tallied up nearly $30 billion in possible savings.
"When it comes to spending your money, those in Washington tend to see no waste, speak no waste, and cut no waste," he added.
Other examples in the report:
+ More than 100,000 non-essential federal employees being paid a salary of at least $100,000 were furloughed as non-essential.
+ The Army National Guard spent $10 million on Superman movie tie-ins while plans were being made to cut the strength of the Guard by 8,000 soldiers.
+ NASA spent $3 million on an annual "Congressional Operations Seminar on Capitol Hill."
+ The Agriculture Department spent over $415,000 to market U.S. wines in China.
+ The State Department spent $704,198 on "gardening and landscaping services" at the home of the NATO Ambassador in Brussels, Belgium.
+ The State Department spent $630,000 to generate Facebook "likes."
You can see the entire "Wastebook" from Sen. Coburn on his Senate website.
