Dec. 23, affectionately known as “Festivus,” is a secular celebration that started in the 1960s, but was made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld in the 1990s. It was originally created as a societal counter to the commercialism associated with the Christmas season.
Rand Paul has hijacked it to point our his grievances with government (aka tax payers’ dollars) spending. This year he’s highlighting a whopping $1,008,313,329,626.12. That’s over $1 trillion in government waste, including things like ice-skating drag queens, a $12 Million Las Vegas pickleball complex, $4,840,082 on Ukrainian influencers, and more! No matter how much money the government has wasted, politicians keep demanding even more.
“Last Festivus, we bemoaned the national debt nearing $34 trillion. In just a year, Washington’s career politicians and bureaucrats have managed to push it beyond $36 trillion—unsurprisingly, with hardly a second thought,” Paul wrote in his introduction for ‘The Festivus Report 2024.’ “Who’s to blame for our crushing national debt? Everybody.
This year, members of both political parties in Congress voted for massive spending bills, filled with subsidies for underperforming industries, continued military aid to Ukraine, and controversial climate initiatives. As Congress spends to reward its favored pet projects, the American taxpayers are forced to pay through high prices and crippling interest rates.”