Sen. Rand Paul’s annual accounting outlines what he describes as a sweeping range of questionable federal expenditures during 2025, spanning health programs, foreign media projects, and experimental research.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Tuesday released the 2025 edition of his annual “Festivus” report, alleging that federal agencies were responsible for $1,639,135,969,608 in government waste over the past year, according to the newly published report.
Festivus 2025 Final by yourNEWS Media
Paul, who serves as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the findings demonstrate what he characterized as a recurring pattern of unchecked federal spending. In a public statement, Paul said that “no matter how much taxpayer money Washington burns through, politicians can’t help but demand more.” He added, “Fiscal responsibility may not be the most crowded road, but it’s one I’ve walked year after year — and this holiday season will be no different. So, before we get to the Feats of Strength, it’s time for my Airing of (Spending) Grievances.”
The 2025 report identifies a series of federal expenditures that Paul labeled as wasteful. Among them, the Department of Health and Human Services was cited for spending $1.5 million on an “innovative multilevel strategy” aimed at reducing drug use in “Latinx” communities through celebrity influencer campaigns. The report also states that HHS allocated $1.9 million for a “hybrid mobile phone family intervention” intended to reduce childhood obesity among Latino families in Los Angeles County.
In addition, the report says HHS spent more than $40 million on influencer-driven campaigns encouraging COVID-19 vaccination among racial and ethnic minority populations.
The State Department was cited for awarding $244,252 to Stand for Peace in Islamabad to produce a children’s television cartoon series focused on climate change. The report also alleges the department spent $1.5 million to promote American films, television programs, and video games abroad.
Paul’s report further details spending by the Department of Veterans Affairs, stating that more than $1,079,360 was used for a study involving teenage ferrets and binge drinking. The National Science Foundation was also cited for spending $497,200 on a “Video Game Challenge” for children, while the NSF and other agencies collectively spent $14,643,280 on research that involved monkeys playing a video game modeled after “The Price Is Right,” according to the report.
The senator’s 2024 “Festivus” report similarly highlighted federal spending items he described as excessive, including a Las Vegas pickleball complex and a cabaret-style ice show, continuing what Paul has framed as an annual review of government expenditures.
The release of the 2025 report comes as the Trump administration continues efforts to reduce federal spending and shrink the size of the federal workforce. Those reductions have lowered the number of federal employees to the smallest level in more than a decade, according to recent economic data cited in a report.
The report takes its name from Festivus, a fictional holiday popularized by a 1997 episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld,” which features traditions such as the “airing of grievances,” a theme Paul has adopted to present his annual critique of federal spending.
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