Here are some of the highlights of the report:
$80 Million Iron Man Suit for Soldiers That Might Not Work
The DoD is pouring millions into a wearable weapon it calls the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) otherwise known as the Iron Man suit. It has a budget so far of $80 million in order to create a suit of armor that soldiers can wear while also being able to carry hundreds of pounds of gear Some scientists are already skeptical and say soldiers would never be able to move around in the heavy armorlet alone carry anything else. Though its in its beginning stages, some estimate it could run way over budget, without ever achieving any results
other than looking cool.
$19 Million for Federal Administrative LeaveFederal workers accused of wrongdoing or misconduct were placed on paid leave for sometimes monthseven years at a time, while auditors investigated their cases. Some, including one EPA employee who was caught watching massive amounts of porn at work, are still on leave and currently collecting a federal paycheck.
$1 Billion Pentagon spends a billion destroying $16 billion of ammo
DoD purchased $16 billion worth of ammunition that it didnt actually need, according to a Government Accountability Office investigation that found much of the ammo became obsolete, unusable or their use is banned by international treaty. GAO also found that the Pentagons record keeping for the ammo was also in poor shape and the agency couldnt determine which ammo it could still use. Regardless, it now has no choice but to destroy it and the amount of surplus ammo is so large that, according to Coburns report, will equal the full year salary for over 54,000 Army privates.
$124.3 Million to Embattled Security Clearance Contractor The United States paid $124.3 million this year to the contractor that provided security clearances for Edward Snowden and Aaron Alexis, USIS. The embattled contractor has been mired in controversy after the Department of Justice last spring accused it of submitting more than 665,000 fake background investigations. As a result they may have allowed thousands of ineligible people to obtain security clearance within the federal government. The DOJ alleges that the company intentionally dumped or submitted incomplete cases to the Office of Personnel Management in order to meet its performance goals.
$9 Million DoD pays 16 times the actual price of helicopter parts
The federal government has a history of overpaying for thingsespecially within the Department of Defense. This time, DoD paid more than $8,000 a piece on helicopter parts that actually cost $500. In total, the report said, Bell Helicopter of Textron, Inc., received $9 million in excess payments from the DoD for 33 of 35 replacement spare parts.
$100,000 for Coast Guard to Be a Private Lifeguard to the Rich:
Though the U.S. Coast Guard has been slapped with budget cuts and had to manage its resources, its sometimes being used to provide free patrols in some of the countrys most exclusive real estate to prevent people from crashing private parties, the report said. In one instance, two orange boats carrying nine armed Coast Guard service members were stationed in Long Island Sound to keep other boaters away from a barge launching celebratory fireworks for a wedding party on Glen Island. Unlike police agencies that provide security support for private events on land, the Coast Guard does not seek reimbursement, leaving the bill to taxpayers, the report said.
$1.9 Million Useless Sheep Station
Despite the U.S. Department of Agricultures efforts to shut down the Idaho-based U.S. Sheep Experiment Station (which is apparently where 3,000 sheep are sheltered and observed), a handful of members of Congress have fought to keep it open and operating at a cost of $2 million a year. According to its mission statement, the Sheep Stations aim is to increase USDA has repeatedly said that it is no longer needed, but Idaho Congressman have relentlessly battled to keep it open.
$18 Million for a Grammy Museum in Mississippi
State and federal taxpayers are on the hook for covering the 20,000 square foot Grammys Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi, which will be the most technologically advanced music-themed museum in the world, according to the report. The Grammy Museum Mississippi will help the rest of the world recognize Mississippis contribution to American music culture, according to Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the Grammy Museum at L.A.
$37,663 FEMA Rebuilds Golf Course Instead of Helping Flood Victims
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is consistently under scrutiny for the way it delivers aid to storm victims. And now, the Coburn report says the agency overlooked helping flood victims in Austin, Texas, while helping foot the bill to rebuild a public golf course. According to the report, after a deadly flood devastated Central Texas, Governor Rick Perry requested federal assistance. FEMA, however, denied the states request to provide funds to individuals directly and instead approved the states request for funds to rebuild damaged infrastructure which included a public golf course. According to the report, since 1999, FEMA has spent more than $18 million rebuilding public golf courses damaged by storms.
$1.5 Million SBA Gives Disneys Polynesian Resort gets a Million-Dollar Makeover
Through the Small Business Administrations Surety Bond Guarantee Program, Disneys Polynesian Resort received $455,684 in guarantees from the government for a construction company to build a skylight system in one of the resorts buildings. It also received nearly $1 million for other rehab work around the resort, where rooms cost a minimum of $429 per night, the report said.
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Coburn
