The National Institutes of Health spent $170,000 over three years researching the hookah smoking habits of Jordanians.
The government wasted $115.3 billion in improper payments, paying money either to the wrong person, in the wrong amount, or for the wrong reason.
William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
Source: Heritage Foundation
Amtrak lost $84.5 million having food and beverage services, a total of $833.8 million in 10 years. It has never broken a profit on serving food.
AP
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Conservation Reserve Program of the Department of Agriculture pays farmers $2.1 billion every year not to farm in order to reduce soil erosion.
Source: Heritage Foundation
The State Department's Diplomatic Culinary Partnership program pays for 80 chefs to prepare food for visiting officials and engage in American "culinary diplomacy."
Flickr via edinthekitchen
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Department of Agriculture spent $2 million on an intern program for the Office of the Chief Information officer. One intern was hired.
UGA College of Ag/Flickr
Source: Heritage Foundation
The government spent $1.7 billion maintaining 77,700 unused buildings.
Fairview Park
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Rural Business Enterprise Program gave a dairy farm $55,660 to package its butter in smaller containers.
BI
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Government Accountability Office found 34 areas where federal agencies have overlapping goals or duplicative services, costing billions annually
Source: Heritage Foundation
There are 80 economic development programs operating out of four different agencies alone. Many of these programs have overlapping or competing missions
Wayne National Forest / flickr
Source: Heritage Foundation
Within the Department of Transportation are over 100 economic development programs in five agencies in the Department of Transportation alone
Wikimedia Commons
Source: Heritage Foundation
Seven different agencies have more than 20 different programs addressing homelessness
Robert Johnson — Business Insider
Source: Heritage Foundation
There are 44 different employment and training programs, run variously through the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Source: Heritage Foundation
... and there are 82 programs on teacher quality between the Departments of Defense, Education, Energy ans well as NASA and the National Science Foundation.
The Department of Justice spent $121 million hosting or participating in 1,832 conferences in one year.
Stanley Chou/Getty
Source: Heritage Foundation
Beef Wellington made the hors d'oeuvres menu at one, costing $7.32 per serving
Source: Heritage Foundation
The most expensive DOJ conference was in Istanbul and cost $1.18 million.
The General Services Administration, which manages federal buildings, held a $822,751 conference in Vegas to the tune of $2,500 per employee
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $6.1 million on two training conferences in Orlando, with $50,000 going to a video boosting Human Resources
YouTube
Source: Heritage Foundation
Fifteen different federal agencies are overseeing 30 food safety laws
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Navy bought 450,000 gallons of biofuel at $27 per gallon
Source: Heritage Foundation
The IRS stores unused furniture at a warehouse for $862,000 annually.
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Department of Energy cannot locate $500,000 worth of green energy manufacturing equipment
oregondot via Flickr
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Bureau of Indian Affairs funded a fish hatchery that did not hatch a single fish for fourteen years.
Wikimedia Commons
Source: Heritage Foundation
After encouraging Americans to do a "Meatless Monday" for health purposes, the Department of Agriculture later purchased $170 million worth of meat from drought-stricken farmers.
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Department of Labor spent $495,000 on commercials promoting an initiative for green jobs
The White House
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $221,540 on an 11 day conference at a resort.
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Departments of Agriculture and Energy gave a $76 million grant for a wood-to-ethanol plant. It closed within a year without producing any ethanol.
Wikimedia Commons
Source: Heritage Foundation
A $25,000 grant was used to translate a Maldivian love ballad
Getty Images
Source: Heritage Foundation
The National Institutes of Health spent $170,000 over three years researching the hookah smoking habits of Jordanians.
Christopher Furlong / Getty
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Department of Agriculture spends $200 million annually advertising U.S. food in other countries...
Source: Heritage Foundation
...they recently funded an Indian reality show that advertised U.S. cotton.
Source: Heritage Foundation
The EPA spent $141,450 funding a Chinese study on swine manure.
Wikimedia Commons
Source: Heritage Foundation
The EPA also gave the United Nations $1.2 million to promote clean fuel
Wikimedia Commons
Source: Heritage Foundation
The Government Accountability office found that people who double-dip from unemployment insurance and disability benefits cost the U.S. $850 million annually.
The top 20 percent of farm subsidy recipients received 80 percent of all premium subsidies.
White House via Flickr
Source: Heritage Foundation
26 farm businesses each collected more than $1 million in subsidies.
Source: Heritage Foundation
The government lost $528 million on an investment in Solyndra...
AP
Source: Heritage Foundation
...$46.5 million on Beacon Power...
Source: Heritage Foundation
...and $73.1 million on Abound Solar.
Solon Corp.
Source: Heritage Foundation