Morning Note

Rand Paul released his annual “Festivus Report” on Monday, highlighting the past year’s most egregious examples of government waste.

Many of the expenditures are mind-numbing. According to the report, Washington spent nearly $300,000 to create “affinity groups’’ among bird-watchers based on “who they are and how they identify,’’ over $400,000 to “determine if lonely rats seek cocaine more than happy rats,” $3 million to encourage Brazilian girls to become “climate leaders,” $12 million on a Las Vegas pickleball complex, and $20 million on “Sesame Street” in Iraq. 

Paul is vowing to work with Donald Trump to stop this over-the-top profligacy. Such reforms are badly needed. Despite having the world’s largest GDP, the United States is suffering from education, homelessness, crime, border, and debt crises. The American people’s tax dollars should be used to address those issues, not find out if depressed rats like the blow.

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