Home Press Room Press Releases

Press Room

Oct 09 2012

WASTEBOOK 2012

COMING: Tuesday October 16, 2012

Washington is set to spend at least $3.6 trillion this year while running a $1.3 trillion deficit. The waste is overflowing and it’s time to take out the trash.

This coming Tuesday, October 16, we’ll be releasing our annual Wastebook 2012 edition.

For the past three years, Dr. Coburn has highlighted some of the year’s most wasteful government spending projects. In 2011, we found over billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars were squandered on a $700,000 grant to study cow burps, robot dragons, and more bridges to nowhere – to name a few. In 2010, the Wastebook highlighted more than $200,000 went to research studying why political candidates make vague statements, $5.2 million was awarded to the Sin City to build the “Neon Boneyard Park and Museum," a park dedicated to displaying neon signs.

What did we find for 2012? Follow Dr. Coburn on Twitter and Facebook this week where we’ll preview what we found.

Check out a complete list of Dr. Coburn's oversight reports, here.

Bookmark and Share


Date Title
12/16/14 Dr. Coburn on Tax Extenders: Washington’s Christmas Tree For Special Interests
12/16/14 Dr. Coburn's Statement on Protecting Veterans and Taxpayers
12/16/14 Senators Baldwin and Coburn Applaud Commitment to Enhance Access to HIV Drugs in Developing Countries
12/16/14 Coburn Introduces Bill to Protect and Strengthen the Social Security Disability Insurance Program
12/9/14 Coburn Releases Report Decoding the Tax Code
Date Title
11/18/14 Reps. Issa, Gingrey, and Sen. Coburn: GAO Study Finds Government’s Data Quality for Official Time is Unreliable
11/10/14 Value of Terrorism Prevention Centers Remains Unproven
Date Title
10/30/14 Wastebook 2014 Videos
10/29/14 Coburn “Concerned” With White House Reaction to Cyber Breach
10/22/14 Wastebook 2014: What Washington doesn't want you to read.
10/1/14 New Report Details Millions Spent on Unnecessary Transport of Surplus Vehicles From Afghanistan
Date Title
9/26/14 GAO: Federal Government Underreports Data Center Cost Savings by Billions
9/23/14 Statement by Senator Tom Coburn on the Recent Washington Post Story about the Department of Homeland Security
9/22/14 GAO: Long-term Viability of DHS Consolidation in Question
9/22/14 Bipartisan Bill to Consolidate Federal IT Infrastructure, Save Up to $3 Billion Passes Senate
9/19/14 Senate Approves Carper, Coburn Legislation to Curb Improper Payments to Deceased Individuals
9/19/14 Bipartisan Legislation Would Require State Representation on Federal Banking Board
9/9/14 Reducing Insurance Subsidies for Wealthy Farmers Could Save Hundreds of Millions Annually
Date Title
8/29/14 New Health Benefit For Temporary Federal Employees May Violate Federal Law
8/28/14 Oklahoma Delegation Responds to Obama Administration’s Failure to Grant ESEA Extension
8/13/14 GAO Report Confirms Need for Additional Oversight of Medicare Claims Reviews
8/12/14 Over 600 Illegal Immigrants with Prior Criminal Convictions Released into the U.S.
8/10/14 Big Banks Claim Millions of Dollars in Tax Credits Intended For Poor Communities
8/8/14 Members Call on OMB Director to Address Concerns of Inspectors General
8/4/14 GAO: $619 Billion in Government Spending Never Disclosed on Transparency Website