{"id":2058056,"date":"2023-10-06T14:26:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T18:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-government-spent-3-3-billion-on-office-furniture-during-pandemic-shutdown-watchdog\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T14:31:29","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T18:31:29","slug":"federal-government-spent-3-3-billion-on-office-furniture-during-pandemic-shutdown-watchdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-government-spent-3-3-billion-on-office-furniture-during-pandemic-shutdown-watchdog\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog: Federal Government spent $3.3B on office furniture during pandemic shutdown."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffederal-government-spent-3-3-billion-on-office-furniture-during-pandemic-shutdown-watchdog%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2058056&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Outrageous Government \u200bSpending on Office \u2064Furniture During the Pandemic Years<\/h2>\n<p>Each year in Washington, D.C., watchdog organizations\u2062 pore through congressional spending to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-government-spent-3-3-billion-on-office-furniture-during-pandemic-shutdown-watchdog\/\" title=\"Watchdog: Federal Government spent .3B on office furniture during pandemic shutdown.\">find outrageous \u2064budget\u2062 appropriations tacked<\/a> onto funding \u2062bills, called earmarks, which funnel money to a politician\u2019s home district. Famous examples \u200dinclude $220 million to Alaska\u2019s \u201cBridge to Nowhere\u201d and $500,000 for a teapot museum in Sparta, North Carolina. This year, the watchdogs are pointing to billions spent on office furniture during the pandemic years.<\/p>\n<p>According to\u200c fiscal watchdog \u200dorganization Open \u200dthe Books, the Centers for Disease Control, \u200bamid giving\u2064 out direction\u200b on COVID-19 protocols, found a\u2063 way to win taxpayer \u2064money \u2064to spend\u2062 $237,960 on solar-powered picnic\u2063 tables. At the same time, the State Department found $120,000 to buy Ethan Allen recliners for its embassy\u200d in Islamabad. All told, while small \u200bbusinesses \u2062were being\u2062 shut \u2063down and \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-the-media-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-2020s-record-murder-spike\/\" title=\"What The Media Doesn\u2019t Want You To Know About 2020\u2019s Record Murder Spike\">people lost jobs<\/a> during the pandemic years of 2020\u201322, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-government-rakes-in-record-2-1-trillion-in-tax-collections-through-march\/\" title=\"Federal Government Rakes in Record .1 Trillion in Tax Collections Through March\">federal government spent <\/a>.3 billion on office furniture.<\/p>\n<p>Preston Brashers, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-education-lesson-from-covid-lockdowns-school-choice-is-imperative-for-every-child\/\" title=\"The Education Lesson from COVID Lockdowns: School Choice Is Imperative for Every Child\">senior policy analyst<\/a> for tax policy at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., \u200bsays COVID spending \u2062was\u200b not only got out of control but \u2064also helped put us in the\u200d deficit mess the federal \u200bgovernment finds itself in now. \u201cWe\u200c had $23.4 trillion in debt as of March\u2063 2020. We\u2019ve added more \u2064than $10 trillion\u200c since then, which is \u200dinsane,\u201d he told The Epoch Times. \u201cThe same thing happened in \u2064the\u2064 2008 recession and economic crisis. Once \u200dthose \u200dnumbers are baked \u200binto the system, they\u2019re there to stay.\u200d It\u2019s concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some other outrageous furniture spending\u200d highlighted in \u2064the Open\u2064 the Books\u2063 report included $26 million spent on federal government conference rooms\u2014while meetings\u2062 were\u2064 held \u2062remotely on \u200cZoom. The Securities and Exchange Commission spent $700,000\u2062 on its New\u2062 York \u200dregional conference room alone.<\/p>\n<h3>The Problem with Earmarks and Government \u200bSpending<\/h3>\n<p>The overall problem, according to\u200d Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz, is that the government has never learned to live without earmarks, and few have ever spoken out about ending the practice. He pointed to one congressman\u2064 who this year received disproportionate\u200d funding for \u2062his state, all because of\u200c his\u2062 committee assignment.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThis year, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann received more \u200dmoney than \u200banyone in \u2062the House, $273.3 million. We named him Porker of the Month for August. A\u2064 lot of that went to\u2063 a water\u2062 project for his district. That despite the\u200c fact that in 2014, the \u200cHouse passed \u200ba water development resources act which in\u2063 its authorization piece said \u2064there would be no earmarks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to the CAGW, \u2064Congressman Fleischmann,\u200b a\u200d conservative Republican from Tennessee, and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, received almost 90 percent more in earmarks for fiscal year 2024 than the second-highest member of the House of Representatives. The watchdog nonprofit said legislators are well on\u200d their way to breaking the all-time record of $29 billion in earmarks set \u200din fiscal year 2006.<\/p>\n<p>The organization has also released this week, what it refers to as &#8220;Prime Cuts,&#8221; or recommendations for reduced spending in Washington it claims would save $402.3 billion \u2064in the first year \u200cand $4 trillion over five years. Those cuts include reducing improper\u2064 Medicare payments by 50 percent ($23.4 billion over five \u2064years), eliminating Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs) ($16.5 billion over five years) and funding for the F-35 Joint Strike\u2064 Fighter ($2.9 billion over five years), something Mr. Schatz claims even the \u2064U.S. Air Force doesn\u2019t want.<\/p>\n<p>He says, unfortunately, earmarks are \u200cpart \u2062of\u2062 doing \u2064business \u2062in Washington, especially in \u200belection years.\u2062 \u201cThe ticket to getting elected is to spend money, create a new program, create something that isn\u2019t necessary or even\u200b duplicative. Each member sits on a committee that \u200bhas its own set\u200b of spending\u2064 programs and they only focus on what they\u2019re doing specifically and if something isn\u2019t working, the answer is to spend\u200d more money, which is not the\u200b way the\u2063 rest of\u2063 the world operates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Preston agrees that earmarks are\u2062 just part of doing\u200c business in Washington, and any effort to change the practice should come from the White\u2063 House. \u201cIt always comes down to incentives, and part of the problem is that this is how things get done in \u200dWashington. But\u200b I guess if you had a president\u200b who came out strongly against the practice, that would go \u200ba \u200blong way toward mitigating it. Especially now with \u2063the deficit. It\u2019s insane\u2062 how things have begun to spiral.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The last president to take a stand against earmarks was\u200b Ronald\u200b Reagan, who in 1987 vetoed a highway bill because there were 152 earmarks attached to \u200bit. <b>\u201c<\/b>The solution is really more people demanding their money be spent more effectively,\u201d Mr. Schatz \u2062said. \u201cThey did balance the budget in 1995\u200c with Clinton.\u200b It can be done. \u200cBut it requires a White House and a Congress to make those\u200d changes. It takes someone like Reagan who created the Grace Commission.\u201d He added that only one candidate for\u200b president this year has brought up earmarks and that was \u2063Nikki Haley.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why did \u2064the federal government spend $3.3 billion on office furniture \u2062during the pandemic years?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Uld save \u2063taxpayers billions of dollars. Among \u200cthe areas highlighted for cuts is government spending on office furniture.\u2063 CAGW \u200bargues that during the \u200dpandemic years, when small businesses were struggling and people were losing their jobs, it is outrageous that the federal government spent $3.3 billion on office furniture.<\/p>\n<p>While some may \u200bargue\u2063 that office furniture\u200c is necessary for government operations, it is important to question the need for such excessive spending during critical times. The examples provided by Open the Books, such as the\u200b CDC&#8217;s purchase of\u200b solar-powered picnic tables and the State Department&#8217;s purchase of \u200drecliners for its embassy, raise concerns about the prioritization of taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n<p>Preston Brashers from \u200cthe Heritage Foundation \u2063warns that this kind of spending not \u200conly contributes to the\u200d federal deficit but also sets \u2062a dangerous precedent. \u2062Once \u2062these inflated numbers become part \u2062of \u2062the system, they become difficult to reverse, further <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mtg-says-no-one-wants-the-green-new-deal-amid-government-funding-concerns\/\" title=\"MTG claims public disinterest in Green New Deal amidst funding worries.\">burdening future generations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to \u2063the excessive\u2063 spending on\u2063 office furniture, the \u200dOpen the\u200d Books report also highlights wasteful spending on federal government conference \u2064rooms. With the majority of\u2064 meetings being held remotely during the pandemic, spending $26 \u2063million on conference rooms seems unnecessary and wasteful.<\/p>\n<p>The overall problem lies\u200b in the persistence of earmarks and the lack of accountability when it comes to government spending. Tom Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste, \u2063notes that the government has never learned to \u2063live without earmarks. This practice allows politicians to direct funds to their \u200bhome \u200cdistricts, often for projects that may not be essential or directly related to the well-being of the country.<\/p>\n<p>Congressman Chuck Fleischmann&#8217;s case serves as an example of \u2062the misuse of earmarks. Despite the prohibition on earmarks, he\u2062 received a significant amount of funding for a water project in his district. This kind of behavior undermines\u200c the integrity of \u2062the system and raises questions about fairness and transparency in government\u2062 spending.<\/p>\n<p>As concerned citizens, it is our responsibility to question and demand accountability for government spending. The examples presented in the\u200d Open the Books report demonstrate the urgent need for reform\u200b and a more responsible approach to\u2064 budget appropriations. We must pressure our elected \u200cofficials\u2063 to prioritize taxpayer dollars and ensure that spending is directed towards essential programs and services, especially\u2062 during times of crisis.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the outrageous government spending on office furniture during the pandemic years raises serious concerns \u2063about prioritization and accountability. It is crucial for watchdog organizations, citizens, and lawmakers to work together to advocate for responsible spending practices and put an end to wasteful earmarks. Only through these efforts can we \u2063ensure a more\u200b efficient\u2064 and transparent government that truly serves the needs and interests of\u2062 the American people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Washington, D.C., watchdog groups annually scrutinize congressional spending for excessive budget allocations known as earmarks. These funds are directed towards projects in a politician&#8217;s district, such as Alaska&#8217;s infamous $220 million &#8220;Bridge to Nowhere&#8221; and a teapot museum in Sparta, North Carolina that received $500,000. This year, the watchdogs continue their diligent oversight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2335,"featured_media":2058057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2058056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2058056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2335"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2058056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2058056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2058057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2058056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2058056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2058056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}