Government Spending Spree Comes in Wake of Impending Shutdown

 

While Congress is working overtime to spent billions of dollars to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, federal agencies are on a freewheeling spending spree to burn through all of their money before the fiscal year ends Monday night.

The Washington Post reports that the Veterans Affairs Department spent more than a half million dollars for artwork, the Coast Guard spent nearly $200,000 on "cubicle furniture rehab," and the Agriculture Department spent $140,000 on toner cartridges in just one day.

The spending spree was prompted by fears that if an agency ends the fiscal year with money left in the bank, Congress might cut their funding in future years.

The outrageous expenses are not unusual, and are the subject of an ongoing congressional investigation.

In 2010, the Internal Revenue Service spent millions of dollars left over in an account to hire new personnel on an extravagant Las Vegas conference where the controversial "Star Trek" parody video featuring federal employees premiered.

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