Maybe it’s just me, but golly gee willikers, Wally, there seem to be an awful lot of “I told you so” moments these days. Ever since that darn Eddie Haskell got elected to the Senate, you never know what’s going to come up. Setting aside for the moment the latest developments in Bidengate, let’s take a look at another issue that everyone pretty much knew was an elephant in the room. Or should I say donkey? There are probably plenty of both to go around.
Those of us who were not indoctrinated to the glories of big government understood that when DOGE began turning over rocks, howls were not raised, and retirees were not urged to tie up their ponytails and take to the streets with placards in hand to preserve the important and efficient work done in D.C. and the various federal offices. The threat was not to the American people, but to the people who enjoyed all sorts of goodies at the expense of the American people.
On Friday, Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, along with Sen. Joni Ernst, sent a letter to U.S. Comptroller Gene Dodaro. They have some questions about credit card charges, and we aren’t talking about someone buying a Slurpee and a burrito at a 7-ELEVEN on their way home from a training. The letter cites a DOGE audit showing that the government has 4.6 million active credit cards and charge accounts. 4.6 million with an “m.” Last fiscal year, those accounts totalled $40 billion with a “b.” Comer and Ernst also take issue with the fact that government agencies do not use any “modern tools” to safeguard against waste and fraud, and that none of the Department of Defense officials who are tasked with keeping an eye on such spending could come up with examples of how they monitored credit card use. Of note:
This lack of oversight is further underscored by a recent DoD Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) report, which found 7,805 transactions at “known high-risk merchants,” including casino ATMs and mobile application stores. The report also found 3,246 purchases made at “Bars, Lounges, Discos, Nightclubs, and Taverns- Alcoholic Drinks merchants” during holidays or major sporting events. We are skeptical these charges were for legitimate purposes or in service of the DoD’s mission for which the cards were issued. (sic)
✉️ Read the letter: pic.twitter.com/4SWR9p8gHx
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) May 19, 2025
In addition to the expenditures mentioned in the post above, Oversight also wants information on government credit card use for things such as:
- Cruise lines
- Lotteries
- Wigs and toupees
- Weight loss programs
- Jewelry
- Horoscopes and fortune telling
- Boat purchases
- Campers
- Golf
- Country club memberships
- Amusement parks
- Bail bonds
Okay, that last one makes sense. I suppose there are more than a few people in government these days who are increasingly thinking about bail bonds and defense attorneys. But that’s their problem, not yours or mine.
If anyone hit the powerball on a ticket bought with a federal credit card, they should have to turn it all over to the taxpayers in the form of a refund. I don’t care if everyone only gets a nickel; it’s the principle of the thing. And whether you believe that strip clubs are the height of moral degeneracy or a fun way to spend a night out, I think we can all get together on the idea that the taxpayers should not have to pay for a lap dance and a shot of Cuervo. And anyone who charges a frozen daiquiri to the American public deserves nothing less than immediate deportation or imprisonment. But that’s just my personal opinion. Anyone in the bar business who has ever had to make a frozen daiquiri knows precisely what I am talking about.
Let’s be honest: None of this is surprising. But what should be concerning is that we may only have about a year and a half to even so much as tap the brakes on it.
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