Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has released his 2018 Festivus edition of " The Waste Report ," an annual project that this year details $114 million worth of wasteful spending by the U.S. government.

The U.S. government currently has a total of about $22 trillion in debt, the report notes.

How did we get there?

According to Paul, part of the nation's debt problem relates to frivolous spending.

Some of the top ticket items include in his report include payments of: More than $76 million in stipends to soldiers in the Somali National Army, $650,000 to develop a drama series to air in Afghanistan, as much as $1 million to help support and develop the legislative process in Libya, and $18 million for tourism in Egypt.



The total $114 million that was spent on the projects could have paid for nearly 1,000 miles of paved roads, 800 Small Business Administration start-up loans, or more than two months of NASA Aeronautics.

How was the money spent?

Here is the report's list of how the government spent the money:

Provided stipends to soldiers in the Somali National Army (State): $76,321,379

Promoted the already overcrowded farmers market industry (USDA: $13,400,000

Taught Rwandan special interest groups and citizens how to lobby (State): $250,000

Used theater to combat homelessness and poverty (NEA):$15,000

Studied the sexual habits of quails on cocaine (NIH):$874,503

Funded a fictionalized opera about Prince Harry (NEA):$15,000

Made videos marketing U.S. colleges to Indian students (State): $75,000

Blew leaf blowers at lizards (NSF):$75,691

Supported "legislative priorities" in Libya (State): $1,000,000

Put on plays in Afghanistan (State): $200,000

Studied horse and donkey hunting on the ancient Anatolian Peninsula (NSF): $361,891

Supported Egyptian tourism (State): $18,000,000

Paid to bring British student social activists to the U.S. (State): $200,000

Encouraged people in the Republic of the Congo to use local resources (State): $35,000

Studied daydreaming (NIH):$2,488,153

Conceptualized games in India (State): $50,000

Paid for museum trips in Bosnia & Herzegovina for Bosnians & Herzegovinians (State): $50,000

Developed a Pashto-language TV drama series for Afghanistan (State): $653,014

Taught female entrepreneurs in India how to "vlog" (State): $50,000

Supported asset seizure programs in Paraguay (State): $400,000

Total Taxpayer dollars wasted: $114,514, 631.