Republican (fascist/socialist) President Reagan, when asked, by the national media, about secret funds going to the Nicaraguan Contras, states, “Nothing of that kind could take place without the knowledge of Congress.”

       [added 12/4/2022]

       That’s whopper worthy of Mark Twain. How many federal agencies does the CONgress fund? At least many hundreds if not thousands.  Can the General Accounting Office actually account for every penny expended?  The millions, nay billions of ‘lost’ or unaccounted ‘dollars’ is fact and legend:

       http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm839-list.cfm

       September 14, 2005

       Examples of Government Waste

       by Brian M. Riedl

       The federal government cannot account for $24.5 billion spent in 2003.

       A White House review of just a sample of the federal budget identified $90 billion spent on programs deemed that were either ineffective, marginally adequate, or operating under a flawed purpose or design.

       The Congressional Budget Office published a “Budget Options” book identifying $140 billion in potential spending cuts.

       The federal government spends $23 billion annually on special interest pork projects such as grants to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or funds to combat teenage “goth” culture in Blue Springs, Missouri.

       Washington spends tens of billions of dollars on failed and outdated programs such as the Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Economic Development Association.

The federal government made $20 billion in overpayments in 2001.

       The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s $3.3 billion in overpayments in 2001 accounted for over 10 percent of the department’s total budget.

And that’s just an excerpt. –– JL