Ernst tackles turtle-on-a-treadmill tests in blistering Senate speech

Posted by Justin Goodman
11 March 2020 | Blog, Transparency


In advance of Sunshine Week, 2019 WCW “Congressional Waste Warrior” awardee Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) took to the Senate floor to shed light on egregious and secretive government waste, and wasteful taxpayer-funded animal experiments were front and center.


In her 7-minute-speech, Sen. Ernst highlighted a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study that wasted over $900,000 to place dead turtles and living turtles on a treadmill to study how they move. The same experimenters are still receiving tax dollars and are now putting turkeys on treadmills!


Ernst explained how many federal agencies are not required to disclose how much they spend on these wasteful projects, and how her legislation including the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act and the Cost Openness and Spending Transparency (COST) Act would improve transparency about government spending.

Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent! If you haven’t already, urge your lawmakers to cosponsor Sen. Ernst’s COST Act!

Blog Comments

Seriously? These “scientists “ are all about getting grants do they can stay employed. Has nothing of value that relates to health care. Turtles and turkeys on treadmills. Totally ridiculous and fraudulent. 😡

This is dreadful.

I saw this story on facebook. I’m not totally sure what it is all about. Is it a joke?

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