Filmmakers Document Quest to Secure Congressional Earmark for 'Museum of Gov't Waste

The federal government isn't known for being stellar at a great many things. But when it comes to government expenditures, some critics on both sides of the aisle would likely agree that officials and departments have become experts at advancing waste.

Shrimp “working out” on treadmills. A robot that can fold laundry. Gelatin wrestling. The impact of FarmVille on personal relationships. We've reported about the bizarre ways in which the government spends taxpayer dollars before. It is this very topic -- waste -- that has led two filmmakers to create a documentary like none other.

In a new Daily Caller piece, it is revealed that filmmakers Ellen and Jim Hubbard have been working diligently to try and obtain a Congressional earmark for the creation of the Museum of Government Waste (a monument to useless federal expenditures).

In their new film which documents the process, aptly titled, "The Museum of Government Waste," the Hubbards showcase their five-year journey to lobby Congress for the creation of the building. The Daily Caller has more:

The point of the film and project, Ellen Hubbard said, is to show the absurdity of what special pet projects Congress chooses to spend money on and the process one has to go through in order to obtain an earmark.

“In the beginning it started off as, ‘what’s the ultimate ridiculous earmark that we can come up with?’” Hubbard said in a phone interview with The Daily Caller, referencing taxpayer-funded museums dedicated to magic, wheels, tea pots and prison.

Despite understanding that they would be unlikely to actually obtain such an earmark, the Hubbards made a serious go at it anyway.

“We ended up hiring a lobbyist, we met with members of Congress, their staffs, several lobbyists,” Ellen Hubbard said.

The star of the film is radio talk show host Greg Knapp. Watch Knapp describe the documentary in a special teaser, below:

While the Hubbards haven't yet revealed whether they were successful in receiving an earmark, they do plan to open an actual museum to document government waste with the help of David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. Read the full DC report here.