Report Examines FDA, Other Agencies’ Spending on Guns

A new report by OpenTheBooks.com examines the purchases of weapons federal agencies, including FDA. “Regulatory enforcement within administrative agencies now carries the might of military-style equipment and weapons, according to the report, The Militarization of America: Non-Military Federal Agencies Purchases of Guns, Ammo, and Military-Style Equipment. “For example, the Food and Drug Administration includes 183 armed ‘special agents,’ a 50% increase over the ten years from 1998-2008.”

The nonpartisan watchdog group’s report examined government expenditures and found that 67 federal agencies spent $1.5 billion from 2006 to 2014 on guns, ammunition and military-style equipment. It says FDA spent over $800,000 on such equipment during this time period, including $106,385 on “Critical Functions - Specialized Tactical Equipment, Supplies and Ancillary Services.” The top administrative agency outside of traditional law enforcement agencies that is responsible for the purchase of guns and ammunition is the HHS, with spending totaling $122 million.