Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) today highlighted the following egregious and unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture in FY 2015:

$4.6 million for researchers “to help gardeners, landscapers, producers, and marketers minimize the effect” of a plant disease affecting garden roses, thus threatening this $400 million “cornerstone of the multi-billion dollar landscape industry.” Notably, major industry growers and breeders benefiting from the grant were able to muster $4.6 million in matching funds.

“Most egregious rose handout since Jake chose Vienna,” said Flake.

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