DHS Spends a Mint on Ammo Even as It Furloughs Employees

Not that anybody expected the government to spend less

The Department of Homeland Security is spending more and more on pricey hollow-point bullets for law-enforcement officers—even as it plans to enforce furloughs and other cuts on Customs and Border Protection employees due to sequestration.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to buy more than 1.6 billion rounds over the next five years for training and on-duty purposes. They cite the numerous law enforcement agencies contained within the department with employees who carry weapons. But the purchases have led to criticism that the agency is spending money on bullets that can cost twice as much as regular ammo—and questions over whether those bullets are really needed for training purposes.