Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he plans to put the entire US federal budget onto a blockchain, which would, in theory, allow any American to scrutinize budget items around the clock.
The blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger typically associated with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. By putting the federal budget on this transparent blockchain, Kennedy claims it would enable over 300 million people to serve as watchdogs over how taxpayer dollars are allocated and spent.
“If somebody is spending $16,000 for a toilet seat, everybody’s gonna know about it,” Kennedy stated at a recent rally in Michigan. His comment references past scandals where the Pentagon vastly overpaid for basic items like toilet seats.
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In reality, though, it’s easier said than done. It’s difficult to even picture what it would take to put every government transaction onto the blockchain.
Currently, federal spending is governed by legislation that is publicly available. Government watchdogs like the Government Accountability Office also audit federal departments. However, Kennedy argues a blockchain-based budget would allow for unprecedented transparency and accountability.
The longshot candidate, known for being a long-time vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theory promoter, has been trying to play in the favor of crypto advocates. He said that seeing how donations to the protesting truckers in Canada got shut down showed him the value of bitcoin.
In March, he appeared at ETHDenver where he claimed that the US government is “on a mission to take away people’s right to transact with whomever they want and that he’s the man to stop it,” Axios wrote.
“Transactional freedom is as important as freedom of expression,” he said during a press conference before his lukewarm event appearance.
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