albatross

al·ba·tross Noun /ˈalbəˌtrôs/ /-ˌträs/ 

albatrosses plural

1. A very large oceanic bird related to the shearwaters, with long narrow wings. Albatrosses, some species of which have wingspans greater than 10 feet (3.3 m), are found mainly in the southern oceans, with three kinds in the North Pacific
2. A source of frustration or guilt; an encumbrance (in allusion to Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
   • an albatross of a marriage

Now Mr. Thomas is an albatross around the government's neck.