A top Republican is working to curb government-funded advertising propaganda, such as mascots, comic books, stuffed animals and cuddly toys, which cost taxpayers nearly $2 billion annually.
Senate DOGE Caucus Chairman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has reintroduced a measure to limit federal funds used for public relations gimmicks.
Her Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government (SWAG) Act aims to put an end to unnecessary advertising initiatives on fidget spinners, koozies, clothing and other trinkets as part of Donald Trump and Elon Musk's plan to cut trillions in wasteful spending.
The goal is for federal agencies to cut costs spent on initiatives that are not critical to their core mission, such as promotional items, what Ernst calls propaganda.
The bill will also force government officials to track returns on investments in advertising programs
According to an analysis by Rebuild Local News, a nonprofit that advocates for local news outlets, the government has doubled its public relations budget from $780 million a year to $1.8 billion between 2018 and 2023.
While the vast majority of that federal advertising budget goes to military recruitment, much of it is wasted on frivolous trinkets, Ernst argues.
Particularly egregious are the numerous mascot costumes created to enhance the image of the federal government, the Iowa Republican told DailyMail.com.
“We are extremely excited to reintroduce our German Shepherd mascot, Tracker,” a Border Patrol social media account posted in August 2024
USDA character 'Vin-Vasive', the mascot used to warn about invasive species
MacDill Air Force Base's 'Champa Boom' mascot, which reportedly cost $9,000 to make
The Department of Agriculture's creepy green mutant pest called “Vin Vasive” – a play on an invasive species – and the Department of Homeland Security's bear and dog mascots “Agent Teddy” and “Tracker” would all be under her measure be stopped.
That includes “Champa Boom,” the custom mascot for the DOD's MacDill Air Force Base, which is styled like a military aircraft and reportedly cost $9,000 to make.
“You might mistake Washington for a very expensive birthday party for children, with federal employees dressing up, appearing as mascots and creating coloring books,” Ernst told DailyMail.com in a statement.
“I'm going to crash the party and take this precious swag. Misbehaving bureaucrats should stop wasting taxpayer dollars trying to burnish their bad reputations and focus on serving the American people.”
In effect, the bill would defund all mascots not approved by Congress.
Congressionally approved mascots such as the U.S. Forest Service's Smokey the Bear and Woodsy Owl would not be affected by the bill.
Government funded promotional blankets, buttons, candy, clothing, coloring books, graphic novels, cups, fidget spinners, hats, Christmas ornaments, jar openers, key chains, koozies, magnets, ties, stuffed animals, stickers, stress balls, stuffed animals, Thermoses, tote bags, trading cards and writing utensils would also be affected.
The Junior Disease Detectives: Operation Outbreak graphic novel
Border Patrol's 'Agent Teddy' plays with kids on career day
'Champa Boom' poses for photos on Halloween
For example, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comic book titled “The Junior Disease Detectives: Operation Outbreak,” intended to teach children about the origin story of a virus, would also be discontinued.
Ernst has focused on her DOGE designation in recent months.
Last week, she introduced a measure to reform the greenie math implemented under the Biden administration. She claimed the costs had been inflated to $600 billion.
In December, she announced a new measure that would track the work activities of federal teleworkers by requiring agencies to “periodically assess the network traffic generated by each such teleworking employee.”
