A Republican senator has introduced legislation that would ban federal mascots and department-funded coloring books.
The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, seeks to eliminate mascots representing federal agencies like the “Mighty Minters,” a fox and bird at the U.S. Mint.
The child-friendly mascots (represented by images and costumed federal workers) are supposed to help visiting kids better understand the work of various agencies.
Ernst announced the legislation, dubbed the Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government (SWAG) Act, in a news release Thursday.
“You might mistake Washington for a very expensive kid’s birthday party, with federal employees playing dress up, appearing as mascots, and making coloring books,” said Ernst in a written statement.
“I am going to crash the party and bag this costly swag. Misbehaving bureaucrats need to stop wasting tax dollars trying to refurbish their bad reputation, and focus on serving the American people,” she added.
An image of Vin Vasive from a US Department of Agriculture YouTube video (USDA)
The names of mascots on the hit list are “Champa Boom,” a kind of bear at the Department of Defense, “Sammy Soil,” at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Vin Vasive,” an insect at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Tracker,” a stuffed german shepherd, and “Agent Teddy” at Customs and Border Protection.
Coloring books the bill is seeking to eliminate (Joni Ernst)
The bill is currently in committee.
According to Ernst’s research, the federal government reportedly paid $250,000 to create the mascots (and costumes for workers). It’s not known when the mascots were created or how much the agencies spent on other types of advertising.
Some of the departments produce coloring books to demonstrate educational information or what agencies do. One Department of Homeland Security coloring book is available to download from its website.
If the legislation passes, federal agencies will no longer be able to use federal funds to purchase, acquire or distribute “swag” or produce mascots.
Republican Congressman Michael Cloud of Texas is introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“The American people demand a better return on their investment from the federal government than frivolous spending on self-promotion and propaganda,” said Cloud.
“They expect transparency, fiscal responsibility, and a government focused on delivering results. Especially as so many families are working to make ends meet, D.C. agencies should not squander the People’s money on mascots, trinkets, and giveaways.”
Ernst is the chair of the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency Caucus. President Trump created the department, spearheaded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, on his first day in office via executive order. The department is seeking to reduce $2 trillion in federal spending.
However, Musk said in an interview earlier this month that the department had a “good shot” of cutting just half that.
