This Legislation Comes In Light Of Reporting That Secretary Of Homeland Security Kristi Noem Spent $220 Million in Tax Dollars To Pay A Firm With Ties To Her For Ads Featuring Herself

March 19, 2026 - WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen has introduced the No Self-Promotion with Public Dollars Act to prohibit members of the President’s Cabinet from using taxpayer dollars to run self-promoting ad campaigns, and from hiring any political consulting and advertising firms with which they and other high-ranking agency officials have ties. In testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem admitted to using $220 million in taxpayer dollars for an advertising campaign in which she is prominently featured. According to reporting, the contracts for these ads were then awarded to firms with ties to sitting cabinet members, senior executive political appointees, and Donald Trump.

“At a time when Donald Trump and Washington Republicans cut much-needed Medicaid funding to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, Kristi Noem burned through $220 million in taxpayer funds on a self-serving, self-promoting ad campaign,” said Senator Rosen. “No other Cabinet official should ever be allowed to waste Americans’ hard-earned dollars in that way or hire their friends’ political ad-making firms. I’m proud to introduce this bill to cut down on this shameful practice and protect tax dollars.”

Senator Rosen has been a vocal defender of taxpayer dollars against waste, fraud, and abuse. Her bipartisan No CORRUPTION Act, which closed a loophole that allowed former members of Congress to continue receiving taxpayer-funded pensions after being convicted of felonies, was signed into law. Last Congress, Senator Rosen also supported the Government Spending Oversight Act to help reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending. Earlier that year, she announced that the bipartisan Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act she joined to increase transparency in government projects that are delayed or over budget passed the Senate.

Source: Senator Jacky Rosen