WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) praised the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the “Taxpayer Transparency Act” today, which was introduced by U.S. Representative Billy Long (Mo.). Blunt introduced the Senate companion bill after it was reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) planned to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on an advertising campaign to sell ObamaCare. The Taxpayer Transparency Act would require federal agencies to transparently disclose when taxpayer dollars are used to pay for government advertising.

“Americans deserve transparency and accountability from their government, and I’m pleased the House has passed this common-sense bill,” Blunt said. “If hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being wasted on ObamaCare propaganda and other government advertising, American taxpayers have the right to know.”

The Senate bill, which is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (Okla.), Ron Johnson (Wisc.), and Marco Rubio (Fla.), would require federal agencies to include a disclaimer stating that government ads are “paid for by taxpayers” on printed advertising materials, including newspapers, billboards, and flyers, as well as radio, television, and internet communications. Click here to read the Senate bill.

In FY2013 alone, federal agencies reportedly spent more than $892 million on contracts for “advertising services.” HHS reportedly planned to spend up to $12 million of taxpayer money for ads to promote the disastrous roll-out of ObamaCare – a law that the majority of Americans soundly reject.

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