Murray, Top Appropriators Introduce Bill to Impose Significant Penalties on Trump Admin for Using Taxpayer Dollars to Air Political Propaganda

Penalties for Propaganda Act cuts OMB's budget by $20 million each instance taxpayer dollars are used for propaganda

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and top Senate appropriators introduced the Penalties for Propaganda Act, a bill to impose penalties on the Trump administration for breaking federal law and using taxpayer dollars to air government propaganda.

"Not a cent of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars should ever be used to run political ads glorifying the president. Clearly, this administration couldn't care less about what the law says or about wasting Americans' tax dollars on obscene ads. Congress cannot sit on its hands. If the president is going to defy federal law to run propaganda celebrating himself-and his budget director is going to allow it-there must be consequences," said Senator Patty Murray. "This fair-minded bill hits White House Budget Director Vought's operating budget each time this administration willfully violates our laws to spend federal funding on North Korea-style propaganda. It is not too much to expect the White House Budget Office to respect the law and the basic principle that tax dollars should not fund political ads. Democrats and Republicans alike have made clear that tax dollars shouldn't be funding these ads, and I hope every one of my colleagues who agrees will support this bill and work with me to get it signed into law."

In recent days, the Trump administration has spent at least $2.9 million in taxpayer funds airing several political ads celebrating Trump, according to AdImpact. Federal law prohibits taxpayer funding of political propaganda, including Section 718 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, which states that: "No part of any appropriation contained in the act or any other Act shall be used directly or indirectly, including through a private contractor, for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress."

The Penalties for Propaganda Act imposes a new penalty for violating the anti-propaganda provision contained in federal law. The bill cuts the budget of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), headed by Director Russ Vought, by $20 million each time any part of the administration violates the law.

In addition to Senator Murray, original cosponsors of the legislation include: Senator Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee; Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; Senator Chris Coons, Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee; Senator Tammy Baldwin, Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; Senator Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; Senator Martin Heinrich, Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee; Senator Gary Peters, member of the Committee and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

When the government-funded Trump ads first aired, Vice Chair Murray and Ranking Member Reed wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles demanding the ads come off the air and reminding the White House of federal law. When the Committee became aware the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is bankrolling the ads, Vice Chair Murray and Senator Chris Murphy, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, wrote to Secretary Markwayne Mullin to demand DHS stop airing the ads and provide the Committee with all relevant information about the spending and contracts. DHS has so far failed to share this information.

Text of the legislation is available HERE.

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