S. 4128Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

No Self-Promotion with Public Dollars Act

Introduced March 18, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated March 25, 2026 at 4:21 AM UTC

The No Self‑Promotion with Public Dollars Act would stop Cabinet secretaries and senior executive political appointees from using federal money to pay political consulting, advertising, or marketing firms, from shortcutting the normal competitive bidding process for official ads, and from using those ads to promote themselves. It applies to the officials themselves, any senior staff reporting to them, and special government employees who work in the executive branch.

Key Provisions

  • Prohibits a Cabinet member from hiring a political consulting or advertising firm with taxpayer funds if the official, a senior appointee, or a reporting employee has any financial relationship with that firm.
  • Requires that contracts for official advertisements follow the full and open competitive bidding rules set out in federal acquisition law, unless an existing law provides an exception.
  • Bars Cabinet members from using any official advertisement primarily for personal self‑promotion.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

March 18, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 18, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

March 18, 2026

Amendments

1 amendment

Offered to this bill

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 18, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4128

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 18, 2026

Ms. Rosen introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To prohibit Cabinet Members and senior executive political appointees from using taxpayer funds to hire political consulting, advertising, and marketing firms, from expediting competitive open bidding processes to contract for official advertisements, and from using official advertisements for self-promotion.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the No Self-Promotion with Public Dollars Act.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Cabinet Member

The term Cabinet Member means—

(A)

an individual serving in a position at level I of the Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, United States Code; and

(B)

any other individual who occupies a position designated by the President as a Cabinet-level position.

(2)

Financial relationship

The term financial relationship means any relationship in which financial compensation is derived directly or indirectly from a pecuniary interest.

(3)

Official advertisement

The term official advertisement means an advertisement sponsored by the executive branch to communicate any policy priority of a Government entity, including of a Federal agency or department or a presidential administration.

(4)

Political advertising and marketing firm

The term political advertising and marketing firm means a professional business that is eligible for a contract with the Government that is dedicated to the creation and execution of promotional materials and marketing for the clients of the business, including the Government.

(5)

Political consulting firm

The term political consulting firm means a professional services company that is eligible for a contract with the Government to provide advice, feedback, strategy, and skills.

(6)

Senior executive political appointee

The term senior executive political appointee means an individual who is—

(A)

employed in a position described in sections 5312 through 5316 of title 5, United States Code (relating to the Executive Schedule);

(B)

a limited term appointee, limited emergency appointee, or noncareer appointee in the Senior Executive Service, as defined under paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively, of section 3132(a) of title 5, United States Code; or

(C)

employed in a position of a confidential or policy-determining character under schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(7)

Special Government employee

The term special Government employee means a special Government employee, as defined in section 202(a) of title 18, United States Code, who is employed in the executive branch.

3.

Prohibition on taxpayer-funded political consulting firms and political advertising and marketing firms

A Cabinet Member may not use any funds authorized or appropriated by Federal law to hire a political consulting firm or political advertising and marketing firm to develop and disseminate any official advertisement relating to the position of the Cabinet Member, the agency or department of which the Cabinet Member is the head, or the official duties of the Cabinet Member if—

(1)

the Cabinet Member is an officer or employee of the political consulting firm or political advertising and marketing firm;

(2)

the Cabinet Member has a financial relationship with the political consulting firm or political advertising and marketing firm; or

(3)

any senior executive political appointee or special Government employee who reports to the Cabinet Member or who is employed by the agency or department of which the Cabinet Member is the head has a financial relationship with the political consulting firm or political advertising and marketing firm.

4.

Prohibition on expediting open bidding for official advertisements

Except as otherwise provided by existing Federal law, a Cabinet Member shall, when entering into a contract for an official advertisement, comply with all applicable requirements related to the full and open competitive procedures required under chapter 33 of title 41, United States Code, and part 6 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

5.

Prohibition on self-promotion through official advertisements

A Cabinet Member may not use any official advertisement for the primary purpose of self-promotion.