Sen. Tester’s bill would slash federal spending on ads

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced a bill Thursday to cut the federal advertising budget in half.

Tester's bill, S. 3540, requires federal agencies to cut their advertising budgets by at least 50 percent. Tester cited studies showing that the government spent nearly $1 billion on advertising in 2010.

"Montanans and all Americans are making responsible decisions and cutting unnecessary spending," Tester said. "Washington has to cut wasteful spending too, and advertising budgets are a good place to start."

Although Tester said some advertising spending is necessary, such as for military recruiting, he called the size of some departments’ budgets “unacceptable.”

According to a statement released by Tester, the Defense Department spent nearly $550 million on advertising, while the departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services spent nearly $225 million in 2010.

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