In Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is largely in charge of administering the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), will use over $702 million of user fees to spend a total of $773 million on consumer outreach and education for the Obamacare marketplaces.  Unfortunately, while the administration conducts this massive advertising campaign to increase the law’s popularity, taxpayers, who largely view the law unfavorably and whose dollars fund these campaigns, are left in the dark on how their dollars are being used to promote Obamacare.

On Monday, January 26, 2015, Representative Steve Womack (AR-3) – along with Representatives Rick Crawford (AR-1), French Hill (AR-2), Bruce Westerman (AR-4), David Jolly (FL-13), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Andy Barr (KY-6), Dan Benishek (MI-1), Alan Nunnelee (MS-1), Mark Amodei (NV-2), Dave Joyce (OH-14), Mike Kelly (PA-3), Mick Mulvaney (SC-5), Pete Olson (TX-22), Blake Farenthold (TX-27), Glenn Grothman (WI-6), and Reid Ribble (WI-8) – introduced the Truth in Obamacare Advertising Act.  The bill would extend requirements similar to the franking rules to which Congress already complies to each communication that is federally funded, directly or indirectly (through user fees), to advertise or educate the public on provisions of the PPACA.  

Upon introduction, Congressman Womack released the below statement:

“This bill brings light and transparency to the administration’s continued use of tax dollars to pay for propaganda ads to prop up Obamacare.” 

The final text of the bill can be found here.

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