The fiend! How dare he cut spending!
Obama Executive Order Will Cut Government Spending, Waste
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is coming out against swag.
That's swag, as in the coffee mugs, pens, T-shirts and other public relations articles that federal government agencies purchase with taxpayer money to promote their work.
The swag ban is part of an executive order the president will sign on Wednesday to cut waste and make government more efficient. Obama has been using his executive powers on modest proposals to promote job creation, assist homeowners and consumers, or alleviate spending.
Besides putting an end to the promotional gear, the new order directs agencies to reduce travel spending, cut back on cellphones and laptops issued to employees, cut down the size of the executive vehicle fleet and post documents online instead of printing them measures that individually would hardly merit a White House news release.
The administration's goal is to cut spending by 20 percent in areas covered by the executive order.
"We're cutting what we don't need so that we can invest in what we do need," Obama said in a statement.
Obama Executive Order Will Cut Government Spending, Waste