President Obama will take matters into his own hands Wednesday by signing an executive order that will cut federal spending.
According to a statement released by the White House, the order will prevent federal agencies from “using taxpayer dollars to buy swag.”
The administration defines “swag” as “non-essential items used for promotional purposes.” Items like clothing, mugs, non-work related gadgets and “other unnecessary promotional items” will be removed from federal agency wish lists.
The order also puts limits on the number of “information technology devices” such as cell phones, smartphones, tablets and laptops federal agencies can provide for employees. Additionally, Obama will direct agencies to limit the amount of money spent on travel and will shrink the “executive fleet” of the federal government. The President takes cutting waste to a deeper level by stopping the unnecessary printing of documents and requiring agencies to post these documents online when possible.
“From the day I took office, I’ve said we’re going to comb the federal budget, line by line, to eliminate as much wasteful spending as possible… We can’t wait for Congress to act,” Obama said. “We’re cutting what we don’t need so that we can invest in what we do need.”
The White House has indicated that, within 45 days, agencies will begin to implement these changes, reducing costs up to 20 percent below FY2010 levels by FY2013.