The U.S. government spent $16,000 on fidget spinners last year, and GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is sick of it

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) wants to rob the federal government of what little fun it has left.

Every year, the U.S. government spends more than $1.4 billion on its public relations and advertising efforts — not that Ernst has a problem with all of that. She's just not a fan of the .002 cents each American taxpayer essentially spent last year on federal "mascots," as well as the several thousand more dollars the government put toward various trinkets, and is proposing a bill to end it all.

Ernst unveiled her SWAG Act, which stands for Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government, on Tuesday, which would block federal agencies from creating mascots unless it's done via statute. Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl, for example, would be safe, but Sammy Soil, a literal chunk of soil with eyes created by the USDA's conservation branch, would be rooted out. So would Franklin the Fair Housing Fox, The Green Reaper, and some other mascots Ernst says have been known to make babies cry.

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A variety of other knickknacks are also targeted under Ernst's proposal to "Bag the Swag:" the $605,000 spent on coloring books last year; $33,000 on Snuggies; $17,000 on drink koozies; and $16,000 on fidget spinners. Ernst would also "prohibit the purchase and distribution of 'swag'" like these, unless they're also authorized by statute, per Ernst's press release.

Overall, the federal government spent a total of $250,000 on the mascots last year. The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017, which Ernst voted to enact, is meanwhile expected to cost at least $1.5 trillion.