Senator Joni Ernst has raised concerns about federal agencies mailing cash to Americans to incentivize survey participation. She criticized these practices, particularly noting an instance where 145,000 $1 bills were sent out by an FDA contractor as part of a survey initiative. Ernst argued that such spending is an egregious misallocation of funds in Washington. Similar practices have been observed in other agencies, including the Census Bureau, which sent $5 bills to encourage participation in health surveys. The senator hopes to put an end to these costly giveaways amid rising fiscal concerns.
In one egregious example, Ernst said, a Food and Drug Administration contractor mailed out 145,000 $1 bills in order to boost participation in a so-called 'Health and Media Study.'
Ernst stated, 'We knew taxpayers were getting nickel and dimed but blindly mailing $145,000 in cash is shocking even for Washington.'
Individuals who did answer the questions were 'offered $25 to complete the online survey before April 30, 2025, and a bonus $5 ($30 total) if they do so on or before April 1, 2025.'
Several other agencies engaged in similar initiatives, including the Census Bureau, which sent out $5 bills for their National Survey of Children's Health.
Collection
[
|
...
]