Letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office - Norton, Lee, Johnson, Demings, Meng Lead Letter Asking GAO for Report on Federal Advertising Contracts with Small Disadvantaged and Minority-Owned Businesses

Letter

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

We write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issue another report on federal advertising contracts and subcontracts with small disadvantaged businesses and minority-owned businesses. The federal government is the largest advertiser in the United States, and it is important that media companies owned by people of color whose primary mission is to serve communities of color have the same advertising opportunities as other media companies

In 2016, Members of Congress, including many of us, requested that GAO examine federal spending on advertising contracts with small disadvantaged businesses and minority-owned businesses. In 2018, in response to the request, GAO reported that federal advertising contracts with small disadvantaged businesses and businesses owned by women and minorities increased between 2013 and 2017, but still only accounted for an average 13% of contracts during that period. We believe that the COVID-19 pandemic and legislative actions have impacted federal advertising contracts to such a degree that a follow-up study is warranted. We ask that GAO examine how much is spent on federal advertising contracts with small disadvantaged businesses and minority-owned businesses whose audiences are largely communities of color.

We look forward to your response.