Letter

Dear Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition and allied organizations – an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY26 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

The inclusion of policy riders and draconian cuts not only hinders the timely allocation of resources essential for effective government operations and vital programs for everyday Americans, but also plunges the appropriations process into a state of uncertainty and confusion as Congress works to avoid a government shutdown.

As you work on the FY26 appropriations bills, we ask that you prioritize both appropriate funding levels and the removal of poison pill policy riders. It’s especially important to maintain solidarity in the face of an unfortunate reality: once a poison pill rider is included in an iteration of the appropriations package, it becomes almost impossible to remove it from future packages.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but instead harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process.

Everyday Americans oppose the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. The federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water, oceans and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections.

People across the United States deserve a FY26 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
ACLU
Act Now: End AIDS
AFL-CIO
Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc.
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation Chicago
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alaska Wilderness League Action
All* Above All
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Justice
American Association of University Women
American Bird Conservancy
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Organization
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Financial Reform
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Animal Wellness Action
Appliance Standards Awareness Project
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
CAER Coalition
Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment
Caring Across Generations
CASEL
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
Center for Law and Social Policy
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Responsible Lending
Center for Science in the Public Interest
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Change the Chamber
Chicago Political Economy Group
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Clean Air Council
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Reality Chicago
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Community Change Action
Compassion & Choices
Communications Workers of America
Community Catalyst
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Drug Policy Alliance
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Elevate
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Working Group
Equality Federation
Faith in Harm Reduction
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Feeding New York State
Five Horizons Health Services
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Full Plates Full Potential
Funders Concerned About AIDS
Futures Without Violence
The Gault Center
Georgia Equality
GLSEN
GRACE/End Child Poverty CA
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Guttmacher Institute
Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction
Harrington Investments, Inc.
HealthHIV
Hep Free Hawaii
Hispanic Federation
HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan
HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV Dental Alliance
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, USA-JPIC
Housing Works
The Hub Project
Human Rights Campaign
Hunger Solutions Consulting
Hunger Solutions New York
Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition
The Immigration Hub
Impact Fund
Indivisible
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Impact Fund
Innocence Project
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Fund for Animal Welfare
James Beard Foundation
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Women International
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
Latino Community Development
Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, Inc
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
Majority Action
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Media Voices for Children
MomsRising
NAACP South Carolina State Conference
NASTAD
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Health Research
The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Action Partnership
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Institute
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
The National Health Law Program
National Juvenile Justice Network
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National WIC Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Nourish California
Oceana
Ocean Conservancy
Oxfam America
P Street
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Poverty Project, Institute for Policy Studies
Positive Women’s Network-USA
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Reproductive Freedom for All
Rural Coalition
Safe Climate Campaign
Safer Foundation
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Sign Public Advocacy for Kids
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Springfield Food Policy Council
The Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
Start Early
Union of Concerned Scientists
Take on Wall Street
The United State of Women
Treatment Action Group
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County Texas
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
United Church of Christ
Unrig Our Economy
URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity
U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
U.S. PIRG
Vivent Health
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
West Virginia HIV Academic Mentoring Partnership
Wildlife Conservation Society
Womxn From the Mountain
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute
Youth First Justice Collaborative

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition and allied organizations– an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY25 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

And as members prepare for the remaining process ahead, it is important to reflect on the FY24 appropriations negotiations. The FY24 federal budget negotiations were marred by frustrating delays that extended six months into the fiscal year, largely due to the persistent inclusion of policy riders and draconian cuts by House Majority lawmakers. This not only hindered the timely allocation of resources essential for effective government operations and vital programs for everyday Americans, but also plunged the process into a state of uncertainty and confusion as Congress narrowly avoided multiple government shutdown deadlines. The FY25 appropriations process has already been significantly delayed by similar efforts, including a last-ditch measure to attach an unnecessary, anti-immigrant, anti-democratic voter suppression bill to the most recent continuing resolution. This effort ultimately failed, only serving to further delay the process of adequately funding the government.

As you work to complete the FY25 negotiations, we ask that you learn from this recent history and again prioritize both appropriate funding levels and removing poison pill policy riders from the appropriations bills. It’s especially important to maintain solidarity in the face of an unfortunate reality: once a poison pill rider is included in an iteration of the appropriations package, it becomes almost impossible to remove it from future packages.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but instead harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. The federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water, oceans and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections.

People across the United States deserve a 2025 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
ACLU
Act Now: End AIDS
AFL-CIO
Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc.
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation Chicago
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alaska Wilderness League Action
All* Above All
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Justice
American Association of University Women
American Bird Conservancy
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Organization
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Financial Reform
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Animal Wellness Action
Appliance Standards Awareness Project
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
CAER Coalition
Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment
Caring Across Generations
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
Center for Law and Social Policy
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Responsible Lending
Center for Science in the Public Interest
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Change the Chamber
Chicago Political Economy Group
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Clean Air Council
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Reality Chicago
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Community Change Action
Communications Workers of America
Community Catalyst
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Drug Policy Alliance
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Elevate
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Working Group
Equality Federation
Faith in Harm Reduction
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Feeding New York State
Five Horizons Health Services
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Full Plates Full Potential
Funders Concerned About AIDS
Futures Without Violence
The Gault Center
Georgia Equality
GLSEN
GRACE/End Child Poverty CA
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Guttmacher Institute
Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction
Harrington Investments, Inc.
HealthHIV
Hep Free Hawaii
Hispanic Federation
HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan
HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV Dental Alliance
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, USA-JPIC
Housing Works
The Hub Project
Human Rights Campaign
Hunger Solutions Consulting
Hunger Solutions New York
Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition
The Immigration Hub
Impact Fund
Indivisible
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Impact Fund
Innocence Project
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Fund for Animal Welfare
James Beard Foundation
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Women International
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
Latino Community Development
Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, Inc
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
Majority Action
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Media Voices for Children
MomsRising
NAACP South Carolina State Conference
NASTAD
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Health Research
The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Action Partnership
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Institute
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
The National Health Law Program
National Juvenile Justice Network
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National WIC Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Nourish California
Oceana
Ocean Conservancy
Oxfam America
P Street
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Poverty Project, Institute for Policy Studies
Positive Women’s Network-USA
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Reproductive Freedom for All
Rural Coalition
Safe Climate Campaign
Safer Foundation
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Sign Public Advocacy for Kids
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Springfield Food Policy Council
The Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
Start Early
Take on Wall Street
The United State of Women
Treatment Action Group
Union of Concerned Scientists
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County Texas
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
United Church of Christ
Unrig Our Economy
URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity
U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
U.S. PIRG
Vivent Health
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
West Virginia HIV Academic Mentoring Partnership
Wildlife Conservation Society
Womxn From the Mountain
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute
Youth First Justice Collaborative

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition and allied organizations– an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY25 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

And as members prepare for the long process ahead, it is important to reflect on the FY24 appropriations negotiations. The FY24 federal budget negotiations were marred by frustrating delays that extended six months into the fiscal year, largely due to the persistent inclusion of policy riders and draconian cuts by House Majority lawmakers. This not only hindered the timely allocation of resources essential for effective government operations and vital programs for everyday Americans, but also plunged the process into a state of uncertainty and confusion as Congress narrowly avoided multiple government shutdown deadlines.

As you embark on the FY25 negotiations, we ask that you learn from this recent history and again prioritize both appropriate funding levels and removing poison pill policy riders from the appropriations bills. It’s especially important to maintain solidarity in the face of an unfortunate reality: once a poison pill rider is included in an iteration of the appropriations package, it becomes almost impossible to remove it from future packages.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but instead harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. The federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive and gender-affirming health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections.

People across the United States deserve a 2025 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
ACLU
Act Now: End AIDS
AFL-CIO
Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc.
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation Chicago
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alaska Wilderness League Action
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Justice
American Association of University Women
American Bird Conservancy
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of Teachers
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Financial Reform
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Animal Wellness Action
Appliance Standards Awareness Project
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
CAER Coalition
Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment
Caring Across Generations
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
Center for Law and Social Policy
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Science in the Public Interest
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Change the Chamber
Chicago Political Economy Group
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Clean Air Council
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Reality Chicago
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Community Change Action
Communications Workers of America
Community Catalyst
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Drug Policy Alliance
Dr. William Barclay—Chicago Political Economy Group
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Economic Security Project Action
Endangered Species Coalition
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Elevate
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Working Group
Equality Federation
Faith in Harm Reduction
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Five Horizons Health Services
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Friends of the Earth
Funders Concerned About AIDS
Futures Without Violence
The Gault Center
Georgia Equality
GLSEN
GRACE/End Child Poverty CA
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction
Harrington Investments, Inc.
Health Care Voices
HealthHIV
Hep Free Hawaii
Hispanic Federation
HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan
HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV Dental Alliance
Housing Works
The Hub Project
Human Rights Campaign
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition
The Immigration Hub
Impact Fund
Indivisible
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Impact Fund
Innocence Project
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Women International
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
Majority Action
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Media Voices for Children
MomsRising
NASTAD
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Health Research
The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Action Partnership
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Consumers League
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Institute
National Disability Rights Network
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
The National Health Law Program
National Juvenile Justice Network
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National WIC Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Nourish California
Ocean Conservancy
Oxfam America
P Street
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Positive Women’s Network-USA
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Advocacy For Kids
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Reproductive Freedom for All
Rise Up WV
Safe Climate Campaign
Safer Foundation
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Sign Public Advocacy for Kids
The Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
United Church of Christ
Union of Concerned Scientists
Take on Wall Street
The United State of Women
Treatment Action Group
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
Unrig Our Economy
U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
U.S. PIRG
Vivent Health
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
West Virginia Hepatitis Academic Mentoring Partnership
West Virginia HIV Academic Mentoring Partnership
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute
Youth First Justice Collaborative

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition and allied organizations– an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY24 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

No appropriations package should move forward if it contains “poison pill” policy riders that go against the public interest.

Congress must pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal budget and appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest. Thus far, the House majority has proposed FY24 budget bills that include draconian cuts to non-defense discretionary spending as well as hundreds of poison pill riders—several of which would go on to undercut the many effective policies and initiatives that have been implemented under the current Biden Administration.

In this pivotal moment in the appropriations process, we again ask that you prioritize both appropriate funding levels and keeping all new poison pill policy riders out of the bills. And while our coalition thoroughly appreciates the many Members of Congress who have pushed and fought for a clean FY24 budget thus far, it’s especially important to maintain solidarity in the face of an unfortunate reality: once a poison pill rider is included in an iteration of the appropriations package, it becomes almost impossible to remove it from future packages.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but instead harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process through this misguided budgetary practice.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. Especially as we look forward toward a post-pandemic future, the federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections.

People across the United States deserve a 2024 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
ACLU
Act Now: End AIDS
AFL-CIO
Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc.
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation Chicago
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alaska Wilderness League Action
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Justice
American Association of University Women
American Bird Conservancy
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of Teachers
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Financial Reform
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Animal Wellness Action
Appliance Standards Awareness Project
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
CAER Coalition
Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment
Caring Across Generations
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
Center for Law and Social Policy
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Responsible Lending
Center for Science in the Public Interest
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Change the Chamber
Chicago Political Economy Group
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Clean Air Council
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Reality Chicago
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Community Change Action
Communications Workers of America
Community Catalyst
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Drug Policy Alliance
Dr. William Barclay—Chicago Political Economy Group
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Elevate
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Working Group
Equality Federation
Faith in Harm Reduction
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Five Horizons Health Services
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Funders Concerned About AIDS
Futures Without Violence
The Gault Center
Georgia Equality
GLSEN
GRACE/End Child Poverty CA
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction
Harrington Investments, Inc.
HealthHIV
Hep Free Hawaii
Hispanic Federation
HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan
HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV Dental Alliance
Housing Works
The Hub Project
Human Rights Campaign
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition
The Immigration Hub
Indivisible
Impact Fund
Innocence Project
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Women International
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
Majority Action
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Media Voices for Children
MomsRising
NASTAD
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Health Research
The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Action Partnership
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Institute
National Disability Rights Network
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
The National Health Law Program
National Juvenile Justice Network
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National WIC Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Nourish California
Ocean Conservancy
Oxfam America
P Street
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Positive Women’s Network-USA
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Reproductive Freedom for All
Safe Climate Campaign
Safer Foundation
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Sign Public Advocacy for Kids
The Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
Start Early
Union of Concerned Scientists
Take on Wall Street
The United State of Women
Treatment Action Group
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
Unrig Our Economy
U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
U.S. PIRG
Vivent Health
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
West Virginia Hepatitis Academic Mentoring Partnership
West Virginia HIV Academic Mentoring Partnership
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute
Youth First Justice Collaborative

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition – an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY24 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

No appropriations package should move forward if it contains “poison pill” policy riders that go against the public interest.

Congress must pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal budget and appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest. Thus far, the House majority has passed several FY24 budget bills that include draconian cuts to non-defense discretionary spending as well as hundreds of poison pill riders. These harmful budget bills include, but are not limited to, cuts to the overall funding of the Environmental Protection Agency, Internal Revenue Service, and several agencies that protect workers’ rights.

In this pivotal moment in the appropriations process, we again ask that you prioritize both appropriate funding levels and keeping new poison pill policy riders out of the bills. And while November’s temporary funding agreement reached in Congress averted a potential government shutdown, it is now time for Congress to return to the table and begin passing appropriations bills that provide the ample resources the American people deserve.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process through this misguided budgetary practice.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. Especially as we look forward toward a post-pandemic future, the federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections, and any previously included measures doing so must be removed.

People across the United States deserve a 2024 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
Act Now: End AIDS
AFL-CIO
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation Chicago
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alaska Wilderness League Action
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Justice
American Bird Conservancy
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of Teachers
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Financial Reform
Animal Wellness Action
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
Caring Across Generations
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Science in the Public Interest
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Reality Chicago
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Community Change Action
Communications Workers of America
Community Catalyst
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Drug Policy Alliance
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
Elevate
Environmental Working Group
Equality Federation
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Funders Concerned About AIDS
The Gault Center
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Harrington Investments, Inc.
HealthHIV
Hep Free Hawaii
Hispanic Federation
HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan
HIV Dental Alliance
Housing Works
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition
Impact Fund
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Impact Fund
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
NASTAD
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
The National Health Law Program
National Juvenile Justice Network
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Partnership for Women & Families
National WIC Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Ocean Conservancy
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Reproductive Freedom for All
Safe Climate Campaign
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Sign Public Advocacy for Kids
Union of Concerned Scientists
The United State of Women
Treatment Action Group
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
U.S. PIRG
Vivent Health
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
West Virginia Hepatitis Academic Mentoring Partnership
West Virginia HIV Academic Mentoring Partnership
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute

Dear Members of Congress,

We the undersigned, representing labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urge you to reject the Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill due for consideration in the House of Representatives this week.

The FSGG bill brings Congress no closer to reaching agreement to fund the government in a year already marred by perilous standoffs that have left the American people shaking their heads with disgust. In contrast with its counterpart legislation in the Senate – which passed committee unanimously (29-0) in July – the overtly partisan House FSGG bill is simply not a serious effort at governance.

The bill would impose a nearly 60% reduction in programmatic funding, with massive reductions to agencies that protect children from unsafe products, workers saving for retirement, and seniors from ruthless scammers. It would cut funding for the agency working to reduce robocalls that people loathe. And the bill would zero out funding for election security grants during a presidential election cycle.

The bill is loaded with harmful policy riders opposed by the American people, and House Republicans have recently proposed many amendments that would move the bill further in the wrong direction. Among the dozens of poison pill riders already written into the bill and the amendments yet to be considered are those that would:

• Stop the Securities and Exchange Commission from finalizing rules on secret corporate political spending (Sec. 633);
• Make it more expensive for taxpayers to file their taxes by preventing the IRS from developing free filing software (Sec. 112);
• Further the anti-climate aims of the big oil and gas lobby by prohibiting regulators from requiring publicly traded companies to disclose their climate-related risks (Sec. 550);
• Prohibit agencies from purchasing electric vehicles, batteries, and infrastructure (Sec. 635);
• Restrict Americans’ access to reproductive health services by preventing federal employees from using their insurance to access abortion care (Sec. 613);
• Attack reproductive freedom by prohibiting D.C. from using its own funds to cover abortion care and enforce anti-discrimination provisions (Sec. 810 & 819);
• Prohibit the administration from taking steps to increase access to voting (Sec. 758);
• Perpetuate biased lending practices by prohibiting regulators from better tracking discrimination by lenders to small business owners (Sec. 503); 
• Divert funding from DC public schools to pay for unaccountable private school vouchers ( 400);
• Continue to endanger Americans by cutting funding for the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (Proposed amendments by Reps. Greene, Rosendale, and Steube); and
• Expose people to the worst impacts of climate change by prohibiting funds from being used to implement any of President Biden’s executive orders on climate change (Proposed amendment by Rep. Roy).

We disagree with these policies on their merits, but regardless, they should be considered under regular order, through the authorizing committees of jurisdiction – not jammed into an appropriations bill as part of an ostensible threat to shut down the government should they not be signed into law.

The public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills, and any previously included measures doing so must be removed. Earlier this year, 100 public interest groups sent a letter to Congress calling for clean spending bills without any poison pill policy riders and for ample funding for vital programs and agencies to advance the public interest. It is disappointing to see House Republicans so blatantly ignore the will of so many.

The FY24 FSGG bill is an unredeemable, unserious piece of legislation and we urge all Members to vote against it. It is also another example of overreaching abuse of the appropriations process, as all of the funding bills proposed by the GOP House include poison pill riders and proposed amendments that are simply inappropriate. The House should dispense with the theater of partisanship for its own sake and take guidance from the Senate, which last week passed a three-bill appropriations package with 85 votes.

Voters deserve a Congress that can sit down and come to a reasonable agreement for the greater good, and we hope that quickly moving past the FY 24 FSGG bill will bring Congress closer to that outcome.

20/20 Vision
Accountable.US
All Home
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
American Sustainable Business Network
Americans for Financial Reform
Americans for Tax Fairness
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
Arizona Center for Economic Progress
Campaign For Working Families, Inc.
CCAN Action Fund
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Justice & Democracy
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Progressive Reform
Center for Responsible Lending
Children’s HealthWatch
Church World Service
City of Minneapolis
Clean Elections Texas
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Campaign
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
Columbia Consumer Education Council
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Consumer Federation of California
DC Vote
Demand Progress
Detroit green skills alliance
DOJ Gender Equality Network*
Earthjustice
Economic Security Project Action
Elevate
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
Endangered Species Coalition
Erase The Divide LLC
Foster America
Free Press Action
Friends of the Earth
Futures Without Violence
Guttmacher Institute
Harrington Investments, Inc.
Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative
Immigrant Services Providers Group/Health, Somerville, MA
Impact Fund
Income Movement
Indivisible
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Interfaith Alliance
Interfaith Center on corporate Responsibility
League of Conservation Voters
Missionary Oblates
NAACP
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Organization for Women
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Jersey Association on Correction
Our Children Oregon
Oxfam America
PAI
People Power United
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness
Prosperity Now
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Public Citizen
Public Investors Advocate Bar Association
Public Justice Center
Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America)
Rhia Ventures
Rise Up WV
Saint Louis University School of Social Work
San Diego for Every Child
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Shriver Center on Poverty Law
Sierra Club
Small Business Majority
Social Equity Group
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Stance Capital LLC
Take On Wall Street
The People’s Justice Council
The Phoenix Group
Tulipshare, Sustainable Investment Fund
Union of Concerned Scientists
United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries
URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity
Virginia Citizens Consumer Council
VOICE (Voices Organized in Civic Engagement) – Oklahoma
Washington Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Young Invincibles

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition – an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY24 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

No appropriations package should move forward if it contains “poison pill” policy riders that go against the public interest.

Congress must pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal budget and appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest. Thus far, the House majority has drafted FY24 budget bills that include draconian cuts to non-defense discretionary spending as well as hundreds of poison pill riders. At this pivotal moment in the appropriations process, we again ask that you prioritize both appropriate funding levels and keeping new poison pill policy riders out of the bills. We also ask that you work to remove legacy riders that were embedded in previous cycles.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process through this misguided budgetary practice.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. Especially as we look forward toward a post-pandemic future, the federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections, and any previously included measures doing so must be removed.

People across the United States deserve a 2024 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
Act Now: End AIDS
AFL-CIO
African American Ministers in Action
AIDS Alabama
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alaska Wilderness League Action
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Association for Justice
American Bird Conservancy
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Financial Reform
Animal Wellness Action
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
Caring Across Generations
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Children’s Defense Fund
Clean Water Action
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Church World Service
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Community Change Action
Communications Workers of America
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Drug Policy Alliance
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Working Group
Equality Federation
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Free Press Action
Funders Concerned About AIDS
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Harrington Investments, Inc.
Hispanic Federation
Humane Society Legislative Fund
Housing Works
Impact Fund
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Impact Fund
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
The National Health Law Program
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Partnership for Women & Families
National WIC Association
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Ocean Conservancy
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Safe Climate Campaign
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Sign Public Advocacy for Kids
Union of Concerned Scientists
The United State of Women
Treatment Action Group
U.S. PIRG
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
West Virginia Hepatitis Academic Mentoring Partnership
West Virginia HIV Academic Mentoring Partnership
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition – an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY24 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

No appropriations package should move forward if it contains “poison pill” policy riders that go against the public interest.

Congress must pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal budget and appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest. The House majority has proposed draconian cuts to non-defense discretionary spending which we must not entertain, and so we ask that you prioritize both appropriate funding levels and keeping new poison pill policy riders out of the bills. We also ask that you work to remove legacy riders that were embedded in previous cycles.

Neither legacy riders nor new poison pills represent the will of the American people, but harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process through this misguided budgetary practice.

Members of Congress should continue to push for clean budget bills that serve the needs of the American people. In addition, Congress must not allow the budgetary process to be held hostage by Congressional members who wish to tie the appropriations process to the debt limit.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. Especially as we look forward toward a post-pandemic future, the federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools, and immigrant rights; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections, and any previously included measures doing so must be removed.

People across the United States deserve a 2024 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that incorporate new poison pills or fail to remove the legacy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision
350.org
AFL-CIO
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
Alaska Wilderness League Action
American Association for Justice
American Bird Conservancy
American Federation of Teachers
American Rivers
American Sustainable Business Council
Americans for Financial Reform
Animal Wellness Action
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
Catholics for Choice
Center for American Progress
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Progressive Reform
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Clean Water Action
Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition for Health Funding
Common Cause
Communications Workers of America
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
DCVote
Defenders of Wildlife
Democracy 21
Earthjustice
Economic Policy Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Working Group
Freedom BLOC
GreenLatinos
Greenpeace USA
Harrington Investments, Inc.
Hispanic Federation
Humane Society Legislative Fund
Impact Fund
Innovative Green Builders
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Impact Fund
Innovative Green Builders
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Main Street Alliance
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women’s Health Network
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Progressive Alliance
Ocean Conservancy
PAI
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
People’s Action
Population Connection
Protect All Children’s Environment
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Public Knowledge
Rachel Carson Council
Safe Climate Campaign
Sciencecorps
SEIU
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
Sierra Club
Union of Concerned Scientists
The United State of Women
United Steelworkers (USW)
U.S. PIRG
Voices for Progress
Western Watersheds Project
The Wilderness Society
Woodstock Institute

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition – an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY 23 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

No appropriations package should move forward if it contains “poison pill” policy riders that go against the public interest. Unfortunately, such poison pill riders have existed as favors to corporate and special interests in previous appropriations cycles and therefore a set of “legacy poison pills” must be removed from the FY 23 appropriations bill or continuing resolution.

Congress must pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal budget and appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest. We ask that you make it a priority to keep out new policy riders that would harm the public and remove legacy riders that have been embedded in previous appropriations bills.

These legacy riders do not represent the will of the American people, but harmful special interest groups that wish to circumvent the legislative process through this misguided budgetary practice. It is long past time for these riders to be removed.

And as FY 23 negotiations continue to proceed, our Coalition finds significant issue with the contents of the Continuing Resolution currently being discussed by Congressional leaders. While a short-term temporary stopgap may be necessary to halt an impeding government shutdown, any stopgap budgetary measure should also be free of toxic policy riders. Now is no time to move backwards.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. Especially as we look forward toward a post-pandemic future, the federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections, services in schools and immigrant rights;
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections, and any previously included measures doing so must be removed.

People across the United States deserve a 2023 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that fail to remove poison pill policy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision

AFL-CIO

African American Ministers in Action

AFSCME

Alaska Wilderness League Action

American Association for Justice

American Bird Conservancy

American Federation of Teachers

American Sustainable Business Council

Americans for Financial Reform

Animal Wellness Action

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

Catholics for Choice

Center for American Progress

Center for Biological Diversity

The Center of Law and Social Policy

Center for Reproductive Rights

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Clean Water Action

Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy

Coalition on Human Needs

Coalition for Health Funding

Common Cause

Communications Workers of America

Consumer Action

Consumer Federation of America

DCVote

Defenders of Wildlife

Democracy 21

Earthjustice

Endangered Species Coalition

The Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Working Group

GreenLatinos

Greenpeace USA

Harrington Investments, Inc.

Humane Society Legislative Fund

Impact Fund

Innovative Green Builders

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Impact Fund

Innovative Green Builders

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

League of Conservation Voters

Los Padres ForestWatch

Main Street Alliance

NARAL Pro-Choice America

National Association for College Admission Counseling

National Association of Consumer Advocates

National Association of Social Workers

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Coalition for the Homeless

National Community Reinvestment Coalition

National Council of Jewish Women

National Employment Law Project

National Employment Lawyers Association

National Fair Housing Alliance

National Low Income Housing Coalition

National Partnership for Women & Families

National Women’s Health Network

National Women’s Law Center

Natural Resources Defense Council

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

New Jersey Association on Correction

New Progressive Alliance

Ocean Conservancy

PAI

Partnership for Policy Integrity

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

People’s Action

Population Connection

Protect All Children’s Environment

Public Citizen

Public Justice Center

Public Knowledge

Rachel Carson Council

Safe Climate Campaign

SEIU

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States

Sierra Club

Union of Concerned Scientists

The United State of Women

United Steelworkers

U.S. PIRG

Voices for Progress

Western Watersheds Project

The Wilderness Society

Woodstock Institute

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition – an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups – urges you to pass FY 22 appropriations bills free from policy riders that harm the public.

No appropriations package should move forward if it contains “poison pill” policy riders that go against the public interest. Unfortunately, such poison pill riders have existed as favors to corporate and special interests in previous appropriations cycles and therefore a set of “legacy poison pills” must be removed from the final FY 22 appropriations bills.

Congress has an opportunity – for the first time in many years – to pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal budget and appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest. We ask that you make it a priority to keep out new policy riders that would harm the public and remove legacy riders that have been embedded in previous appropriations bills.

We wish to express our gratitude that appropriators in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have removed so many of the damaging legacy riders flagged by our members. Now it is crucial that congressional lawmakers remain firm in their commitment to keeping all harmful measures out of the final spending package.

People across the nation have always opposed the abuse of the budget process to roll back public protections or create loopholes that hinder accountability. Especially as we look forward toward a post-pandemic future, the federal budget should fund priorities that Americans truly care about, not hack away at essential safeguards. The American people support policies to:

• Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
• Restrain Wall Street abuses;
• Protect our air, land, water and wildlife;
• Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
• Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
• Defend our campaign finance, election, and census systems, and support D.C. statehood;
• Provide access to justice and fair housing;
• Protect human and civil rights, including students’ protections and services in schools; and
• Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including comprehensive reproductive health care, among other things.

Again, the public does not support the inclusion of damaging policy riders in must-pass appropriations bills that would undo or block any of these protections, and any previously included measures doing so must be removed.

People across the United States deserve a 2022 budget that not only addresses the needs of the present but invests in a better future. For this reason, we urge Members of Congress and Senators to fully fund important public services and to reject any flawed bills that fail to remove poison pill policy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.

Sincerely,

20/20 Vision

AFL-CIO

African American Ministers in Action

AFSCME

Alaska Wilderness League Action

American Association for Justice

American Bird Conservancy

American Federation of Teachers

American Sustainable Business Council

Americans for Financial Reform

Animal Wellness Action

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

Catholics for Choice

Center for American Progress

Center for Biological Diversity

Center for Reproductive Rights

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Clean Water Action

Chapel Hill Organization for Clean Energy

Coalition on Human Needs

Coalition for Health Funding

Common Cause

Communications Workers of America

Consumer Action

Consumer Federation of America

DCVote

Defenders of Wildlife

Democracy 21

Earthjustice

Endangered Species Coalition

Environmental Working Group

GreenLatinos

Greenpeace USA

Harrington Investments, Inc.

Hispanic Federation

Humane Society Legislative Fund

Impact Fund

Innovative Green Builders

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Impact Fund

Innovative Green Builders

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

League of Conservation Voters

Los Padres ForestWatch

Main Street Alliance

NARAL Pro-Choice America

National Association for College Admission Counseling

National Association of Consumer Advocates

National Association of Social Workers

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Coalition for the Homeless

National Community Reinvestment Coalition

National Council of Jewish Women

National Employment Law Project

National Employment Lawyers Association

National Fair Housing Alliance

National Low Income Housing Coalition

National Partnership for Women & Families

National Women’s Health Network

National Women’s Law Center

Natural Resources Defense Council

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

New Jersey Association on Correction

New Progressive Alliance

Ocean Conservancy

Partnership for Policy Integrity

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

People’s Action

Population Connection

Protect All Children’s Environment

Public Citizen

Public Justice Center

Public Knowledge

Rachel Carson Council

Safe Climate Campaign

SEIU

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States

Sierra Club

Union of Concerned Scientists

The United State of Women

U.S. PIRG

Voices for Progress

Western Watersheds Project

Wildlife Conservation Society

The Wilderness Society

Woodstock Institute