Clean Budget Coalition Urges Congress to Oppose Poison Pill Riders in Minibus I

Capitol Congress 4

Dear Member of Congress,

The Clean Budget Coalition, an alliance of over 260 labor, scientific, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, and public interest groups, writes to ask you to oppose all ideological poison pill policy riders in the conference language of Minibus I made up of the Legislative Branch, Energy & Water and Military Construction–Veterans Affairs appropriations bills.

As Senate Appropriations Chair Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy have both called for keeping the Appropriations bills clean from partisan poison pill policy riders, we ask you to do the same in conference.

Time and time again, members of Congress attempt to quietly slip in special interest wish list items that couldn’t pass as standalone legislation into must-pass funding packages as poison pill riders.

Appropriations bills must not be misused to undermine essential safeguards. Slipping unrelated and damaging issues into must-pass appropriations bills as a means to win approval is a dangerous strategy for the public.

Poison pill riders are unpopular and damaging, and the public opposes using them to roll back public protections. The American people support policies to:

  • Restrain Wall Street abuses;
  • Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
  • Secure our air, land, water and wildlife;
  • Safeguard fair and safe workplaces;
  • Guard against consumer rip-offs and corporate wrongdoing;
  • Defend our campaign finance and election systems;
  • Provide access to justice and fair housing;
  • Protect civil rights; and
  • Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including reproductive health care, and more.

We urge Members of Congress to abide by the funding numbers agreed upon in that deal to fund the essential programs our nation needs for FY 19, and to follow the Senate bipartisan agreement by rejecting any flawed conference language that includes poison pill policy riders.

Sincerely,

The Clean Budget Coalition