Congress Should Exclude Poison Pills, Legacy Riders from Spending Bills

For Immediate Release: Sept. 21, 2022

Contact: David Rosen, drosen@citizen.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congress should exclude poison pills and legacy riders from annual spending legislation, including the continuing resolution that must pass by September 30, the Clean Budget Coalition said in a letter sent to lawmakers today. More than 90 organizations signed the letter.

“And as FY23 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,” the letter reads.

Poison pill riders are contrary to the will of the American people, as these measures amount to special favors for big corporations and ideological extremists. Congress should pass clean spending bills that place the focus of the federal appropriations process back where it belongs: on providing ample funding and advancing the public interest, the groups maintain.

The Clean Budget Coalition is an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, immigrant rights, community, health, environmental, business, and public interest groups committed to fully funding important public services and rejecting flawed spending bills containing measures that harm the public.