Congress Should Pass FY 2019 Appropriations Bills With No Poison Pill Riders
Dear Member of Congress,
The Clean Budget Coalition, an alliance of labor, scientific, consumer, research, good government, faith, civil rights, community, health, environmental, and public interest groups, writes you to urge the passage of the outstanding FY19 appropriations bills with no ideological poison pill policy riders in advance of the December 7th deadline.
No appropriations titles, package of bills, or continuing resolution (should that be deemed the appropriate path to continue funding the government) should move forward containing partisan poison pill policy riders.
Time and time again, members of Congress attempt to quietly slip in corporate special interest wish list items that couldn’t pass as standalone legislation into must-pass funding packages as poison pill riders, and our champions have stood firm in opposition. We ask that you take that stance as Congress processes the remaining FY19 appropriations bills.
Poison pill riders are unpopular and dangerous, and the public opposes using them to roll back public protections. The American people support policies to:
- Ensure safe and healthy food and products;
- Restrain Wall Street abuses;
- 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 human and civil rights; and
- Guarantee continued access to vital health care services including reproductive health care, among other things.
The public does not support slipping partisan and damaging issues into must-pass appropriations bills as a means to win approval.
We urge Members of Congress to fully fund important programs and to reject any flawed bills that include ideological poison pill policy riders that would undo essential public safeguards.
Sincerely,
AFL-CIO
Alaska Wilderness
American Association for Justice
American Atheists
American Bird Conservancy
American Federation of Teachers
Americans for Financial Reform
Animal Wellness Action
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Progressive Reform
Center for Reproductive Rights
Clean Water Action
Coalition on Human Needs
Common Cause
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Earthjustice
Environment America
Equality California
Hip Hop Caucus
Hispanic Federation
Humane Society Legislative Fund
Impact Fund
International Fund for Animal Welfare
League of Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of the United States
Main Street Alliance
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council
New America’s Open Technology Institute
New Progressive Alliance
People For the American Way
People’s Action Institute
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Rachel Carson Council
Safe Climate Campaign
Save Our Sky Blue Waters
Union of Concerned Scientists
U.S. PIRG
Wild West Institute
The Wilderness Society