More Than 220 Groups Tell Congress: Pass a Clean Budget

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 220 organizations in the Clean Budget Coalition told Congress to pass appropriations bills free from poison pill policy riders that harm the public in a letter sent today.

Already the coalition has discovered nearly 60 new poison pills spread across the five draft spending bills that House appropriators have released publicly.

Many of them are culture war riders that mimic the painful policies the Trump administration has been implementing – attacking DEI programs, fueling discrimination against same-sex couples, going out of their way to harm immigrants, and blocking women’s access to reproductive care. Others sabotage clean energy programs, undermine food safety, and reward industries with special favors that harm the public.

All of these measures must be removed before final passage, the 220 groups maintain.

“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 letter reads.

For Immediate Release: July 8, 2025
Contact: David Rosen, drosen@citizen.org