John,

Extremists in Congress are attempting to hijack must-pass government funding bills, adding in attacks against the LGBTQIA community, getting rid of climate change protections, proposing extreme anti-immigrant policies, and requiring the Census Bureau to exclude people from state population counts depending on their immigrant status, unconstitutionally skewing voting representation and fair distribution of federal funds to states.

They’re even trying to add provisions that would stop the IRS from providing a free-tax-filing service, and another that would create a fiscal commission to fast-track cuts to programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP. They would stop worker protections and efforts to limit gun violence. There is language to stop protections against discrimination in health care and to prohibit student loan relief.

Two weeks from now, we’ll enter a partial government shutdown if Congress doesn’t finalize the funding bills. But all these extremist and special interest poison pills are getting in the way.

Write to your members of Congress and demand clean government funding bills by March 1st―and demand they reject “poison pill riders” that attack vulnerable communities as well our attempts to address the climate crisis.

To date, House Republicans have added more than 560 poison pills to their draft FY2024 funding bills.¹

We’ve defeated poison pills in the past that would have prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from updating national ozone pollution standards to prevent 4,300 deaths per year.² And another that would have gotten rid of a rule that prevented for-profit colleges from defrauding their students.³

Extremists are attempting to add poison pill riders to must-pass appropriations bills that are so divisive and unpopular that they would never pass through Congress as standalone legislation.

This is pure political opportunism that is meant to appease a small, extreme fraction, and which is opposed by the majority of Americans.

Click here to send a message to your members of Congress and demand a clean government funding process free from “poison pill riders” that threaten vulnerable people, civil rights protections, the climate, and more.

Together, we’re demanding Congress put the needs of the people first, and stop playing politics with people’s lives.

Thank you for taking action today,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ Topline Spending Deal Sets Stage for Showdown Over Poison Pill Riders
² Earmarking Away the Public Interest How Congressional Republicans Use Antiregulatory Appropriations Riders to Benefit Powerful Polluting Industries
³ Republicans Aim to Hamper Obama’s Policies With Spending Bills