| Dear Friend,
You've probably heard about an impending government shutdown, and we know it can be confusing to keep up with all the new developments. Here's the latest:
🤷🏻♀️ What's happening?
On March 8, funding runs out for federal agencies that support water, health, agriculture, energy, and transportation programs across the country. By pushing extreme budget cuts and "poison pill" policies in the funding bill to ruin the bill's chances of passing, Republicans are holding the U.S. budget process hostage. They're trying to push their extremist agenda to dismantle government programs that protect our communities, climate, and environment.
🚨 What's at stake?
In addition to pushing egregious spending cuts, House Republicans have added more than TWO HUNDRED of these poison pill policies that target everything from the protection of endangered species to blocking new regulations to reduce power plant pollution. This includes the historic Inflation Reduction Act passed into law in 2022, which allocated $370 billion to advance clean energy like wind and solar power that will create jobs and reduce climate pollution.
If Republicans continue to push these unacceptable terms, we're headed toward a government shutdown. A shutdown could halt food safety inspections, pause SNAP benefits for families, close national parks, and jeopardize the enforcement of environmental laws.
🫵 What can you do?
Contact your representatives and urge them to pass a clean budget. We need our champions in Congress to stand firm against the extremist Republican agenda, and we need Republicans to hear that their constituents disagree with these harmful provisions. | 