MATSUI, ROSS, SCHAKOWSKY, SEWELL, GALLEGO, AND MORE THAN 130 HOUSE DEMOCRATS CALL ON LEADERSHIP TO ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS FREE OF POISON PILL RIDERS

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Reps. Deborah Ross (NC-02), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), and Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) led 139 House Democrats in a letter to House and Appropriations Committee leadership requesting that they advance responsible appropriations legislation free of poison pill provisions and adequately fund non-defense discretionary programs at the caps agreed to in the bipartisan debt ceiling package.

This letter comes as House Republicans continue to hijack the appropriations process in attempts to enact harmful, extreme policies. Republicans are insisting on riders that would ban mifepristone, block efforts to reduce gun violence, enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, and more. Click here for examples of the hundreds of contentious provisions offered to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills.

“Bogging down the appropriations process with controversial policy debates will create another damaging political impasse,” the lawmakers wrote. “Given our country’s many ongoing challenges and urgent needs, the House of Representatives must work cooperatively to complete the appropriations process in a timely manner. Clean funding bills – free of contentious poison pill riders – represent the best path forward as we work to fulfill our duty to the American people to keep the federal government running.”

Furthermore, House Republicans continue to push leadership to lower non-defense discretionary spending caps set by the bipartisan debt ceiling package. The lawmakers are urging leadership to adhere to the guidelines mandated by this bipartisan deal.

The letter is endorsed by: Action on Smoking and Health, American Bird Conservancy, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, American Economic Liberties Project, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers, American Library Association, Americans for Financial Reform, Appliance Standards Awareness Project, Center for Progressive Reform, Children's Defense Fund, Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, Coalition on Human Needs, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Earthjustice, Economic Policy Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, First Focus on Children, Friends of the Earth, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, League of Conservation Voters, National Employment Law Project, National Parks Conservation Association, New Jersey Association on Correction, Oceana, Population Action International, Public Citizen, Public Justice Center, The Impact Fund, The Wilderness Society, and Voices for Progress.

Full text of the letter is below and HERE.

Dear Speaker McCarthy, Leader Jeffries, Chairwoman Granger, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

We write to urge you to bring forward appropriations bills without harmful poison pill policy riders to adequately fund the federal government in Fiscal Year 2024.

Bogging down the appropriations process with controversial policy debates is contributing to another damaging political impasse. Given our country’s many ongoing challenges and urgent needs, the House of Representatives must work cooperatively to complete the appropriations process in a timely manner. Clean funding bills – free of contentious poison pill riders – represent the best path forward as we work to fulfill our duty to the American people to keep the federal government running.

In addition, we strongly urge the Appropriations Committee to provide adequate funding to nondefense discretionary programs. Enacting domestic spending levels below the caps set by the bipartisan debt ceiling package would threaten the health, safety, security, and economic wellbeing of our constituents.

Again, consistent with the best traditions of the House and the best interests of our country, we strongly urge you to advance responsible appropriations legislation free of poison pill provisions. We owe it to the American people to pass appropriations bills that meet the urgent needs of today and invest in America’s future.

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