Published: November 2023

Call for appropriations bills without poison pill policy riders

Democratic lawmakers, supported by a range of organizations, called on Appropriations Committee leadership to 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.

Consumer Action was one of almost three dozen advocacy organizations that supported House Democrats’ letter to House and Appropriations Committee leadership requesting that they stop hindering the appropriations process by proposing riders for harmful, extreme policies. These “poison pill” policy provisions bog down the appropriations process with controversial policy debates, creating a political impasse at a time when the U.S. has urgent needs. The letter urged Republican leaders to bring forward clean appropriations bills—free of contentious poison pill riders—and adequately fund the federal government in Fiscal Year 2024. The letter also urged the Appropriations Committee to provide adequate funding to non-defense discretionary programs, despite House Republicans’ efforts to lower the spending caps already set by the bipartisan debt ceiling package. Spending levels below the caps, the letter pointed out, would threaten the health, safety, security, and economic well-being of Americans.

Lead Organization

U.S. Congress

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Read the letter here.

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