Last December, months before the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and the nomination of DC Circuit Chief Judge Merrick Garland to fill his seat, the GOP-led Congress faced another #DoYourJob moment. With a government shutdown looming, they introduced a budget proposal chock-full of harmful policy riders that undermine our rights, our health, and our democracy. We eventually won on some riders but lost on others.

Today another federal budget process is underway, and we are once again facing the threat of sneaky provisions that help special interests exert outsized influence over the political process:

Last year, hundreds of riders were proposed for inclusion in the omnibus spending legislation, and in this year’s budget process, some members of Congress already have started to insist on them. Even though the congressional leadership appears determined to return to regular order by passing 12 smaller spending bills instead of a last-minute omnibus, the threat of riders remains.

PFAW will continue to stand strong with the more than 100 groups insisting on no riders in spending legislation.

We urge Members of Congress to oppose flawed funding proposals that include ideological policy riders. We further urge the administration in the strongest possible terms to oppose any funding bills that have such riders, whether moving via regular order or as part of a funding package.

Congress needs to do its job and fund must-needed programs and services for the American people, NOT use must-pass appropriations bills to advance ideological agendas.