Progressive Groups Warn Congress to Keep Policy Riders Out of 2012 Budget Vote
(PRESS RELEASE) As the joint House-Senate Supercommittee begins work tomorrow developing a bipartisan deficit-reduction plan, progressive organizations are cautioning members of Congress against adding policy riders to this year’s budget bill—calling such additions an “extortionist and back-room means of legislating” in a letter signed by 135 groups representing millions of members and supporters.The coalition, spearheaded by the pro-choice legal advocacy organization the Center for Reproductive Rights and the environmental action group Natural Resources Defense Council, includes organizations working on a broad range of issues, including AARP, D.C. Vote, Greenpeace, American Federation of State, County &, Municipal Employees, Alliance to End Hunger, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Courage Campaign, the National Organization for Women, Sierra Club and the National Employment Law Project.“We may all have different advocacy goals, but we agree that any vote on the budget should focus on funding government business—not on sweeping policy proposals that attack people’s rights around every issue from public health to the environment,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. The coalition argues these policy riders are part of a continuing pattern of assault on public health, worker safety, consumer, women’s rights and health, D.C. home rule, and environmental programs. “Many in Congress, rather than working to create jobs, are trying to add policy earmarks to funding bills aimed at weakening protections people expect from their government, such as clean air and untainted food,” said Frances Beinecke, President of the NRDC. “Such far-reaching policy changes would undermine needed protections and are unlikely to pass.”Download the letter
