The League of Conservation Voters and Natural Resources Defense Council led more than 100 groups in sending the below letter to congressional leaders and Members of Congress urging them to reject the inclusion of all anti-environmental poison pill policy riders in FY24 appropriations bills.

February 1, 2024

Re: Please reject the inclusion of anti-environmental poison pill riders in FY24 appropriations bills

Dear Congressional Leaders,

On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, the 113 undersigned environmental, environmental justice, faith-based, and public health organizations urge you to reject the inclusion of any anti-environmental policy riders in Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills.

2023 was officially the hottest year on record, concluding another year of historic heat waves, horrific flooding, and wildfire smoke damaging the economy, environment, and public health. We are extremely concerned by efforts to include poison pill policy riders that undermine the critical climate wins included in the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as agencies’ ability to carry out their work. These unacceptable attacks on our health, lands, wildlife, biodiversity, air, water, oceans, clean energy and communities have no place in the appropriations process and must be rejected.

This fall, the House majority produced appropriations bills loaded up with draconian budget cuts and extreme anti-environmental policy riders that are out of step with the American public’s priorities on stewarding our environment and advancing clean energy and environmental justice. Bills that are meant to fund environmental protections included riders that would increase climate pollution, mandate fossil fuel lease sales, block environmental justice programs, halt public health protections, and doom imperiled species to extinction, among other harmful policy changes. All told, every FY 2024 House appropriations bill except that which funds Congress itself included harmful anti-environmental attacks, with over 200 anti-environmental riders added throughout the process.

While we were pleased an agreement was reached on a bipartisan topline spending number that avoids the steep cuts threatened by sequestration or a so-called “date-change CR,” we were extremely dismayed when Speaker Johnson indicated in his January 7 letter that this agreement “[provided] us a path to… fight for the important policy riders included in our House FY24 bills.” We firmly reject the inclusion of poison pill policy riders as a precondition for Congress meeting its constitutional obligation to fund the government after months of inaction and failure to meet its responsibility.

Please do not allow the appropriations process to be derailed by unpopular anti-environmental attacks that would damage our communities, the economy and the environment. Do not sacrifice the health and safety of our communities for the sake of catering to political extremism. Congress should allow these agencies to do the job they entrusted them with, to protect our environment, climate and communities.

Sincerely,

League of Conservation Voters

Natural Resources Defense Council

Alabama Interfaith Power & Light

Alaska Wilderness League

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

American Bird Conservancy

American Rivers

Ample Inc.

Animal Welfare Institute

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Appalachian Voices

California Environmental Voters

Center for Progressive Reform

Cetacean Society International

Chesapeake Climate Action Network AF

Clean Air Task Force Action

Clean Water Action

Climate Action Campaign

Climate Changemakers

Climate Crisis Policy

ClimateVoice, a project of Tides Center

Coltura

Common Defense

Conservation Alabama

Conservation Lands Foundation

Conservation Voters for Idaho

Conservation Voters New Mexico

Conservation Voters of PA

Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network Climate, Energy and Environment Team

Creation Justice Ministries

Defenders of Wildlife

Dr. Earl Stewart, Jr., Family Foundation

Dream.Org

Earthjustice

Earthworks

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon / Oregon Interfaith Power and Light

Elevate

Endangered Species Coalition

Environment America

Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Law & Policy Center

Environmental League of Massachusetts

Environmental Protection Network

Environmental Working Group

Evergreen Action

Friends of the Earth Action

Green Door Initiative

GreenLatinos

Greenpeace USA

GRID Alternatives

Health Care Without Harm

Healthy Ocean Coalition

Hip Hop Caucus

Illinois Environmental Council

Impact Fund

Indiana Conservation Voters

Indivisible

Interfaith Power & Light

International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute

It’s Electric, Inc.

John G Shedd Aquarium

Kids for Saving Earth

Los Padres ForestWatch

Maine Conservation Voters

Maryland League of Conservation Voters

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Moms Clean Air Force

Montana Conservation Voters

Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance

Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club

National Audubon Society

National Ocean Protection Coalition

National Parks Conservation Association

National Wildlife Federation

NC League of Conservation Voters

New Urban Mobility alliance (NUMO)

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Defense Initiative

Oceana

Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund

Oncology Advocates United for Climate and Health – INTERNATIONAL

Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV)

Partnership for Policy Integrity

People’s Action

Physicians for Social Responsibility

PODER

Rachel Carson Council

RE-volv

Sierra Club

South Bronx Unite

South Shore Audubon Society | Freeport, NY

Southern Environmental Law Center

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Southwest Research and Information Center

Sowing Justice

Surfrider Foundation

Taproot Earth

Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services

The Alaska Center

The People’s Justice Council

The Wilderness Society

Trust for Public Land

Union of Concerned Scientists

United We Dream

Urban Ocean Lab

Virginia League of Conservation Voters

Washington Conservation Action

Waterkeeper Alliance

WE ACT for Environmental Justice

West End Revitalization Association WERA

Wild Cumberland

Wisconsin Conservation Voters

 

Cc:

Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. House of Representatives

Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senate

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. House of Representatives

Chair Kay Granger, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations

Chair Patty Murray, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations

Vice Chair Susan Collins, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations

Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives