Leaders Criticize Trump’s Rigged Budget, Call for No Special Interest Riders in Appropriations Legislation

April 5, 2017

Contact: David Rosen, drosen@citizen.org, (202) 588-7742
Don Owens, dowens@citizen.org, (202) 588-7767

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On a press call today, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and leaders of the Clean Budget Coalition called for a clean FY 2017 budget – with no corporate handouts or special interest riders – that funds and protects thriving families and communities. In contrast, President Donald Trump has proposed a budget for the next fiscal year with deep and painful funding cuts that would harm American workers, consumers, women and families and reward his corporate cronies, the coalition maintains.

On the call, DeLauro, a leading Democratic appropriator, drew a bright line on the FY17 appropriations riders and beyond: “Partisan and ideological riders have no place in our appropriations process. We should not be forcing significant policy changes through a routine spending bill.” Commenting on the president’s budget proposal, she added: “The president’s skinny budget shows that he values the wealthy over the poor and over working Americans.”

Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, moderated the call and was joined by Elissa McBride, secretary treasurer of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Dana Singiser, vice president of public policy and government affairs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of government affairs for the League of Conservation Voters; Winnie Stachelberg, executive vice president for external affairs for Center for American Progress; and Debbie Weinstein, executive director of the Coalition on Human Needs.

Listen to a recording of the call.

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