Today, the League of Conservation Voters and 64 environmental organizations sent the below letter to members of Congress urging them pass modest spending increases for environmental programs without poison pill riders in the Fiscal Year (FY25) Appropriations Bills.

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November 21, 2024

United States Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

Dear Members of Congress,

The 64 undersigned groups write to you today to urge you to follow the Senate Appropriations Committee’s lead and advance bipartisan, sensible funding increases for environmental programs in Fiscal Year 2025 free of new poison pill policy riders or attacks on the historic climate and environmental progress in the Inflation Reduction Act.

2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, as 2023 was before it. Following a year of record-breaking destruction from hurricanes, out-of-control wildfires, and extreme drought, it is critical that Congress meet its obligation to responsibly fund the government so that we can safeguard the health of our communities and protect our air, water, lands, wildlife, oceans, and climate. Though limited by harmful budget caps that inhibit environmental agencies’ impact, the bipartisan funding levels agreed to by the Senate Appropriations Committee would provide modest increases for critical agencies like EPA and DOI and allow them to continue performing their core functions of environmental protection. Similarly, Congress should follow the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan lead of not allowing any new anti-environmental poison pill riders into the final bills. Poison pill riders have no place in the appropriations process, would jeopardize keeping the government funded and running, and should be rejected.

While our groups believe that increased funding is necessary to truly meet the needs that science and justice demand, the appropriations process requires bipartisan support regardless of which party is in power. The only path forward for Fiscal Year 2025 spending bills, this year or next, is to follow the broadly bipartisan lead of the Senate Appropriations Committee and enact modest funding increases for environmental programs with no new poison pill policy riders or attacks on the Inflation Reduction Act’s groundbreaking climate and environmental programs. We urge all members of Congress to follow their lead.

Sincerely,

Alaska Wilderness League Action

American Bird Conservancy

American Rivers

Animal Welfare Institute

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Aquarium Conservation Partnership

Carbon180

CCAN Action Fund

Change the Chamber

Clean Water Action

Climate Action Campaign

Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Conservation Lands Foundation

Defenders of Wildlife

Detroit Green Skills Alliance

Earthjustice

Endangered Species Coalition

Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Law & Policy Center

Environmental Protection Network

Environmental Working Group

Friends of the Earth Action

Green Science Policy Institute

GreenLatinos

Health Care Without Harm

Healthy Ocean Coalition

Hispanic Access Foundation

Inland Ocean Coalition

Interfaith Power & Light

Kettle Range Conservation Group

Kids for Saving Earth

League of Conservation Voters

Los Padres ForestWatch

Moms Clean Air Force

Monterey Bay Aquarium

National Aquarium

National Environmental Health Association

National Estuarine Research Reserve Association

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

National Ocean Protection Coalition

National Wildlife Federation

Natural Resources Defense Council

Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Defense Initiative

Oceana

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Public Citizen

Rachel Carson Council

Sierra Club

Sierra Forest Legacy

Silvix Resources

Southern Environmental Law Center

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Southwest Research and Information Center

Surfrider Foundation

The Conservation Angler

The Wilderness Society

Toxic-Free Future

Trust for Public Land

Voices for Progress

WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Western Watersheds Project

World Wildlife Fund

Wyoming Wildlife Advocates

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