On September 14th, the House passed H.R. 3354, the “Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act of 2018.” The bill was a package of all 12 spending bills for FY 2018 and was stuffed full of disastrous partisan provisions and policy riders. It slashed the EPA budget by half a billion dollars while increasing funds for ICE agents, detention beds, and the border wall. It blocked the implementation of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and crucial oil and gas industry regulations. It even went so far as to withholding federal funds from sanctuary cities, Planned Parenthood, teen pregnancy prevention programs, and the entirety of Obamacare.
At the beginning of September, Congress passed a ‘Continuing Resolution’ (CR) to continue funding the government at its current appropriations levels for 3 months after the end of the 2017 Fiscal Year; federal funding will now last until December 8th. This helped to avoid a government shut down and gave Congress more time to work on new 2018 spending levels.
While the House has now passed all 12 spending bills for FY 2018, the Senate has yet to pass a single one. Senators will spend the next 2 months writing, debating, and amending their own versions of 2018 spending bills. (Regular order involves passing bills individually, not in packages like the House passed.) Unlike the House, the Senate needs a supermajority of votes (60) to pass their bills which should lead to more bipartisanship. It is vital that the Senate reject all of the partisan provisions included in the House’s disastrous spending plan and act to fund the federal government fairly for all Americans.
Call Rob Portman R-OH 202-224-3353
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from Dayton.
I’m calling to urge Senator Rob Portman to pass a 2018 appropriations bill that contains no partisan policy riders. Instead of pushing forward controversial one-sided agendas, Congress must pass a fair, bipartisan spending bill in the best interest of all Americans.
Thank you for your time and attention.
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