House Republicans have added over 290 “poison pill” riders to the federal budget bill that would restrict government spending. These riders would roll back progress on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and environmental protections. The new riders include blocking same-sex marriage equality funding, banning LGBTQ+ flags from federal buildings, restricting visas for foreign farmworkers, and limiting the EPA’s ability to regulate pollution. Advocacy groups are calling on lawmakers to remove all the riders from the budget bill and pass legislation without the controversial restrictions. The riders would damage agencies’ ability to do critical work and reverse gains in environmental justice, according to critics.

  • Arotrios@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Part 4:

    Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies

    • The Independent Contractor Rider would require that no funds be used to block a Trump-era rule published in the final days of his administration that made it easier for employers to misclassify workers as independent contractors, removing them from minimum wage and other labor protections. This would include blocking a rule currently still being finalized by the U.S. Department of Labor that would replace the previous one with clearer protections from misclassification for workers.
    • The Federal Employee Benefits ESG Investing Rider would block implementation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s ESG investing rule for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which has been the subject of failed Congressional Review Act attempts.
    • The H-2A Visas Rider would block implementation of the Labor Department’s rule on H-2A visas to strengthen protections and wage calculations for temporary foreign workers. This rule is facing a Congressional Review Act challenge. Overturning it would take away an estimated $38 million wage increase from impacted H-2A farmworkers.
    • The Gun Control Rider would block any funding for the advocacy or promotion of gun control.
    • The EcoHealth Rider would block funding for the EcoHealth Alliance, which leads scientific research into the connections between human, animal, and environmental health and develops solutions to prevent pandemics and promote conservation.
    • The Medicare and Medicaid Vaccines Rider would block funding for a rule requiring Medicare and Medicaid providers to ensure COVID-19 vaccination of their staff and offer vaccines and educational information to patients, clients, residents, and staff.
    • The ACA Discrimination Rider would block funding for a rule that bans discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs and activities under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
    • The School Prayer Rider would block funding to prevent the implementation of voluntary prayer and meditation programs in public schools.
    • The Embryo Research Rider would ban research on human embryos.
    • The Drug Legalization Rider would ban funding to promote the legalization of any Schedule I controlled substance, including marijuana, except in cases when there is significant medical evidence of a therapeutic benefit or federally funded clinical trials are underway.
    • The Health Research Rider would prohibit funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology and any lab controlled by China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela or any gain-of-function research involving a potential pandemic pathogen in these countries.

    Legislative Branch

    • The Same-Sex Marriage Rider would prohibit denial of funds to anyone with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage should be a union of one man and one woman.

    Military, Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies

    • The Gender Affirming Care Rider would prohibit funds for surgical procedures or hormone therapies for the purposes of gender affirming care.
    • The Same-Sex Marriage Rider would prohibit denial of funds to anyone with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage should be a union of one man and one woman.

    State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

    • The Pride Flag Rider would restrict which flags can be flown over federal facilities – and notably excludes pride flags.

    Transportation, Housing, Urban Development and Related Agencies

    • The Same-Sex Marriage Rider would prohibit denial of funds to anyone with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage should be a union of one man and one woman.
    • The Pride Flag Rider would restrict which flags can be flown over federal facilities – and notably excludes pride flags.

    -END-

      • Arotrios@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        My pleasure and I completely agree - there’s not a single minority population that doesn’t suffer under one or more of these riders, and the full out assault on environmental protections is sickening given the climate devastation we’re experiencing.

        The other thing that came to me while I pulled this out was that the Republican party hasn’t published a policy platform update since 2016.

        This list of riders details what their unpublished policy is pretty thoroughly, and it’s clear why they won’t make it public.