ProsperUS Letter - September 15, 2023
Speaker Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray
Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Susan Collins
Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger
Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro
As members of ProsperUS, a coalition of 87 movement groups, labor organizations, think tanks, experts, and advocates across the country, we urge Congress to quickly pass appropriations bills – at least at the spending levels agreed upon in the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 – and to refuse to entertain legislation that guts critical programs so many Americans rely on. After all, the budget deal President Biden reached with Senate and House leadership already includes significant and painful compromises that directly impact the communities we represent.
Therefore, moving forward, lawmakers should emphatically reject further cuts in any final spending deal.
Unfortunately, just weeks after the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the House majority passed spending bills with damaging and irresponsible cuts far below the already low agreed-upon levels. The House majority’s proposals would hurt workers, families, and communities, particularly low-income people of color, by slashing investments in K-12 education, health care, lead poisoning prevention, safe drinking water, cancer research, and more. They would also empower the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations by slashing the resources that the Internal Revenue Service needs to go after wealthy tax cheats and recoup billions of dollars in unpaid taxes.
These cuts fly in the face of what the vast majority of people across the country want. New polling from Navigator Research shows that voters not only oppose additional cuts, they overwhelmingly support more public investments to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of workers and families. Specifically, Americans across the political spectrum strongly oppose proposed GOP cuts to Social Security, nutrition assistance, education, clean drinking water, and investments in life-saving medical research.
We urge the House to abandon the dangerous, partisan path it has chosen so far and instead follow the example set by the Senate and pass appropriations bills that, at minimum, adhere to the contours of the recent bipartisan budget deal, invest appropriately in critical national priorities, and can earn bipartisan support.
However, if this can’t happen before government funding lapses on October 1st, we strongly urge you to adopt a continuing resolution that maintains spending at current levels and omits any harmful riders. We know that the American people overwhelmingly oppose shutting down our government to force unpopular and damaging cuts that will jeopardize the economic well-being of millions of families.
Simply put, there is absolutely no reason for deal-breaking and hostage-taking to be rewarded and encouraged by caving to the demands of a small, reckless group of radical members in the House.
We at ProsperUS understand that bold, equitable public investment will build a stronger, more sustainable economy that works for all of us, that significant public investment is essential to address racial and gender disparities, and that government spending that prioritizes people’s needs has overwhelming public support. As you negotiate spending bills and work to avoid a completely unnecessary government shutdown, we hope that your work reflects our broadly-shared principles.
Sincerely,
A Better Balance
Action Center on Race and the Economy
AFGE Local 704
American Economic Liberties Project
Americans For Tax Fairness
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Better Life Lab @ New America
Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC)
California Asset Building Coalition
California Immigrant Policy Center
Center for American Progress
Center for Economic and Policy Research
Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research
Center for Popular Democracy
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
Children's Defense Fund
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Colorado Fiscal Institute
Communications Workers of America
Congressional Progressive Caucus Center
Daily Kos
Demos
Detroit Action
Detroit Disability Power
Economic Opportunity Institute
Economic Policy Institute
Economic Security Project
Employ America
Every Texan
ExtendPUA.org
Family Values @ Work
Faith in Public Life Action
Friends Committee on National Legislation
FPWA
Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality
Groundwork Collaborative
Good Jobs First
Health Care for America Now (HCAN)
Human Impact Partners
In the Public Interest
Indivisible
Insight Center for Community Economic Development
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Institute for Policy Studies
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Invest in America
Invest in Washington Now
Legal Aid at Work
Liberation in a Generation
Main Street Alliance
Make It Work Nevada
The Maven Collaborative
MomsRising
National Employment Law Project
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National Women’s Law Center
New Jersey Policy Perspective
Oxfam America
Partnership for Working Families
PolicyLink
Prosperity Now
Public Citizen
Revolving Door Project
Save Us Now, Inc.
SaverLife
Service Employees International Union
Southern Economic Advancement Project
Southern Poverty Law Center
State Innovation Exchange (SiX)
Strong Economy For All Coalition
Student Basic Needs Coalition
Tax March
Tax March Wisconsin
Take on Wall Street
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
Unrig Our Economy
Voices for Progress
Women's Economic Justice Program at The Century Foundation
Women’s March
Working Families Party
Young Invincibles
Download the .pdf here.
