IFPTE Letter to House of Representatives Urges Bipartisan Appropriations Process to Fund Government and Avoid a Shutdown

As Congress adjourns and begins a month-long recess, IFPTE shared deep concerns about the appropriations bills that the House is considering and the extreme cuts to federal agencies and programs proposed in the House appropriations bills. The letter asks Representatives to “consider the impact these cuts and provisions will have on your constituents and their communities” and “request House Leadership work with their Senate counterparts in a bipartisan manner to approve FY24 funding at the levels set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and, if needed, pass a short-term continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown on October 1st.”

While the House has passed one appropriations bill, for the Veterans Administration and Military Construction, on a party-line vote, the Senate has worked in a bipartisan manner to advance all 12 appropriations bills out of Senate Appropriations Committee the before the August recess. While the Senate bills fund federal agencies at fiscal year 2023 funding levels, as set in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, House appropriators have proposed and advanced funding bills that significantly underfund several agencies. Some of the extreme cuts include a 29% cut to DOL’s budget compared to FY 2023, a 39% cut to EPA’s budget, an 18% cut to CDC, and a 15% cut to the Department of Education.

When Congress returns in September and resumes work on passing government funding, IFPTE will engage with lawmakers to make sure a continue resolution is being considered to prevent a government shutdown and a bipartisan majority in the House follows the lead of the bipartisan Senate appropriations bills.

Read IFPTE’s letter to the House of Representatives here.