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.
I think the point is that they shove so much unreasonable stuff into a single bill that if Democrats want to pass any of it, they must capitulate to some of the Republicans’ wants. So a long period of negotiation will begin where Democrats will successfully get some of these additions removed, and an agreement is eventually reached where some of these poison pills will remain.
Unfortunately, Republicans would never agree to pass a bill without some of their additions in it, and most Democrats are not willing to dig in their heels and resist.