Democrats Oppose Shortsighted Republican Legislative Branch Funding Bill

WASHINGTON —House Appropriations Committee Democrats today united in opposition to House Republicans’ 2025 Legislative Branch funding bill. While the legislation continues the bipartisan progress on funding levels made over the last few years, it is filled with unnecessary partisan policies that were removed in the final 2024 bill.

The legislation:

• Creates a license for employees to discriminate against LGBTQI+ people under the guise of religious liberty and prevents the federal government from adequately responding.
• On the heels of House Republicans closing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, blocks programs and activities that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion training across the Legislative Branch.
• Creates loopholes for a few Members of Congress who perform medical or dental services to be paid in addition to their congressional salary.
• Fails to confront the climate crisis by removing longstanding provisions.
• Bars Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from employment in the Legislative Branch.

“I cannot support the FY 2025 Legislative Branch bill as it currently stands due to harmful policy riders that undermine LGBTQ+ rights and essential diversity initiatives, as well as the exclusion of DACA recipients from government employment,” Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) said. “We should be working to modernize and improve our operations so that Members can work more effectively for the American people, not roll back the progress we have made over the years.”

Congressman Adriano Espaillat’s full remarks are here.

“The funding levels in this bill prove that House Republicans are capable of writing appropriations bills that adhere to the law, with strong, bipartisan investments, and that would receive strong, bipartisan support – if not for their divisive, irresponsible, and irrelevant policy provisions,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “We have made great strides in ensuring that the Congress has the resources needed to serve our constituents and represent them in the United States Capitol. However, the bill's harmful poison pill riders damage our ability to build a staff as diverse and talented as the constituents we serve. This bill is not far removed from legislation that House Democrats would support if House Republicans would join us at the table to govern.”

Congresswoman DeLauro’s full remarks are here.

A summary of the bill can be found here. A fact sheet of the bill is here.

The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here.

In keeping with longstanding practice whereby each chamber of Congress determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without intervention, the bill does not include funds for the Senate or Senate office buildings.

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