Washington – In a letter sent to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this morning, more than 200 organizations from around the country demanded that Senate Democrats oppose cuts to clean water, safe food, public education, basic healthcare and fair, affordable housing by rejecting any federal appropriations bill that does not explicitly prohibit the subsequent use of the rescission process. Under rescission, Congressional Republicans could unilaterally claw back funding approved in a bipartisan law with simple House and Senate majorities later on. 

The letter was facilitated by the environmental organization Food & Water Watch and signed by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Oxfam America, National Nurses United, Popular Democracy, Progressive Democrats of America, and Public Citizen.

The letter states, in part: 

We urge you to ensure that upcoming appropriations legislation prohibits partisan rescissions under the Impoundment Control Act. Congressional Republicans have made it clear that even if Congress were to pass a continuing resolution to maintain current funding levels, they would later use the backdoor rescissions process to cut key programs on a partisan basis. This threatens to eliminate our communities’ access to public education, basic healthcare, clean water, safe food and fair, affordable housing.

“A bipartisan federal spending law isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on if Congressional Republicans can unilaterally cut it up days later through an obscure legislative loophole,” said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “With fundamental issues of public health, safe food and clean water on the line, Schumer and Senate Democrats must stand together, stand firm and reject any appropriations bill that does not include a prohibition on sneaky, cynical rescissions later on.”

“At a moment when Democratic Senators need to show the country that they have what it takes to stand up to Trump, defend the constitution and protect the interests of the people, they cannot allow the GOP to use procedure to run circles around them as they did throughout the McConnell era,” said Alan Minsky, Executive Director, Progressive Democrats of America. “Every Democratic Senator needs to support Sen. Merkley’s amendment to protect against partisan rescissions in the FY2026 appropriations bill.”

“As nurses, we know that access to public education, health care, clean water, food, and housing are critical components of a healthy society. We urge our elected leaders to protect funding for federal programs that provide access to these most basic needs in the upcoming appropriations bills. Stand with nurses, our patients, and your constituents and fight for a healthy future for all of us,” said Mary Turner, RN, president of National Nurses United.