163 Representatives Send Letter Opposing Anti-LGBTQI+ Appropriations Riders

November 1, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as the House continues consideration of FY 2024 appropriations bills, 163 Members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden and Democratic leadership in the House and Senate urging them to reject any funding agreement that includes anti-LGBTQI+ provisions.

The letter was led by Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Co-Chairs Reps. Mark Takano (CA-39), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sharice L. Davids (KS-03), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Robert Garcia (CA-42), and Eric Sorensen (IL-17).

In the letter, Members of Congress state:

"Rather than working to address the problems facing Americans and supporting working families, anti-equality members of Congress are attempting to hijack the appropriations process to restrict the rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBTQI+ people. These members lack the votes and public support to pass their anti-LGBTQI+ agenda into law as standalone bills, so they are working to include them in must-pass funding legislation. We strongly oppose these efforts."

Members further state:

"The anti-LGBTQI+ provisions in the House appropriations bills are part of a larger coordinated effort to restrict the rights of LGBTQI+ people. As members of Congress, we stand with our LGBTQI+ constituents and the larger LGBTQI+ community. They deserve to have their rights protected—not restricted or eliminated.

"Appropriations bills should provide support to all Americans and make our constituents better off—not target certain constituents for discrimination and exclusion. We urge you to stand with the LGBTQI+ community and reject any attempts to include anti-LGBTQI+ provisions in any final FY24 government funding deal."

Read the full text of the letter here.

Currently, there are more than 40 anti-equality provisions in the House FY 2024 appropriations bills. These include several riders that appear in the majority of the bills, such as:

Gender-Affirming Care Ban Riders: These riders would restrict access to evidence-based, medically necessary care for transgender people or eliminate funding to organizations that provide such care.
License to Discriminate Riders: These riders would create a license for people and organizations—including those receiving taxpayer funds—to discriminate against LGBTQI+ people under the guise of religious liberty, and they prevent the federal government from adequately responding. For example, they prohibit the federal government from reducing or terminating a federal contract or grant with an organization that discriminates against LGBTQI+ people if the organization justifies their discrimination based on the belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
Pride Flag Riders: These riders would prohibit funds from being used to fly pride flags at covered facilities.
DEI EO Riders: These riders would prohibit funds from being used to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out three LGBTQI-inclusive Executive Orders (EO Nos. 13985, 14035, and 14091) meant to ensure the federal workforce is an inclusive and affirming workplace for employees with marginalized identities.

The Equality Caucus has condemned the House passage of the following five appropriations bills for their inclusion of anti-equality riders and amendments:

The Equality Caucus applauded the House's rejection of H.R. 4368, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, which also included several anti-equality provisions.

The House is expected to consider the remaining appropriations bills this month. All of them have anti-LGBTQI+ provisions.

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