Washington, D.C. – Today, a coalition of 71 civil rights and public interest organizations representing millions of people and communities across the country sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urging them to reject the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations (FSGG) bill for FY25. The FSGG bill would intentionally underfund federal agencies that safeguard the financial and economic well-being of working families, and it interjects inappropriate and unpopular policy riders that would prohibit agencies from completing their work.

“Now more than ever, we need to equip the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Consumer Product Safety Commission with the tools to safeguard Americans from companies that cheat and steal from them,” said Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for Consumer Federation of America. “The FSGG bill instead uses the appropriations process to weaken these agencies and we urge Congress to reject it.” 

“Our consumer agencies have issued meaningful policies to protect our health and safety from risky products and services, but they are under threat due to the influence of cynical corporate lobbyists,” said Christine Hines, senior policy director at the National Association of Consumer Advocates. “Congress must reject this tactic of using the funding process to squash pro-consumer safeguards.”