Pro-regulatory groups urge Congress to pass ‘clean’ spending bill

Pro-regulatory groups are urging lawmakers not to roll back consumer health and safety protections in passing a federal budget for 2017.

{mosads}The Clean Budget Coalition, an alliance of more than 100 consumer and public interest groups, delivered an “Omnibus Map” to the office of all 535 members of Congress Wednesday warning of the more than 750 “poison pill” riders that have been added to the spending bill.

Included is language to bar the Securities and Exchange Commission from finalizing rules requiring publicly traded corporations to disclose their political spending to shareholders, as well as language to block the overtime rule and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. Other language allows employers and health insurance companies to refuse to cover any service to which they object — such as contraception.

Lawmakers passed a temporary “continuing resolution” in October to keep the government running through Dec. 9. They have 23 days to pass a budget to avoid a government shutdown, according to the coalition’s countdown.

“Congress must finish the appropriations process this year and pass a clean budget free from ideological riders,” the map reads.

– This story was updated at 3:40 p.m.