Dear Senator:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to express our opposition to the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 1968) scheduled for Senate floor consideration this week.
H.R. 1968 will flat-fund and cut critical funding to invest in families and America’s future—and reneges on the funding levels agreed to as part of the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). The bill cuts nondefense funding by $7 billion relative to the original FY24 agreement, and it cuts nondefense funding by $15 billion and defense by $3 billion relative to the FY25 FRA agreement. Specifically, the bill would result in closures of Social Security offices, reneges on veterans’ medical care and would cut over $1 billion from the District of Columbia’s funding resulting in drastic cuts to education, law enforcement and first responders in the city.
Moreover, H.R. 1968 would grant broad discretion over spending decisions to the Administration to zero out programs and redirect funding as they see fit. Such unchecked power by the Executive Branch has already resulted in job loss in both the public and private sectors and has damaged critical services that hardworking taxpayers depend upon. The Administration has been responsible for gutting government functions, missions, and critical capabilities. So far, we know the reduction-in-force (RIF) at the Department of Veterans Affairs is slated to cut 83,000 jobs or 18% of its workforce and the Social Security Administration will RIF 7,000 workers or 12% of its workforce.
We urge you to reject H.R. 1968 and instead adopt Senator Murray’s clean, short term Continuing Resolution (S. 924) to avoid a government shutdown and to provide time to negotiate a bipartisan and bicameral deal to properly fund the government.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs