Members of Congress are currently negotiating the budget deal to avoid a government shutdown. While there will likely be a small funding bill to extend the deadline till next week, a deal must be made soon. The main sticking point: policy riders.

Sign the petition now calling on Congress to remove all riders from the budget process.

Riders getting national attention are Republican attempts to limit refugees, repeal environmental regulations, and weaken banking regulations. President Obama has threatened to veto many of those policies. But allowing these extreme political riders into this crucial piece of legislation opens the door to sneaking more provisions in like this one:

Last year’s funding bill almost included a provision on page 1,599 to create three separate funds within the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee until citizens raised their voices. Each fund would be allowed to accept $97,200 per donor, per year. If this change had become law, it would mean that a single donor could give up to $324,000 per year, or $648,000 for a two-year election cycle, to finance the party’s operations.That is over half the amount the average congressional campaign spends in two years.

This is why we don’t want political riders in the budget deal.

No one should be allowed to buy an election by giving $648,000 to a political committee every two years. The spending bill is complicated enough, there is no time for a proper debate of the issues so all unnecessary controversy should be left off.

Urge Speaker Ryan and your member of Congress to reject riders on any funding bill.

Time is of the essence. Please sign the petition today.