VICTORY: U.S. House Passes All Appropriations Bills Free From Anti-LGBTQ+ Riders

WASHINGTON — Thanks to the leadership of pro-equality members of Congress and the persistent advocacy of the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations, more than 50 anti-LGBTQ+ riders were not included across the dozen final FY 26 appropriations bills that are headed to the U.S. Senate today. Even as MAGA lawmakers in the House – consistent with their relentless obsession with transgender people – pushed to load the budget bills with discriminatory provisions, bipartisan and bicameral negotiators ultimately rid the bills of that language, defeating every anti-LGBTQ+ rider introduced. 

“Today, LGBTQ+ Americans won,” said Kelley Robinson, Human Rights Campaign President. “MAGA lawmakers have repeatedly tried to derail the appropriations process with harmful, anti-LGBTQ+ provisions but thanks to pro-equality leaders in both chambers, these dangerous riders that would have harmed LGBTQ+ people across the country were defeated. This highlights the essential truth that attacking LGBTQ+ people is a losing political strategy. HRC was proud to work in coalition with partners and  House and Senate Democratic leaders to defeat these harmful provisions.” 

The Human Rights Campaign joined partner organizations and advocates in urging House and Senate leaders to hold the line against the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ riders pushed by MAGA members of Congress and backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson. These rejected measures sought to limit access to medically necessary care for transgender people, authorize taxpayer-funded discrimination against married same-sex couples, undermine nondiscrimination and DEI initiatives, and further restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Despite this failed attempt by House Republicans to further divide our country, this outcome reflects the work of House and Senate Democrats who stood firm, made defeating these riders a priority, and refused to let the community be sacrificed in negotiations. It was no accident that every harmful rider was kept out of the final bill. HRC played a central role in that effort by educating lawmakers and the public about the stakes, mobilizing grassroots supporters, and working in coalition to defend the “power of the purse” from discriminatory amendments. To learn more about the provisions included in all 12 FY 26 appropriations bills considered by the House Appropriations Committee, please see HRC’s “Power of the Purse” report. The bills now go to the Senate for a final vote. 

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.

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