Chair Murray Opening Remarks at Full Committee Markup
ICYMI: Summary of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
ICYMI: Summary of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
ICYMI: Summary of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Agencies Appropriations Bill
ICYMI: Summary of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, just gaveled in a Senate Appropriations Committee markup and delivered the following remarks as the Committee meets to consider: the Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Agencies Appropriations Act; and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
“I’d like to thank Vice Chair Collins, Senators Shaheen and Moran, the Chair and Ranking Member of the CJS Subcommittee; Senators Merkley and Murkowski, the Interior Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member; Senators Coons and Graham, the SFOPS Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member; and Senators Schatz and Hyde-Smith, the THUD Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member, who have put in hard work to pull together four strong, bipartisan bills.
“We passed three bills in overwhelming votes last time—thanks to everyone who put politics aside, and put solutions first, and we are in a good position to keep that progress going today.
“I have emphasized throughout this process—and really as long as I have been in politics—that we cannot shortchange our families, or our communities, or our future.
“So I am glad this Committee is once again working to produce and pass funding bills that will make people’s lives better, address challenges we’re facing, and invest in our country’s future.
“And I am glad that, as we discussed at our first markup, Vice Chair Collins and I were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to make these investments possible with much-needed additional funding for nondefense and defense alike.
“That is crucial to making sure we can address serious shortfalls, tackle urgent new challenges here at home and abroad, prevent devastating layoffs and cutbacks to services, and invest in families and in our country’s future.
“Now, the bipartisan bills before us today include funding to support families—and I’m especially pleased they deliver crucial new investments to help address the housing crisis, build more affordable housing, and keep families in their homes.
“They include investments to strengthen our economy and keep America on the cutting edge with funding for everything from groundbreaking scientific research to help make good on the promise of the CHIPS and Science Act; to weather satellites that are crucial for so many industries and everyone at home wondering about tomorrow’s forecast; to support for NASA’s missions and maintaining our incredible legacy of leadership in space; to building trade relations—and trade infrastructure, like our ports!
“And of course, there are the countless different ways these bills invest in keeping people safe—with funding to hire and keep air traffic controllers, rails safety inspectors, wildland firefighters, and law enforcement officials.
“These bills deliver resources to help ensure every American has access to clean air and clean water—and to combat the climate crisis and protect our countries’ incredible lands and waterways.
“And they deliver crucial investments in diplomacy and strengthening our global leadership—an especially important tool right now given the aggressive moves we have seen from our adversaries and the allies we have like Ukraine facing existential threats.
“Getting here has not been easy, it has required all of us to make some tough decisions and seeking out common ground.
“But as I made clear at our last markup—here in the Senate, we are moving ahead with strong bipartisan bills that can actually be passed and signed into law, and which actually address the issues we all hear about back home, and the many challenges we are seeing abroad.
“We have already passed three bills unanimously. And I hope, thanks to everyone’s hard work, we can keep the momentum going today.
“I will now turn to Vice Chair Collins for any comments she would like to make.”
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