Minority News Releases
Senator Murray Presses NIH Director on Trump’s Proposal to Cut Medical Research Funding to Pay for $1.5 Trillion War Budget
NIH Director declines to defend Trump's request to cut NIH funding while boosting defense budget by half a trillion dollars ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, slammed Direc… Continue Reading
05.20.26
At Hearing, Murray Slams Trump Admin for Seeking to Gut Funding for Ports, Drought Mitigation, and Critical Infrastructure Projects
Murray on Trump’s budget request: “We cannot let Trump open the floodgates for defense contractors while our families and farmers barely get anything.” Murray says Committee must address fast approaching infrastructure cliff when Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expires in September ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks*** ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—during a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee he… Continue Reading
05.20.26
After Duffy Refuses to Answer Basic Ethics Questions in Angry Outburst at Senate Hearing—Senator Murray Calls for Inspector General to Investigate Duffy’s Corporate-Sponsored Road Trip
ICYMI: Senator Murray Grills Secretary Duffy on Corporate-Paid Reality TV Road Trip as Americans Pay Sky-High Gas Prices Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on the Department of Transportation Inspector General to open an official investigation into Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s involvement on his “Great American Road Trip” documentary which was paid for by the same corporations he is tasked with… Continue Reading
05.19.26
Senator Murray Questions Secretary Duffy on Corporate-Paid Reality TV Road Trip as Americans Pay Sky-High Gas Prices
Duffy refuses to engage with basic questions from Murray on corporate-sponsored trip Murray to Duffy: “Americans don’t have corporate sponsors to pay for their gas.” ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Transportation (DOT)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senat… Continue Reading
05.19.26
Sen. Murray Calls for Blocking Trump’s $1.8 Billion MAGA Slush However Possible—Including Through Appropriations
ICYMI: At Hearing with Acting AG Blanche, Senator Murray Blasts Outrageous Creation of $1.8 Billion MAGA Slush Fund Washington, D.C. — Following this morning’s hearing with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche—during which Blanche failed to provide any justifiable defense of the Department of Justice (DOJ) establishing a new $1.8 billion slush fund to pay out Trump loyalists—Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called for Congress to block the $1… Continue Reading
05.19.26
At Hearing with Acting AG Blanche, Senator Murray Blasts Outrageous Creation of $1.8 Billion MAGA Slush Fund, Presses for Apology to Epstein Victims
Murray on Trump’s new $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded MAGA slush fund: “What we are talking about is nothing short of the sitting President of the United States looting from the Treasury for his own gain.” When pressed by Murray, Blanche refuses to directly apologize to Epstein victims for DOJ’s failure to protect their privacy ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)… Continue Reading
05.14.26
Senator Murray Slams HUD Secretary for Backing Budget to Fund War Instead of Helping Americans Afford Housing
ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pressed Secretary Scott Turner on his efforts to dismantle key h… Continue Reading
05.13.26
Senator Murray Presses EPA Administrator on Agency Siding with Mega Polluters, Plans to Gut Clean Water Funding
ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pressed Administrator Lee Zeldin on how EPA has been captured by industry and is abandoning its mi… Continue Reading
05.12.26
Senator Murray Grills Kash Patel on Tenure at FBI
Murray: “We need somebody at this agency who’s focused on solving criminal cases, not passing out branded bourbon, or jetting around the globe. Your job is to be reachable. … If you want to pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting.” ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcom… Continue Reading
05.12.26
Senator Murray Grills Hegseth on Iran War, Trump’s Astronomical $1.5 Trillion War Budget, and Spending Priorities
Pressed by Murray on Trump’s comments that the U.S. can’t afford child care or health care—only fighting wars, Hegseth defends Trump’s budget request: “I certainly support this.” ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Defense (DoD)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of … Continue Reading
05.05.26
Murray, DeLauro File Amicus Brief with Appeals Court to Uphold Key Spending Transparency Website
Washington, D.C. — Late Monday, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, filed an amicus brief in support of ongoing litigation before the D.C. Circuit Court over the Trump administration’s illegal attempts to take down a statutorily-required spending transparency website that makes public the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) apportionments. In March 2025, OMB Di… Continue Reading
04.30.26
Senator Murray on Passage of DHS Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on House passage of the fiscal year 2026 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill that passed the Senate unanimously on March 27 and then again on April 2. “Speaker Johnson extended the DHS shutdown for over a month for no reason at all. This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago. “After Republicans spent m… Continue Reading
04.29.26
Senator Murray Presses Administration Officials on Trump Pitch to Bloat War Budget While Shortchanging Nonproliferation Programs
MURRAY: “At the same time Trump is demanding trillions for a war in Iran and trying to justify this war on the threat of nuclear proliferation, he is completely blowing off the very program that works around the clock to prevent state and non-state actors from developing nuclear weapons, or acquiring weapons-usable materials, equipment, technology, and expertise.” ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks*** **… Continue Reading
04.29.26
As Disaster Relief Fund Runs Dry, Murray Again Calls on House Republicans to Pass DHS Funding Bill
With only $1.6 billion remaining in the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), today FEMA implemented Immediate Needs Funding (INF), which suspends all disaster relief expenditures that are not lifesaving or life-sustaining Senate-passed DHS funding bill would provide $26.4 billion to replenish the DRF—but Speaker Johnson has failed to put it up for a vote for over a month Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the fo… Continue Reading
04.28.26
Senator Murray Grills McMahon on Dismantling the Department of Education, Proposing More Cuts to Investments in Students
ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today,—at a Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Education (ED)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary Linda McMahon on how her efforts to dismantle the Department of … Continue Reading
04.28.26
Senator Murray to House Republicans: Put the DHS Funding Bill on the Floor Today
Murray: “If Speaker Johnson and House Republicans are looking for someone to blame for the shutdown, we need to find them a mirror.” ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democratic leadership at a press conference to call on Speaker Johnson to stop blocking the bipartisan bill that the Senate twice passed unanimously to fund the Department of Homeland Sec… Continue Reading
04.22.26
Senator Murray Blasts Trump’s Pitch to Gut Cost Saving Energy Programs, Slams Wright for Shortchanging Hanford
ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request Pressed on whether gas will dip to $3/gallon again before the end of the year, Wright says: “Nobody can offer guarantees about the future.” ***WATCH AND READ: Senator Murray’s opening remarks*** ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today—during a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing on President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request for the D… Continue Reading
04.22.26
OPENING REMARKS: Senator Murray Blasts Trump’s Energy Budget as Skyrocketing Energy Costs Squeeze American Families
Murray: “This budget really is a war-bloated disaster. We’re talking $1.5 trillion on war, that is an increase of half a trillion dollars. And this budget takes a hatchet to programs that lower families’ energy bills, research that keeps us ahead of China, crucial water projects that our communities rely on. And gas prices are sky high and energy bills are ticking up month after month, just so Trump can help defense contractors make a killing. And I will tell you, at home that is not what our… Continue Reading
04.22.26
On Senate Floor, Murray Slams Republicans for Cutting a Blank Check for ICE While Costs Skyrocket for Families Across the Country
Murray: “Republicans are making clear, their biggest priority is not lowering prices or helping families with the basics, not stopping Trump’s warmongering, it’s giving tens of billions of dollars more of your hard-earned tax dollars to ICE and Border Patrol.” ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full floor speech*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor on Republicans’ efforts to provide at l… Continue Reading
04.22.26
Senator Murray Slams Trump and Burgum’s Interior Budget that Fires Park Staff and Cuts Funding for Tribes
ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning*** Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Department of Interior (DOI), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, slammed Secretary Doug Burgum’s continued efforts to fire staff across the Department and cut f… Continue Reading