Minority News Releases
BILL SUMMARY: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
Legislation keeps our promise to veterans by fully funding veterans’ medical care and benefits, strengthens our national security, and delivers record investments in veterans’ mental health, ending veteran homelessness, and women veterans’ health Rejects extreme partisan riders that would deny veterans access to abortion care and more ***Bill text, explanatory statement, & more available HERE*** Washington, D.C. - The Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs,… Continue Reading
03.03.24
BILL SUMMARY: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
Sustains critical pay raises for brave federal firefighters and supports wildfire suppression efforts, invests in Tribal communities, and rejects extreme new policy riders and drastic cuts to core environmental and conservation programs ***Bill text, explanatory statement, & more available HERE*** Washington, D.C. - The Fiscal Year 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides $41.2 billion in total funding. “This bill ensures the country is pr… Continue Reading
03.03.24
BILL SUMMARY: Energy and Water Development Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
Bill strengthens investments in scientific research, protects key climate programs, keeps waterways flowing to irrigate crops, invests in environmental cleanup projects, and more Legislation includes no extreme new riders ***Bill text, explanatory statement, & more available HERE*** Washington, D.C. - The Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act provides $58.191 billion in total funding for the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of … Continue Reading
03.03.24
BILL SUMMARY: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
Legislation maintains critical investments to ensure America stays at the forefront of cutting-edge research and innovation, keep communities safe, and deliver critical investments to boost economic growth; rejects dozens of extreme riders ***Bill text, explanatory statement, & more available HERE*** Washington, D.C. - The Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act provides a total of $68.537 billion in discretionary funding. T… Continue Reading
03.03.24
BILL SUMMARY: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
Legislation fully funds WIC, maintains vital rental assistance for Americans in rural areas, protects resources farmers and ranchers count on, and protects America’s food supply and families’ health Bill rejects extreme new partisan riders ***Bill text, explanatory statement, & more available HERE*** Washington, D.C. - The Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides $26.228 billion in total … Continue Reading
02.29.24
Murray Remarks Ahead of Senate Vote to Avert Shutdown
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor remarks*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the floor ahead of the Senate vote on a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded as Congress works to finalize and pass full-year funding bills starting next week. Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below: “Thank you M. President. I am really glad that we have a clear consensus that n… Continue Reading
02.28.24
Schumer, McConnell, Johnson, Jeffries, Murray, Collins, Granger, DeLauro Joint Statement On FY24 Appropriations Agreement
Washington, D.C. - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) along with Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement: “We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government.… Continue Reading
02.27.24
Murray Floor Remarks on FY24 Funding and Preventing a Needless Shutdown
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor about the state of FY24 funding talks and what’s needed to pass final bills and prevent a government shutdown. Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below: “Thank you, M. President. “‘We have the means and just enough time this week to avoid a shutdown and to make serious headway on annual appropriations. But, as always, the task at hand will r… Continue Reading
02.27.24
Senator Murray Details Harms of a Needless & Costly Shutdown as She Pushes to Get Final Funding Bills Across Finish Line
SHUTDOWNS COST TAXPAYERS: The last three government shutdowns cost taxpayers nearly $4 billion—at least $3.7 billion in back pay to furloughed federal workers and at least $338 million in other costs associated with the shutdowns, including extra administrative work, lost revenue, and late fees on interest payments. SHUTDOWNS STUNT ECONOMIC GROWTH: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the five-week partial government shutdown in 2018-2019 reduced economic output by $11 bil… Continue Reading
02.13.24
Murray Statement on Senate Passage of National Security Supplemental
In a 70-29 vote, Senate approves package to support U.S. allies and deliver humanitarian assistance ***WATCH: Senator Murray urges colleagues to pass national security supplemental*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Senate voting 70-29 to pass the national security supplemental: “Now that the Senate has passed a comprehensive national security supplemental with an overw… Continue Reading
02.12.24
Murray Remarks Ahead of Final Procedural Votes on Supplemental
***WATCH: Senator Murray's floor remarks*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the final procedural votes to advance the national security supplemental. Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below: “Thank you, M. President. We all understand: we cannot leave our job here unfinished. “The clock is ticking right now, and there is so much at stake. We have a strong, bipar… Continue Reading
02.11.24
Murray Remarks in Support of National Security Supplemental and Opposition to Effort to Table It
***WATCH: Senator Murray's floor remarks*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to a motion to table the national security supplemental. Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below: “I’ve spoken quite a bit about how the votes we cast as United States Senators for this funding have tremendous consequence. I’ve talked about how whether or not we deliver this aid, especial… Continue Reading
02.09.24
Murray Remarks Ahead of Motion to Proceed to National Security Supplemental
***WATCH: Senator Murray's floor remarks*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in support of tonight's vote on the motion to proceed to the national security supplemental. Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below: “Let’s be clear—the stakes of this moment could not be higher. The question before us is nothing short of ‘what kind of future do we want for our kids?’ “Our r… Continue Reading
02.08.24
Murray Remarks on Senate Voting to Advance National Security Supplemental
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor about next steps for the national security supplemental after the Senate voted 67-32 to consider the package. Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below: “M. President, it should never have taken this long to move forward on this aid that so many of us are saying is necessary—but I am so glad that we are finally here making progress on this cruci… Continue Reading
02.07.24
Murray on Senate Republicans Voting Down Comprehensive Supplemental: They Will Be “Telling the World American Leadership Has Been Hollowed Out by Republican Obstruction”
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor remarks*** “By voting it down, Republicans will be telling our allies our word cannot be trusted, telling dictators like Putin that our threats are not serious, and telling the world American leadership has been hollowed out by Republican obstructionism,” said Senator Murray. “And let’s be clear: they will be telling the American people they don’t want to solve the crisis at our border—they want to campaign on it.” “Republicans went from ‘we demand bor… Continue Reading
02.07.24
With Republicans Planning to Block Bipartisan Supplemental with Border Policy Changes They Demanded, Murray Releases Supplemental without Border Provisions
Washington, D.C. — Today—ahead of a vote on the Senate’s comprehensive bipartisan national security supplemental with border policy changes that Senate Republicans insisted upon but are expected to vote against—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released legislative text of a national security supplemental that includes: aid to Ukraine and Israel, humanitarian assistance, resources to support our allies in the Indo-Pacific and deter aggression by t… Continue Reading
02.06.24
Murray Floor Remarks on National Security Supplemental and Bipartisan Border Compromise
Senator Murray: “If Republicans kill this deal—throwing out border policies they demanded, throwing their Senate colleagues under the bus, and throwing in the towel to dictators like Putin—how are they going to have any sort of credibility on addressing the border? They won’t. The American people will rightly see it for the kind of naked, partisan politics most people can’t stand.” ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor remarks*** Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), … Continue Reading
02.04.24
Murray Remarks on Bipartisan National Security Supplemental
Washington, D.C. — Tonight, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke about the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental package on a press call with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below: “Tonight, the Senate Appropriations Committee released the full text of the bipartisan national security supplemental. A few things that I want to make clea… Continue Reading
02.04.24
Murray Releases Text of Bipartisan National Security Supplemental
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released text of the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental package and issued the following statement: “As Ukraine runs low on ammunition to fend off Putin’s brutal invasion, it is imperative we finally extend our support. We must also live up to our commitments to our allies around the globe and quickly get more aid to innocent civilians caught in conflict, including in … Continue Reading
01.18.24
Senator Murray Remarks as Senate Advances CR in 77-18 Vote
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor remarks*** Washington, D.C. — This afternoon, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown in a 77-18 vote. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the floor ahead of the vote urging speedy passage of the CR so Congress can continue negotiating and pass the strongest possible bipartisan, bicameral full-year appropriations bills in the coming weeks after Sena… Continue Reading