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The incoming Senate Appropriations chair calls for December government funding punt
Washington Sen. Patty Murray wants a short-term patch to keep federal agencies funded beyond the Dec. 11 shutdown deadline, to give Democrats negotiating leverage when they retake the majority. Read More
Natalie Schulte Joins Sen. Patty Murray's Office as AAAS Fellow
Natalie Schulte has joined Sen. Patty Murray's office as an AAAS Fellow, effective Sept. 1, 2026. Read full details on her background and Senate role. Read More
Trump's 'secret plan' for $1.6 trillion in student debt sparks fury: 'True chaos'
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to remove the Federal Student Aid office from the Department of Education and establish a new independent agency tasked with managing roughly $1.6 trillion in debt owed by more than 40 million borrowers.The plan, first reported by The Washington Sun on Read More
Senate Democrats pressure EPA to drop abortion pill water quality study
Patty Murray and Chuck Schumer are pressuring EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to drop the abortion pill water quality study. Read More
Mifepristone detection study draws fire from Senate Democrats
Senate Democrats demanded answers Thursday from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin about an agency study to detect the abortion pill mifepristone in drinking water. Led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the entire Senate Democratic Conference signed a letter to Zeldin calli Read More
Patty Murray discusses public health working group in Pullman
PULLMAN, Wash. — Sen. Patty Murray outlined a new effort in Pullman aimed at rebuilding trust in the nation’s public health system. Read More
Sen. Patty Murray meets with state policymakers to discuss AI regulations as federal action sputters
OLYMPIA – Sen. Patty Murray convened a roundtable discussion Thursday with state policymakers and industry experts to learn how Washington has implemented safeguards for artificial intelligence and to urge the federal government to regulate the emerging technology. Read More
Patty Murray launches initiative to restore trust in public health, starting with event at WSU
WASHINGTON – Sen. Patty Murray on Wednesday launched an initiative aimed at rebuilding trust in the nation’s public health system, assembling a group of experts to develop a “blueprint” for policy after the tenure of President Donald Trump and his top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Read More
Ferguson urges voters to reject potential trans girl athletes ban
Gov. Bob Ferguson called on Washington voters to reject an upcoming ballot initiative that would bar transgender girls from competing in girls sports at K-12 schools. Ferguson’s opposition aligns him with dozens of other groups that are rallying against Initiative 638, including Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, the Greater Seattle Business Association, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, ... Read More
Lawmakers slam Trump's move to cancel $810M in funding approved by Congress
“This is theft from the American people, plain and simple,” Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said. Read More
Patty Murray demands White House stop airing taxpayer-funded Trump ad
WASHINGTON – Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the top Democrat on the Senate committee responsible for federal spending, demanded Thursday that the White House stop airing a taxpayer-funded TV ad promoting President Donald Trump. Read More
Trump nominee floors senator at FDA hearing: 'Birth control is not an abortion'
President Donald Trump's pick to run the Food and Drug Administration left Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) briefly speechless by declining to say whether an intrauterine device causes an abortion.Heidi Overton, a physician and White House domestic policy adviser, appeared before the Senate Health, Educatio... Read More
A $3.2 Billion Showdown: Democrats say Trump is redirecting aid and letting millions expire
Democratic Sens. Patty Murray and Brian Schatz say the Trump administration plans to allow $725 million to reach the deadline without directing the money toward new projects. They also allege that the White House is redirecting another $2.5 billion, which Congress had approved for global health and development programs, to cover costs associated with winding down USAID. Read More
Key senators reject White House proposal on NIH grants
Sens. Susan Collins and Patty Murray are rejecting efforts by the Trump administration to give the White House control of National Institutes of Health grant funding. Read More
Trump calls his new FDA pick 'Dr. Heidi.' Patty Murray calls her a 'far-right, anti-abortion extremist'
Heidi Overton has been critical of abortion pills and, if confirmed, would be positioned to roll back FDA rules that made them more accessible. Read More
Senate leaders reach a deal to avert a shutdown before the midterm elections
The deal, struck by Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Patty Murray, the leaders on the Senate Appropriations Committee, would keep the government open until Dec. 11. Read More
Hegseth estimates Iran war has cost $37.5B so far
Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panel, in her opening remarks warned of “another forever war.” Read More
Hakeem Jeffries Slams Trump Over Iran 'Ceasefire' Collapse-Patty Murray Says Gas Prices Are Surging Again
Democratic lawmakers, including Hakeem Jeffries, criticized Trump for escalating tensions with Iran and causing gas prices to rise. Read More
Elon Musk Slammed for Paying the Same Social Security 'Taxes' as an Electrician, Ross Gerber Explains Why
Patty Murray criticized Elon Musk for paying same social security taxes as an ordinary American amid billionaire tax row. Read More
The messy standoff driving a wedge between a bipartisan Senate duo
Susan Collins and Patty Murray have been increasingly at odds as the midterms approach and spending priorities diverge. Read More