Chair Murray Opening Remarks at Full Committee Markup
ICYMI: Summary of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill
ICYMI: Summary of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
ICYMI: Summary of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, 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, gaveled in a Senate Appropriations Committee markup and delivered the following remarks as the Committee meets to consider: 302(b) subcommittee allocations; the Fiscal Year 2025 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act; the Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; and the Fiscal Year 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
“The Committee will come to order.
“Today, the Committee will consider: the fiscal year 2025 302(b) subcommittee allocations and the fiscal year 2025 appropriations bills recommended by the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch; the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.
“Before we get going, let me quickly run through the plan for today. I will start us off with some opening remarks. Next, the Vice Chair will give her opening remarks. Then, I will open the floor for debate on the subcommittee allocations. As then soon as possible, I intend to begin the votes on adopting the 302(b) subcommittee allocations, and final passage of the Leg Branch bill; the Ag bill; and the Milcon-VA bill. We have a number of other committees who are meeting this morning and a short window to have all our members here, so I ask everyone to be here as soon as possible so we can have full attendance to move those votes.
“Following the four votes, we will move to the consideration of amendments to each of the bills in turn.
“I’d like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Committee staff, Vice Chair Collins, and our subcommittee leaders—Senators Reed and Fischer on the Leg Branch subcommittee; Senators Heinrich and Hoeven on the Agriculture subcommittee; and Senators Sinema and Boozman on the Milcon-VA subcommittee—who have put in hard work to pull together three strong, bipartisan bills.
“This has not been easy—it never is. However, as we kick off our first mark up, I am determined to show—and I know the Vice Chair feels the same way—that when we work hard, work together, and focus on helping people back home we can write strong, bipartisan bills that help meet our nation’s greatest challenges—and that can actually get passed into law.
“That’s exactly what this Committee did last year, and I hope we can do it again this year.
“Now, there is no shortage of serious funding challenges we are facing in the coming year.
“As I have made clear—alongside many members on both sides of the aisle—the one percent increase in funding that the FRA provides for nondefense and defense alike in FY25 is simply inadequate.
“It doesn’t come close to keeping up with inflation and rising costs—much less allow us to meet new challenges and invest in families and our country’s future.
“I have warned that if we don’t work to address the inadequate funding levels, we’re not simply looking at ‘treading water.’ We’re looking at cuts to services people count on each and every day and jeopardizing investments that keep our country strong—everything from WIC and housing assistance to our investments in lifesaving medical research to our efforts to keep our communities safe and stay ahead of our adversaries, and so much more.
“That’s why I have been clear that we cannot leave nondefense needs behind as we consider additional funding for defense.
“Because bottom line: A core principle for me is to make sure we are never leaving families behind.
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“So I’m pleased that Vice Chair Collins and I reached a bipartisan agreement to provide much-needed additional funding for nondefense and defense alike.
“The agreement will provide an additional $13.5 billion in emergency funding for nondefense programs, and $21 billion for defense programs beyond the FRA levels.
“And this additional funding in our bipartisan agreement is crucial. It will help ensure 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 our country’s future.
“This will help families keep a roof over their head. It will help us address issues like combatting the opioid crisis.
“When it comes to growing our economy, this is going to help us keep our edge—and address the child care crisis that is holding our nation back.
“When it comes to our global leadership, this is going to help us build on the investments we delivered in the National Security Supplemental that Congress passed to keep our nation safe, stand against dictators like Putin, counter the growing influence of the Chinese government, and strengthen deterrence to prevent conflict.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us to go from toplines to final passage of strong bipartisan bills.
“But we are making real progress today—bipartisan progress—with an agreement to address inadequate topline funding levels, as well as considering the first set of strong, bipartisan bills.
“I’ll have more to say on each of these three bills shortly—but together, they deliver critical resources to get moms and babies vital nutrition assistance, veterans the care they have earned and deserve, support families in our rural communities, protect America’s food supply, make sure our Capitol remains a safe place for all to come and visit, strengthen our posture in the Indo-Pacific, and more.
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“Now before we vote on each bill, we will consider the 302(b) allocations to the 12 subcommittees. The Chairman of the Budget Committee has given this Committee a 302(a) allocation pursuant to the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Congressional Budget Act. Our vote today will be on the proposal to allocate the total budget authority and outlay levels provided to us by the 302(a) across the 12 subcommittees.
“For the awareness of Members, neither the 302(a) or 302(b)s include any of the adjustments agreed to as part of the FRA agreement, or the additional emergency funding that Vice Chair Collins and I have agreed to.
“Similar to last year, those amounts will be added later, as we move our bipartisan bills through the process.
“In moving forward today with these strong bipartisan bills, I have no doubt we will be setting this process off in the right direction. And I will continue to work with Vice Chair Collins and all of my colleagues to keep us going full steam ahead.
“I will now turn to Vice Chair Collins for any comments she would like to make.”
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