Senator Murray Comments on Need to Pass CR and Disaster Relief Package
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democrats’ weekly leadership press conference and spoke about the need to quickly pass a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown and a comprehensive disaster relief package.
Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below:
“Thank you. We have been working around the clock to wrap up the CR and the disaster relief bill. We should be done but, unfortunately, we’ve been delayed by an 11th-hour demand from the Speaker.
“We are very close to an agreement, so I look forward to resolving the final issues and getting back on track.
“We are heading into the holidays, and the nation really needs a bipartisan package that will prevent a needless shutdown, keep our government open, and get much-needed support to areas across the country recovering from disaster.
“Communities hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and a lot more have been waiting for way too long already. It’s been nearly a month since I held a bipartisan hearing on just how urgently people all across the country need disaster relief.
“They are counting on us to deliver the resources they need to get back on their feet, to rebuild essential infrastructure, and recover in the wake of devastation.
“They are watching and wondering whether Congress is going to help them. And we have to answer with a resounding yes by getting this package across the finish line, which is what I am focused on doing.
“We have to make some hard choices in Congress sometimes—this should not be one of them.
“Another easy choice ahead of us? Funding the government and preventing a senseless and devastating shutdown.
“I do want to note that, here in the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority, we put forward serious funding bills. We passed them out of committee on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis—not as a theoretical exercise but to write bills that could pass both chambers and actually help people.
“Because it does matter if NIH is forced to operate on last year’s spending priorities, setting back groundbreaking research.
“It does matter if the Social Security Administration has the resources they need to clear backlogs so seniors can get their benefits or if WIC is fully funded so moms and babies don’t go hungry.
“Across all of our funding bills, there are real consequences for real people, for our economy, and for our national security. So, yes, it’s disappointing to be here again at the 11th hour waiting to simply kick the can down the road with another CR, rather than passing our bills into law that meet the needs of our country.
“But I will remind everyone—as we work to negotiate full-year spending bills for Fiscal Year 2025, that the Appropriations process will remain bipartisan.
“House Republicans will have fewer seats than they do this year, and Senate Republicans will not have 60 members. Democrats will continue fighting for the investments that matter to families and working people everywhere in this country—on everything from child care to affordable health care to clean drinking water and so much more.
“So Merry Christmas and happy holidays—let’s fund the government and pass a bill that will help our fellow Americans who need a hand up right now.
“Thank you.”
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