Majority News Releases
Senator Murray’s Remarks at Hearing on State Department’s Budget
***WATCH: Senator Murray's remarks*** (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke at a State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs subcommittee hearing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of State. Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below: "Thank you very much, Chair Coons and Ranking Member Graham. "I'm really glad to jo… Continue Reading
03.15.23
Senators Murray and Collins Release Tentative Appropriations Subcommittee Hearings Calendar
ICYMI: Senators Murray and Collins Respond to President's Budget: Full Steam Ahead on Appropriations Process - MORE HERE ***All hearing dates are tentative until they are officially noticed one week prior*** (Washington, DC) - Today-following Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young's testimony before the Senate Budget Committee-U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, releas… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Senator Murray on President Biden’s Proposed Investments to Tackle the Child Care Crisis: “Huge for Families”
ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on the President's Budget Request - MORE HERE (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on President Biden's plan to tackle the child care crisis in his fiscal year 2024 budget request. "You simply can't talk about strengthening our economy without talking about fixing the child care crisis-parents need affordable child care to go to work. And I am so glad the … Continue Reading
03.09.23
Senator Murray Statement on the President’s Budget Request
(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the President's fiscal year 2024 budget request: "President Biden's budget is a roadmap for a stronger America that puts working people-not billionaires and giant corporations-first, and sets our country up to thrive in the decades to come. The President's plan invests in American families, strengthens Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for the next… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Senators Murray and Collins Respond to President’s Budget: Full Steam Ahead on Appropriations Process
(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, issued the following statement in response to the release of the President’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal: “Now that the President has released his budget, we are pressing forward with the work of writing our nation’s spending bills as quickly as possible. We have a real opportunity—and an important responsibility—to work together… Continue Reading
02.15.23
Murray, Collins Announce Appropriations Subcommittees Leadership and Rosters for 118th Congress
02.02.23
Murray, Collins Officially Take Helm of Senate Appropriations Committee
(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), issued the following joint statement as they officially assume the roles of Senate Appropriations Committee Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.“We look forward to leading this Committee in making life better for families back home and addressing the many pressing challenges our nation is facing here and abroad. We understand the enormous responsibility of this Committee, which is why we are dedicated to working… Continue Reading
12.22.22
Leahy Statement On Final Passage of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
This week, after months of bipartisan and bicameral negotiations, the Committees on Appropriations introduced a $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2023. With only days remaining on current government funding, we must act quickly before we precipitate yet another unnecessary, made-in-Washington crisis. The bill we are about to vote on is a strong, bicameral, and bipartisan bill; and it adheres to the framework announced by Vice Chairman Shelby, Chair DeLauro, and myself l… Continue Reading
12.20.22
Leahy Statement On The Introduction Of The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
I am pleased to announce that late last night, I introduced the bipartisan, bicameral, fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill. This bill invests $772.5 billion in non-defense discretionary programs, including $118.7 billion - a 22 percent increase - for VA medical care, and $858 billion in defense funding. It provides $44.9 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies and $40.6 billion in emergency funding to assist communities across the country recovering from drought… Continue Reading
12.20.22
Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (Monday, December 19, 2022) - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday released the $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The omnibus includes $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, including $118.7 billion - a 22 percent increase - for VA medical care, and $858 billion in defense funding. To combat the pain of inflation felt by American families across the country, the bill makes significant investments in our commu… Continue Reading
12.13.22
Leahy Statement on Bipartisan, Bicameral Framework for the Omnibus
Today, Vice Chairman Shelby, Chair DeLauro, and I reached a bipartisan, bicameral framework that should allow us to finish an omnibus appropriations bill that can pass the House and Senate and be signed into law by the President. The pain of inflation is real, and it is being felt across the federal government and by American families right now. We cannot delay our work any further, and a two-month continuing resolution does not provide any relief. I look forward to continuing to work with my… Continue Reading
12.08.22
Leahy Floor Statement On The Path Forward For The Omnibus
Today, we are careening toward another unnecessary, manufactured crisis with current government funding set to expire in 8 days. I want to take a moment to talk about how we got here and the path forward. In fiscal year 2022, Leader McConnell required parity between defense and non-defense funding. This was a requirement that we met, and it provided the commonsense framework that allowed us to complete our work. Now, the Republicans have abandoned this framework, demanding steep cuts to prog… Continue Reading
12.06.22
Impacts of a Full Year Continuing Resolution
At a time of inflation, a continuing resolution undermines national security and the ability of American families to cope with the increased costs of heating and cooling, food, and housing. Republicans' refusal to compromise on an omnibus spending bill threatens to drive us toward a year-long continuing resolution. This would hurt not only Democratic priorities and programs, but programs that have strong bipartisan support and perform critical functions for the nation. Impacts under a year-lo… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Leahy Statement on Final Passage of the Continuing Resolution
Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that this morning, countless Floridians woke up to a world turned upside down in the wake of Hurricane Ian. And hundreds of thousands in Puerto Rico remain without power more than 10 days after the storm that ravaged the island. Vermonters will stand by your side as you rebuild your communities and your lives, and so will this chamber. The continuing resolution we are about to consider contains $18.8 billion for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, which would… Continue Reading
09.27.22
Leahy Statement On the Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023
Today, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 6833, and take up a substitute amendment containing a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 16. I will vote to invoke cloture and move the process forward. I urge my colleagues to do the same. Funding the federal government is the most basic responsibility of Congress. The continuing resolution before the Senate today will keep vital services running for the American people through … Continue Reading
09.27.22
Comment of Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on the Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government Through Dec. 16
Funding the federal government is the most basic responsibility of Congress. This bill will keep vital services running for the American people through December 16 and provide critical support for Ukraine while we negotiate a bipartisan, bicameral omnibus appropriations bill. Enacting full year appropriations bills into law must be our top priority. In a time of rising inflation, when everything costs more - energy, food, fuel, housing - we must respond accordingly. Running on autopilot afte… Continue Reading
09.26.22
Bill Text and Section-by-Section Summary of the Continuing Resolution
Bill Text: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/h6833am07 Section-by-Section Summary: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/continuing-resolution_section-by-section_final… Continue Reading
09.21.22
Leahy Lauds GAO Reports Tracking Congressionally Directed Spending
WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022) - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday praised the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) publication of six reports tracking the implementation of Congressionally Directed Spending and Community Project Funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The reports were published at the direction of the Chairman under new rules to increase transparency and accountability on the process commonly referred … Continue Reading
07.28.22
Leahy, Murray, Coons Introduce $21 Billion Emergency Supplemental To Address The Ongoing COVID Crisis And Other Emerging Diseases
WASHINGTON (Thursday, July 28, 2022) - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairman Christopher Coons (D-Del.) Thursday introduced a $21 billion emergency supplemental funding bill to provide the necessary resources to prepare for the next phase of… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Chairman Leahy Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Senate Appropriations Bills
WASHINGTON (Thursday, July 28, 2022) - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday released the Chairman's mark of the 12 senate appropriations bills. The nearly $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 appropriations package includes $653 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, a 10.1 percent increase over fiscal year 2022; $850 billion in defense discretionary spending, an 8.7 percent increase over fiscal year 2022 and consistent with the bipartisan National Defense A… Continue Reading