Senators Murray and Collins Issue Statement After Passing All 12 Appropriations Bills Out of Committee for First Time in Five Years
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, issued the following statement today after the Senate Appropriations Committee concluded its work to successfully mark up all twelve appropriations bills for the first time in five years:
“For the first time in five years, this committee finished passing all twelve individual appropriations bills with overwhelming bipartisan votes, under incredibly tough circumstances—and all before the end of July. When we said we would return this committee to regular order, we meant it—this is a big deal.
“There’s more to do: we still have to get these bills passed through the full Senate, and House, and signed into law—and that is our focus moving forward. However, what this committee has achieved over the last several weeks shows that it is possible for Congress to work together and work through real differences—to find common ground and produce serious, bipartisan bills that can be signed into law.
“There’s simply no reason for chaos or gridlock when it comes to making sure our government is funded. We are determined to deliver investments that will strengthen our economy, keep our country safe, and do some good for the people we all represent back home.”
This is the first time the Senate Appropriations Committee has ever been led by two women in the roles of Chair and Vice Chair. Under Murray and Collins’ leadership, the committee conducted its first full committee markup in two years, and after four overwhelmingly bipartisan full committee markups, Senate Appropriators have reported all twelve individual appropriations bills out of committee for the first time in five years.
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