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 generation, and makes our country safer and more competitive—while lowering the deficit and setting us on a better fiscal path.
“I always say a budget is a statement of values, and from this budget, it is clear to me that President Biden values hardworking families all across our country. This plan will get more people the health care they need and deserve, help families put food on the table, keep a roof over their head, and save for the future, and invest in making sure our kids can get a great public education and pursue a higher education. It will make our communities and our country safer to live in, support our small businesses, help veterans get the care they’ve earned, and lower costs for families—including by tackling the child care crisis head on. You simply can’t talk about strengthening our economy without fixing the child care crisis for families, and I am so glad the President’s budget recognizes this reality.
“Critically, the President’s plan ensures that hardworking Americans who’ve been paying into Medicare can count on the program for years to come. By building on the historic progress we made last summer to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share, it’ll protect Medicare for the next generation—and without cutting a cent in the benefits people have earned.
“This budget also builds on key investments we’ve made over the last two years to tackle the climate crisis head on, fix America’s roads and bridges, and ensure America remains the world’s leader in innovation. It commits critical new resources to salmon recovery and proposes major funding to boost our national supply of housing—just a few critical priorities for Washington state.
“As we grapple with a major conflict in Ukraine and work hard to stay ahead of our adversaries on the global stage, the President’s budget ensures that America is prepared for the threats it faces. Importantly, this budget understands that investing in our non-defense priorities is just as critical as investing in our defense priorities—and in fact, they are often inextricably intertwined. Investing in a workforce that can build semiconductors here in America has to be a priority right alongside direct investments in military readiness—it can’t be either or, it has to be both.
“Put plainly: this budget moves our country forward—and does so while lowering the deficit by simply asking billionaires and the wealthiest corporations in America to finally pay their fair share in taxes.
“Now, I’m looking forward to getting right to work with my colleagues to dig into the details of the President’s budget and begin the hard work of writing our nation’s spending bills in a bipartisan and timely fashion. We have a real opportunity—and a real obligation—to deliver for families, make our country safer, and more competitive—and the Senate Appropriations Committee will be busy in the months ahead to do just that.”
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