Chair's Press
Murray Presses for Answers From Providence Hospitals Following Reporting It Aggressively Pursued Payment From Struggling Patients Entitled to Free and Discounted Care
According to NYT, Providence pressed employees to bill patients who qualified for free and discounted care, and even sent debt collectors after such patients Murray: "Patients seeking care at Providence's hospitals should not face these types of aggressive tactics at their most vulnerable moments." (Washington, D.C.) - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), sent a letter to Rod Hochman, President and CE… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Murray Applauds Senate Confirmation of Lisa Gomez to Lead Employee Benefits Security Administration
Murray: "I'm glad we were able to confirm this highly qualified nominee to this important position overseeing employer-sponsored health and retirement benefits-a financial cornerstone for so many families in Washington state and across the country." Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement on the Senate confirmation of Lisa Gomez, by a vote of 49-36, to serve as Assis… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Senator Murray Statement on Senate Passage of the Continuing Resolution
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the Senate's 72-25 vote to pass the continuing resolution. "I'm glad I was able to work with my colleagues to pass this continuing resolution and keep our government open. While I'm disappointed this package doesn't include additional resources to protect families from COVID and monkeypox, there are many critical priori… Continue Reading
09.29.22
Murray, Duckworth, Blumenthal, Hirono, Escobar Rally with Servicemembers and Veterans to Defend Their Access to Reproductive Care as Republicans Continue Attacks
***WATCH: Senator Murray Joins Colleagues, Servicemembers, Veterans at Press Conference*** WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Republicans continue to push forward their proposal to ban abortion nationwide and attack the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs' (VA) historic action to provide abortion care for veterans in certain circumstances, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and… Continue Reading
09.27.22
Murray, Burr Statement on Agreement to Reauthorize FDA User Fee Programs, Continue Work on Additional Critical Priorities
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement on the language they negotiated for passage this week reauthorizing the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) user fee programs and their commitment to continue working to pass several other bipartisan priorities as part of a larger package later this year. "We are glad to anno… Continue Reading
09.26.22
Senator Murray Statement on Biden Administration Ending Low-Quality Trump-Era Apprenticeship Program
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Department of Labor's (DOL) publication of a final rule rescinding the Trump administration's "Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs" (IRAPs), which undermined high-quality and highly-effective Registered Apprenticeship programs by creating a lower-quality, duplicative apprenticeship system that lacked key protec… Continue Reading
09.26.22
Murray, Democratic Leaders File Amicus Brief in Case that Could Curtail the Ability of Individuals to Enforce Their Rights to Federal Programs in Court
The Pending Supreme Court Case Could Also Undermine Congress's Spending Clause Authority WASHINGTON - On Friday, U.S Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), joined House and Senate leaders in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Health and Hospital Corp. of Marion County v. Talevski. The Democrats wrote in support of the ability of individuals to use federal courts to enforce the requirements of certa… Continue Reading
09.21.22
Republican Senator Blocks Bill to Protect Doctors Providing Legal Abortion Care—Even As Republicans Push National Ban Punishing Doctors
***WATCH: Senator Murray pushes to protect doctors after Republicans introduce extreme national ban*** (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), took to the Senate floor to seek unanimous consent to pass her Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act to protect doctors' ability to safely provide abortion care in states where it remains legal. But just one week after Republicans intr… Continue Reading
09.15.22
Senate Democrats Vow to Fight Republicans’ National Abortion Ban
(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) made crystal clear at a press conference they led that they will fight Republicans' national abortion ban alongside their Democra… Continue Reading
09.15.22
Sen. Murray Statement on Tentative Rail Labor Agreement
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the tentative agreement reached by rail unions and carriers following years of negotiations. "This tentative agreement is an important milestone to prevent a stoppage and keep our railways and our economy running. I'm grateful for the hard work President Biden, Secretary Walsh, Secretary Buttigieg, Chairman Puchala, th… Continue Reading
09.14.22
Senator Murray Fights Back Against Republicans’ National Abortion Ban
Senator Murray: "This bill shows the true Republican position: they want to ban abortion-for everyone. In every single state." ***WATCH SENATOR MURRAY'S FLOOR SPEECH HERE*** (Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, took to the Senate floor to fight back against the Republican national abortion ban introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) yesterday. In the speech, Senator Murray promised to … Continue Reading
09.14.22
Senator Murray Pushes for Stronger Response to Monkeypox
Senator Murray: "The monkeypox response so far has not been encouraging-but there are some clear signs of progress, and there are clear steps we can, and should, take to improve." ***ICYMI: Senator Murray pushes for details on response, vaccine access plan*** ***WATCH: Senator Murray's opening remarks*** (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led a hearing on the federal response to… Continue Reading
09.13.22
Murray Leads 29 Senators in Urging Biden Admin to Strengthen Privacy Protections for Women Seeking Reproductive Health Care
As Republicans pass abortion bans and states investigate and punish women for seeking reproductive care, Murray leads senators in calling for HHS to take immediate action to protect women's privacy under HIPAA (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led 29 of her colleagues in calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take immediate action to safeguard women's privac… Continue Reading
09.13.22
HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Key DOL, EEOC Nominees, Murray Pushes for Quick Confirmation
Senator Murray: "As we continue building on that progress and working to tackle rising costs, it is critical we ensure no one is losing opportunities or hard-earned wages to discrimination, harassment, wage theft, or otherwise being cheated by their employer. That is why the Committee should move quickly to advance these important nominees to the EEOC and the Wage and Hour Division." (Washington, D.C.) - Today, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hear… Continue Reading
09.13.22
Sen. Murray Statement on Republicans’ National Abortion Ban: “Chilling”
***WATCH: Senator Murray remarks on Republicans' introduction of national abortion ban*** (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on Senate Republicans' introduction of a federal ban on abortion. "I have been warning since the day Roe fell that Republicans will not stop there. Republicans want a national abortion ban-for everyone, in every state. They want … Continue Reading
09.12.22
Murray, Democrats Applaud Biden Admin’s Proposed Title IX Rule, Push to Further Strengthen Protections
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led 18 of her colleagues in commenting on the Department of Education's proposed Title IX rule. In the letter, the Senators commend the Department's efforts to ensure survivors can seek justice, extend discrimination protections to trans students, and strengthen protections for pregnant and parenting students-and they urge the Department to further strengt… Continue Reading
09.08.22
Sen. Murray Statement on Ruling Against ACA Threatening Access to PrEP and Preventive Care, Including Birth Control
Lawsuit championed by far-right Republican organization founded by Stephen Miller threatens to rip away coverage of HIV prevention medication, birth control, STI screenings, and other preventive health care Murray: "The American people do not think employers and partisan politics should decide what health care you can receive-not on HIV prevention and care, not on abortion, and not on birth control." WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee … Continue Reading
09.07.22
Hirono, Warren, Murray, Duckworth Applaud Landmark Abortion Access Measure for Veterans Amid Republican Attacks
Following SCOTUS' disastrous Dobbs decision, roughly half of women veterans in the U.S. live in states that have or are likely to ban abortion In July, Hirono & Warren led Murray, Duckworth, colleagues in calling on VA to begin offering abortion services ***Video of the Senators' Press Conference is Available Here*** WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor… Continue Reading
09.06.22
Murray Marks ERISA Anniversary, Calls for Congress to Confirm Lisa Gomez to Key Role Protecting Families’ Employer-Sponsored Health and Retirement Benefits
The number of participants in employer-sponsored benefit plans covered by ERISA protections has tripled since it was first signed into law Senator Murray: "Employer-sponsored health and retirement benefits are a financial cornerstone for over a hundred million families across our country, and at a time when so many people are already struggling with higher costs for so many essentials, we owe it to them to make sure our employee benefits agency is fully staffed." (Washington, D.C.) -Tod… Continue Reading
09.02.22
Senator Murray Applauds Biden Administration Announcing the VA Will Provide Abortion Services to Veterans
Senator Murray: "For the first time ever, the Veterans Health Administration will finally be able to provide abortion care to ensure none of our veterans or their eligible dependents will have to face medical emergencies-or stay pregnant after a rape or incest-simply because Republican politicians think they know what's best for them." (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and a senior member… Continue Reading
