Chair's Press

(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 Senate’s passage of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act in a 92-5 amendment vote to add the legislation to the 2023...

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) as part of the year-end funding package. The amendment to the omnibus—offered by Senator Bill...

FDA package negotiated by Senator Murray, colleagues will finally empower FDA to regulate cosmetics, address the infant formula shortage, modernize accelerated approval, and more   Senator Murray: “I’ve been pushing hard to make progress on so many key reforms to ensure the FDA is living up to its mission and putting patients and...

Senator Murray: “In every room and at every opportunity, child care is at the top of my mind, and I push hard for progress—and that’s exactly what I did in this funding package … But make no mistake: even as I continue pushing for increased child care investments, I’ll never stop working towards the big, bold change...

Murray’s bipartisan work with Senator Burr leads to robust mental health and substance use disorder package in end-of-year bill   Omnibus includes bipartisan steps on fentanyl, youth and maternal mental health, strengthening the new 988 Lifeline, and more   Murray: “Our communities need action—and that’s exactly...

Omnibus retirement package includes provisions from Murray’s RISE & SHINE Act to strengthen Americans’ emergency savings and retirement security   Murray: “Families in Washington state are trying to make ends meet, plan for the future, and get on solid financial footing—which is why I fought so hard to strengthen...

Omnibus includes Murray-Burr bill to strengthen nation’s public health and pandemic preparedness systems   Senator Murray spoke at length about the need to pass the bill on the Senate floor earlier this month   Murray: “There have been many painful lessons to learn from this pandemic, and today, by passing my bipartisan...

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor speech***   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, in remarks on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), reflected on her tenure as the top Democrat on the Committee and all the progress made over eight years to...

Senator Murray secures inclusion of bipartisan 21st Century Assistive Technology (AT) Act in NDAA   (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 Senate’s passage Thursday night of the 21st Century...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-PA-07), introduced legislation to protect every American’s right to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led 11 of her colleagues in sending a comment letter applauding the Biden Administration’s proposed employee and independent contractor classification rule, which reinstates the Department of...

New bill clarifies that people who experience emotional distress when discriminated against can seek justice under federal law   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary...

Murray: “Our country has made great progress in the fight against COVID-19. Families have been getting back to their daily lives, and the thing I keep hearing from people in my state: they want to keep it that way.”   On Senate floor, Murray presses colleagues to get bipartisan pandemic bill across the finish...

Senator Tillis blocks the commonsense, bipartisan legislation to protect pregnant workers   ***WATCH: Senator Murray pushes to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act***    (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), joined...

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act, legislation to provide women the support they need to access reproductive health services by providing grants to...

PBGC announced relief to Central States Pension Fund under special financial assistance program Murray fought to establish in the American Rescue Plan   Central States’ pension plan covers over 350,000 workers and retirees across the country—including over 300 in Washington state   Announcement brings total number of pensions...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led 21 of her colleagues in sending a letter commenting on the Biden Administration’s proposal to reinstate the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) long-standing joint-employer...

Government Watchdog Previously Found College’s Online Program Arrangements Have Limited Oversight   Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), House Education and Labor Committee Chair Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), House...

Speaking to CSIS Health Security Commission, Murray reiterated she is pushing for PREVENT Pandemics Act, COVID funding, and more to be included in funding package   Murray: “We know how our COVID response was undercut by a system that was underfunded, understaffed, and just plain unprepared—and the consequences for families and...

***WATCH: Senator Murray virtually joins colleagues, advocates in pushing to pass PWFA, protect pregnant workers***   Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), joined colleagues, advocates, and pregnant workers in pushing for Senate passage of the...