Press Releases

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered opening remarks at the nomination hearing of Dr. John King to serve as Secretary of Education. In her remarks, Murray highlighted the significant challenges and opportunities students face...

Murray: “A right means nothing without the ability to exercise that right.”   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor in anticipation of next week’s oral arguments in Whole...

I’m committed to supporting the president’s precision medicine initiative through our Senate health committee’s innovation agenda to ensure that Americans can take advantage of this remarkable time in science.” WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 25 – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered opening remarks at a hearing addressing the growing threat of the Zika virus. The alarming spread of the Zika virus continues to pose a serious threat to families—in particular...

As Senate Judiciary Chairman holds up key HHS nominee over Planned Parenthood attacks, Murray urges GOP to stop playing politics with women’s health   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement on the...

WASHINGTON, February 24 – Below are prepared remarks from Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) for today’s hearing – Zika Virus: Addressing the Growing Public Health Threat: Earlier this month, Senator McConnell hosted a briefing on the Zika virus with Secretary Burwell. Two weeks ago, the Senate...

WASHINGTON, February 24 – Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement after the Senate approved Dr. Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): “Dr. Califf is now in place to lead an agency that regulates over $4 trillion annually and affects the lives of...

“The failure of Obamacare’s online insurance marketplace – which, according to today’s report, cost taxpayers twice what was budgeted and still isn’t operating the way the administration claimed it would – is just one symptom of an all too common affliction in Washington, D.C.: trying to address complex issues...

“I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about how we implement this law to spur a period of innovation and excellence, that I'm sure will be the result of this new era of accountability and responsibility and opportunity placed in the hands of those who should have the responsibility for our children and our schools: …...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the Department of Education’s proposed rule to address disparities in special education and disciplinary practices, such as suspensions and expulsions. The new proposed rule, which is now...

“There’s no doubt, as the Wall Street Journal said, that this is the ‘largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.’ There also is no doubt that a law is not worth the paper it’s printed on unless it’s implemented properly.” WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 — The chairman of the U.S....

WASHINGTON—At the closing session of the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting on Monday, Feb. 22, NGA Chair Utah Gov. Gary Herbert will award Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander with the first-ever James Madison Award. The James Madison Award recognizes a prominent public figure for advancing the principles of federalism and...

Next Month, Supreme Court Will Hear Zubik v. Burwell, Yet Another Challenge to Health Reform Law’s Birth Control Policy; Today, Sens. Franken and Murray Outline Argument for Protecting Women’s Access to Affordable Birth Control   WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/16/2016]—Today, U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Patty Murray...

“Last year Congress saw an urgent need and passed a bill to fix No Child Left Behind with broad support from Republicans and Democrats. This year, the urgent need is higher education.” Nashville, Tenn., February 16 – Congress should this year help more students attend college by simplifying the “dreaded”...

“The backlash against Washington trying to tell 100,000 schools what they should be doing caused people on both the left and the right to remember that the path to higher standards and better teaching and real accountability is community by community, classroom by classroom, state by state, and not through the federal government dictating the...

Democrats to GOP: Our government has a crucial role to play in ensuring that women everywhere have access to critical health care services   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) led 27 of their Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to...

“Obamacare was a takeover of the health care system, the federal pocketbook, and the family budget.” WASHINGTON, D.C., February 11 – A new study of Obamacare by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office requested by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) finds that health insurance premiums will...

WASHINGTON, February 11 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate education committee, released the following statement on the White House announcement that the president intends to nominate John King Jr. to serve as U.S. education secretary: “I have urged the president to nominate an education secretary, and...

Murray praised WA-state community colleges for helping students transition from higher education to their careers   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee delivered remarks at an event hosted by the Association of Community College Trustees...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) sent a letter to Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expressing their concern over the continued practice of sexual orientation change efforts, commonly referred to as...