Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 20 – To inform the committee’s final legislation, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today released for feedback a staff discussion draft of the committee’s bipartisan legislation to improve health information technology, including...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) delivered opening remarks at a hearing on Improving the Federal Response to Challenges in Mental Health Care in America. In her remarks, Murray highlighted examples from Washington state that show how comprehensive...

“I look forward to hearing from the doctors, nurses, advocates and administrators who work every day with Americans who struggle with a mental health condition about how the federal government can help patients, health care providers, communities, and states to better address mental health issues.” WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan....

 “The House has completed its work on the 21st Century Cures Act. The president has announced his support for a precision medicine initiative and a cancer ‘moonshot.’ It is urgent that the Senate finish its work and turn into law these ideas that will help virtually every American.” WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan....

Announcement follows Murray’s call for full review of scopes linked to infections in Washington state and nationwide   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement on the Food and Drug Administration’s marketing...

By: Brady Dennis Washington Post The number of patients harmed by contaminated medical scopes in recent years far exceeds previous estimates from federal regulators, according to findings in a Senate health committee report published Wednesday. During a three-year stretch from 2012 to 2015, specialized devices known as duodenoscopes were linked to...

Murray calls for policy changes to improve medical device monitoring and protect patients   Investigation outlines failures that led to infections in Washington state and around the country   Murray: I am going to keep fighting to protect patients   *Read the full report*   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senate Health,...

https://www.help.senate.gov/download/preventable-tragedies-superbugs-and-how-ineffective-monitoring-of-medical-device-safety-fails-patients

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2015 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on President Obama’s last State of the Union address: “Last year the Republican Senate majority made a real difference by passing several pieces of bipartisan legislation that will help American families, including the first...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ahead of the vote, Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) delivered remarks expressing her support for Califf’s nomination, highlighting his...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 12 – Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the Senate health committee’s approval of Dr. Robert Califf to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): “The FDA affects the lives of nearly every single American and regulates about a quarter of all consumer spending...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed legislation to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood.  Republicans in the Senate previously...

MARYVILLE, Tenn., January 6 – The chairman of the Senate health committee today urged President Obama to sign legislation to repeal Obamacare after it passed the House of Representatives. The Senate voted to pass this legislation last month. Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said, “Unfortunately Republicans were right when we...

State and school district officials who have complained for years that an inflexible, overprescriptive federal role in public education is at the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act seem to have finally gotten their wish: a replacement law that scales back Washington’s K-12 footprint for the first time in more than a quarter-century. Now,...

A total of 163 members of the Senate and House urge the Supreme Court to uphold women’s constitutionally protected reproductive freedom in Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Louise Slaughter...

FDA announcement follows Murray’s call for full FDA review of scopes linked to deadly infections in Washington state    (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released the following statement on draft guidance from the FDA...

Washington has given up power? Unheard of. Absurd.Washington relinquished authority? Unthinkable.Why unheard of, absurd, and unthinkable?Tradition!(With apologies, or a bow, to “Fiddler on the Roof”) Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander led the charge to bring about a goal of his that a year ago few, if any, believed could happen....

With Republicans in charge, 4 Senate HELP Committee bills signed into law—including legislation fixing No Child Left Behind and “reversing the trend toward a National School Board”   WASHINGTON, December 22 – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today highlighted...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement on the finalized guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding gay men and blood donation.   “Lifting the lifetime ban on blood donation for gay men is a...

WASHINGTON, December 18 – The chairman and ranking member of the Senate health committee today urged House passage of their legislation to help state and local communities prevent suicide, help children recover from traumatic events, and help improve mental health awareness for teachers and others. The bipartisan Mental Health Awareness...