Ranking Member's Press

Murray: “This is a long-overdue and much-needed step toward overhauling the way harassment is addressed in the United States Congress.”   Murray: “I also want to make very clear that while this legislation is an important step, it is the first step and cannot be the last. There is so much more we need to do to ensure that no...

Secretary DeVos has sidelined investigators tasked with protecting students from predatory for-profit colleges, according to recent media reports   In letter, 29 Senators urge Department to reverse course by adequately staffing the Student Aid Enforcement Unit’s investigations team and resume investigating fraudulent practices by...

Senator Murray, Senator Smith, and advocates and experts from Planned Parenthood, NFPRHA, and the Guttmacher Institute discussed the impact of the Trump-Pence Administration’s proposed domestic gag rule   Murray released a new report showing the harmful impact Title X restrictions would have on family planning services and women’s...

Senator Murray discussed the challenges facing the health care workforce and vital health workforce training programs targeted to address them   Murray highlighted Washington state’s leadership in addressing workforce needs for seniors and care in rural and underserved communities   President Trump’s budget proposal would have...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statement on the 5-4 Supreme Court decision Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, which ruled employers can ban workers from joining together in a legal dispute when their rights are being...

New domestic gag rule would forbid health care providers who receive federal family planning funds from discussing the full range of reproductive health care options with patients   Murray: “Let me be clear: President Trump and Vice President Pence’s opinions have no place in a woman’s conversations with her doctor about her...

Senator Gillibrand today marked 100 days since House passage of key reforms to the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995; Murray joined call for action in Senate   Murray: “…to say we in the Senate are overdue for action is a massive understatement.”   Murray: “… the longer we wait to act, the longer the...

President Trump has nominated Gordon Hartogensis to lead the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation   If confirmed, Hartogensis would replace Director Reeder who was sworn in for a five-year term in 2015   News comes as the nation grapples with multiemployer pension crisis threatening many workers’ retirement...

Senate HELP Committee held second hearing on the 340B program that helps make drugs more affordable for safety net care providers   President Trump delayed a rule to prevent drug companies from overcharging 340B care providers and withdrew guidance that aimed to provide clarity on program rules.   The Trump Administration has cut Medicare...

Murray Urges Senate to Reject Secretary DeVos’ Right Hand Man, Calls for Department of Education to Once Again Stand Up for Students   Murray calls on colleagues to reject Deputy Secretary of Education nominee General Mick Zais   Zais has a controversial history as South Carolina State Superintendent of Education   Like DeVos...

Contract paid lawyer connected to President Trump over one million dollars as pharmaceutical company sought access to White House   Murray: “It’s important that people have the transparency they need to hold their government accountable, and that must include transparency about how money is spent in efforts to gain attention and...

Following President Trump’s lackluster drug pricing speech, Senator Murray criticized his efforts as “all tweets and no leadership”   Murray: Unless Republicans come to the table to work on substantive solutions, “speech was simply more of the same from a President who hasn’t done the work and hasn’t...

CFPB is eliminating the watchdog unit responsible for handling student loan borrower abuses   Murray: “It’s telling that President Trump’s reaction to millions of borrowers struggling to pay back their student loans and asking for help with unmanageable debt is to shut down the only office focused on serving student loan...

Menu labeling law passed eight years ago as part of the Affordable Care Act   Law requires food menus to provide more nutritional information to consumers, including calorie counts   Information about sodium, saturated fat, sugar, and other nutrients must also be available in writing   Murray called out the Food and Drug...

In letter, 21 Senators urge Department of Labor to reconsider its decision not to collect data on the economic impact of workplace harassment   BLS declined a request from Gillibrand and Murray, citing complexities and costliness of collecting economic data   BLS is uniquely qualified to collect complex economic data   Senators:...

Speaking at World Heath Care Congress, former Secretary Price admitted Republican efforts to sabotage health care would drive up costs for families   Former Secretary Price: “… there are many, and I’m one of them, who believes that [repealing the individual mandate] actually will harm the pool in the exchange market, because...

In letter to Secretary Azar, Senator Murray asks about the Department’s use of a restricted hiring authority to bring on Dr. Redfield as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   Director Redfield was hired through Title 42, a hiring authority intended specifically to fill scientific positions only after other efforts...

Cite recent reports that White House budget office has directed NLRB to freeze funding, in violation of law   Labor board top lawyer is also reportedly attempting to reorganize the Board based off President Trump’s budget request, also in violation of the law   These actions directly contradict the bipartisan agreement that Congress...

HELP Committee voted unanimously to advance extensive, bipartisan opioid response bill after months of bipartisan work spearheaded by Murray, Alexander   The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 includes more than 40 proposals, which were considered over seven months of bipartisan hearings, to support families and communities facing the opioid...

(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 in response to news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would shift its approach in funding programs to prevent teen...