url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-wa-delegation-in-supporting-governors-request-for-major-disaster-declaration-for-individual-assistance-for-devastating-wildfires-in-washington-state,Cantwell Joins WA Delegation in Supporting Governor’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance for Devastating Wildfires in Washington State,2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins WA Delegation in Supporting Governor’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance for Devastating Wildfires in Washington State

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Washington state’s Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance to help families recover and repair damage due to the devastating wildfires that swept through Central and Eastern Washington from July 23 through August 31.

For the first time, on August 1, the National Weather Service upgraded a Red Flag Warning for fire weather conditions to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. Three massive fires broke out and tore through neighborhoods across Spokane, the Old Trails Fire burned in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burned near Nine-Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burned in Mead. The Spokane Complex Fires forced 67,000 people to evacuate, burned nearly 10,000 acres, with damages predicted to exceed $1 billion.

This was one of Washington state’s worst wildfire seasons on record, with fires causing severe damage and threatening lives, property, businesses, and livestock. In Okanogan County, the Kaiser Canyon, Modrite, and Sinlahekin fires burned over 350,000 acres total.

“As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance due to devastating wildfire damages incurred from July 23 through August 31. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible,” Sen. Cantwell and other members of the delegation wrote. “A record-setting drought and an unusually small snowpack contributed to numerous large and fast-moving wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington, devastating communities in Benton, Spokane, Stevens, and Okanogan Counties, as well as on the Spokane Indian Reservation. These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry.”

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) led the letter. Joining Sen. Cantwell as cosigners were U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).

The lawmakers continued, “Local, state, and federal resources responded quickly to the wildfires. Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces and the National Guard, deployed to Washington state to assist local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. While their heroic efforts helped to contain these devastating fires, federal assistance is required to support communities as they begin to rebuild. The fires destroyed over 2,500 structures, including entire neighborhoods, and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Ultimately, over 650 primary residences were destroyed by these fast-moving wildfires, leaving hundreds of Washingtonians displaced.”

“Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure. We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster, as well as for your prompt approval of the state’s Emergency Declaration request submitted on August 2nd, which allowed for critical federal assistance that supported fire suppression, emergency shelter operations, and other vital needs. We reiterate our full support for the September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance,” Senator Murray and the delegation concluded.

On Aug. 2, the day after the fires broke out, Sen. Cantwell visited county and city command centers in Spokane and took part in a press briefing about the devastating fires. On Aug. 12, Sen. Cantwell joined U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum at a briefing about response to and recovery from the fires.

On September 2025, Sen. Cantwell’s Fire Ready Nation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act would formally establish a permanent Fire Weather Services program within NOAA and authorize funding for new technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and impact wildfires.

A background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. President:

As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance due to devastating wildfire damages incurred from July 23 through August 31. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible. A record-setting drought and an unusually small snowpack contributed to numerous large and fast-moving wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington, devastating communities in Benton, Spokane, Stevens, and Okanogan Counties, as well as on the Spokane Indian Reservation. These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry.

Local, state, and federal resources responded quickly to the wildfires. Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces and the National Guard, deployed to Washington state to assist local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. While their heroic efforts helped to contain these devastating fires, federal assistance is required to support communities as they begin to rebuild. The fires destroyed over 2,500 structures, including entire neighborhoods, and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Ultimately, over 650 primary residences were destroyed by these fast-moving wildfires, leaving hundreds of Washingtonians displaced.

Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure. We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster, as well as for your prompt approval of the state’s Emergency Declaration request submitted on August 2nd, which allowed for critical federal assistance that supported fire suppression, emergency shelter operations, and other vital needs. We reiterate our full support for the September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance. We appreciate you in advance for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-calls-out-republicans-failure-to-defend-funding-for-families-congress-power-of-the-purse/,Murray Calls Out Republicans’ Failure to Defend Funding for Families & Congress’ Power of the Purse,2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Murray Slams Trump for Illegal Impoundment

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full remarks***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Senate Democratic leadership press conference, calling out Republican inaction to prevent President Trump’s illegal attempt to cut funding for lifesaving health research, education programs, and more through a “pocket rescission.”

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“If Republicans are ready to grow a spine and help us rein in Trump on pocket rescissions—great, it’s way past time. I am not holding my breath.

“Even though I’ve heard what some Republicans said recently about opposing Trump’s move to steal taxpayer dollars, I’ve also seen what they did about this threat over the past two years, which is nothing.

“When Russ Vought made it plain-as-day he would try illegal pocket recissions, every Senate Republican voted to confirm him. When his nominee for deputy director said pocket rescissions were still on the table—many months after Trump issued one—every Senate Republican voted to confirm him.

“And when Democrats fought for language time and again to stop this exact thing—including in the recent CR negotiations, weeks ago—Republicans said no.

“First, Republicans voted to confirm the arsonist—a man openly hostile to Congress and our power of the purse. Then, they refused to take away his matches. And now, they are surprised the house is burning? You know what? You don’t get to be surprised when the arsonist you confirmed to run America’s budget starts fires.

“Especially when we keep seeing this kind of push from Trump to give him more power and rip up our bipartisan agreements with partisan rescissions. It seems like every time Trump says ‘stoop,’ the only response most Republicans can muster is: ‘How low?’

“Trump uses tariffs to slap one of the largest tax increases on Americans ever—and Republicans do nothing. Trump calls for the largest health care cuts in our history—and Republicans move heaven and earth to get it done. Trump nominates an anti-vaxxer to lead the health department—and even Republican lawmakers who are doctors are afraid to step out of line to stop him.Trump starts a war with Iran—something he literally campaigned against—and Republicans champion his one-and-a-half trillion-dollar war budget.

“Maybe Republicans are confused—but when we talk about checks and balances, it is not about blank checks for Trump’s wars, it is not about balancing his tax cuts for billionaires with health care cuts on families. It is about stopping a president who is out-of-control—and sorely out-of-touch with the American people.

“And I really can’t drive that part home enough, because Trump proves just how out-of-touch he is every time he opens his mouth.

“Trump says groceries are ‘old fashioned,’ and affordability is a ‘scam.’ Trump says his favorite word is ‘tariffs,’ and that he loves inflation. Trump says families can spend less on dolls, and more on gas. Trump says we can’t afford child care, but wars can be fought forever. He says he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situation at all.

“Well, yeah. No kidding. Now if you are Trump’s family—or one of his billionaire buddies who are cashing in on the corruption—Trump’s economy is probably working great.

“But working families are hurting today, and they are sick of waiting for Republicans to take their heads out of the sand and notice.

“So let me ask, how does Trump stealing taxpayer dollars for life-saving health care, research, or housing, help make life more affordable? It does not.”

###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-murphy-demand-answers-on-dhs-spending-tax-dollars-to-air-trump-campaign-ads/,"Murray, Murphy Demand Answers on DHS Spending Tax Dollars to Air Trump Campaign Ads",2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking immediate answers about the exact details of DHS’ spending to create and air taxpayer-funded political ads celebrating the president—and demanding the illegal ads come off the air.

“It has come to our attention that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be using Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars to bankroll the obscene political ads celebrating President Trump that have aired on stations nationwide in recent days,” write Murray and Murphy. “We should not have to remind you that using government funding to create or air political ads like the ones that have been running over the last few days is illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

The lawmakers note that it appears DHS has committed $20 million so far for the ad spend, and AdImpact estimates at least $1.7 million has already been spent airing the ads.

Senators Murray and Murphy conclude by requesting detailed information within 48 hours about DHS’ involvement in airing the ads, as well as copies of any contracts it has entered into: “The American people deserve answers about how this president is literally stealing their tax dollars to air campaign ads celebrating himself—while doing nothing to help them afford health care or housing.”

“These ads need to immediately come off the air, taxpayers need to be paid back for this theft, and everyone responsible needs to be held accountable for this corrupt and illegal propaganda,” they conclude.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

The Honorable Markwayne Mullin

Secretary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE

Washington, D.C. 20528

cc: Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security

Secretary Mullin,

It has come to our attention that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be using Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars to bankroll the obscene political ads celebrating President Trump that have aired on stations nationwide in recent days. We should not have to remind you that using government funding to create or air political ads like the ones that have been running over the last few days is illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars.

It’s hard to imagine a more damning split screen: while President Trump illegally cuts funding for lifesaving health research, he is also illegally using Americans’ tax dollars to fund government propaganda and to put ads from his 2024 campaign back on the air. So far, it appears DHS has dedicated $20 million to this outrageous scheme, tapping funds provided to U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” for commemorative events relating to border security. Ad-Impact estimates that over $1.7 million in federal funds have already been spent simply airing these ads.

This administration’s defense of using Americans’ tax dollars to air these ads is as absurd as it is offensive. The White House has failed to answer our most basic questions about where these funds are coming from and who is responsible, but the principle here is very straightforward: as one Republican senator put it: “you can’t spend public money to promote yourself.”

The American people deserve answers about how this president is literally stealing their tax dollars to air campaign ads celebrating himself—while doing nothing to help them afford health care or housing. These ads need to immediately come off the air, taxpayers need to be paid back for this theft, and everyone responsible needs to be held accountable for this corrupt and illegal propaganda.

To better understand the role DHS has played in facilitating the airing of these ads, please respond to the following questions within 48 hours:

Have any funds appropriated for DHS been used to produce, air, or otherwise promote these ads?

Please provide an exact breakdown of which funds have been tapped and the amount of taxpayer dollars used.

Does DHS plan to use additional federal funds to create new ads or continue airing these ads?

Has DHS contracted with any third parties to create or air these, or any related or forthcoming ads?

If so, please share copies of each contract DHS has entered into.

Who directed the misuse of taxpayer dollars for this purpose? Has anyone in the White House or the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed you to air these ads?

Have you spoken to the president about this?

Has any General Counsel at DHS, another Federal Department, the White House, or OMB reviewed and provided a legal opinion on the use of DHS funding for these ads?

Were any federal ethics officials consulted prior to the use of such funds for political ads?

We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-on-gao-concluding-trumps-pocket-rescission-is-illegal/,Murray on GAO Concluding Trump’s Pocket Rescission is Illegal,2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Murray Slams Trump for Illegal Impoundment

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) concluding today that President Trump’s latest attempt to impound funding approved by Congress is illegal.

“President Trump is breaking the law and stealing from the American taxpayer. He knows it, and the top nonpartisan government watchdog just confirmed what we’ve known all along: this so-called pocket rescission scheme is illegal. This is a con and nothing short of an assault on our Constitution.

“The question is not whether this is illegal; it’s whether Republicans will finally join Democrats to defend Congress’ power of the purse and ensure our constituents get the investments they are owed by law. If Republicans continue to allow a president to treat our votes and our laws like a suggestion, that’s what they will become.”

On Friday night, President Trump announced his intention to permanently impound over $800 million in congressionally-approved funding by allowing the funds to expire at the end of the fiscal year and before Congress has the opportunity to act on his rescission request. This includes resources for lifesaving health research, important education programs, housing, and more.

Democrats have repeatedly sought to bar the Trump administration from so much as attempting this illegal maneuver—when marking up draft Senate spending bills, in votes on the floor, and in negotiations over spending packages, including negotiations over the continuing resolution that was recently signed into law.

###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-and-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-prohibit-firearms-at-polling-places-nationwide-protecting-voters_election-workers,"Cantwell & Colleagues Introduce Bill to Prohibit Firearms at Polling Places Nationwide, Protecting Voters & Election Workers",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell & Colleagues Introduce Bill to Prohibit Firearms at Polling Places Nationwide, Protecting Voters & Election Workers

In early 2026, 32% percent of local election workers experienced threats or harassment; 52% concerned for staff safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined her colleagues in introducing bicameral legislation to protect voters and election workers from intimidation and threats of violence at polling places.

“It is deeply troubling that now more than half of local elections officials worry about the safety of their colleagues, and a third have experienced threats or abuse. The officials and volunteers who run our free and fair elections deserve to be and feel safe at work – and voters need to be able to visit their elections office without worrying about their safety,” Sen. Cantwell said.

The Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act would help further ensure that every voter has the right to cast their ballot and every election worker can conduct their official duties free from fear and intimidation. It would strengthen existing anti-intimidation provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to limit the presence of visible firearms at locations where voters cast their ballot or election workers perform their official duties, empowering poll workers and election officials to continue safely administering elections.

In Washington state, firearms are already prohibited at ballot counting centers, voting centers, student engagement hubs, and county elections and voter registration offices, as well as any facility being temporarily used for those reasons.

The right to vote is fundamental to American democracy, but rising threats of political violence against voters and election workers threaten election security. As of April 2026, 32% of local election workers have reported experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse. Armed groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were involved in the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol have threatened to patrol polling places in recent elections. While intimidation is illegal under existing law, this new legislation is important to provide a clearer standard and further ensure safety at election offices and polling locations.

Specifically, the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act would:

Amend Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act to establish a rebuttable presumption that a person carrying a visible firearm while engaging in election-related activities is engaging in voter intimidation;

Provide civil remedies for individuals who experience this type of intimidation, including an emergency injunction that would allow the voter or election official to carry out their duties in peace; and

Recognize an exemption for law enforcement officers acting within their official duties and establish that this exemption does not apply to National Guard.

The bill was introduced by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). In addition to Sen. Cantwell, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

The House version of the bill was introduced by U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio (D, PA-17).

The Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act is endorsed by organizations including the Brennan Center for Justice, Defend the Vote Action Fund, and the Fair Elections Center.

“Congress must pass the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act. We are grateful to Representative Deluzio, Senator Padilla, and other members of Congress for their work to keep our elections safe for everyone involved in the process. This legislation would bolster federal protections that empower voters, election officials, and election workers to seek legal recourse if they are intimidated. The bill would help protect our democracy by keeping intimidation and violence out of voting,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, Senior Director of the voting rights program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law.

“Our ability to hold elected leaders accountable to the people depends on ensuring every voter can access the ballot free from intimidation or harassment, and that election workers can run those elections without interference. Defend The Vote Action Fund applauds Rep. Deluzio for his leadership on this critical bill that protects voters' rights to cast their ballots free from interference, while ensuring that poll workers and election officials can safely oversee and administer our elections,” said Defend the Vote Action Fund Executive Director Brian Lemek.

“To fully realize our civil rights, we need stronger protections against intimidation to make sure that election officials can do their jobs without fear, and that no American is stopped from exercising their right to vote. The Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act is one way we can defend our voting rights in the face of those who want to take power away from the people,” said Fair Elections Center's President and CEO, Rebekah Caruthers.

Sen. Cantwell remains a stalwart defender of our free and fair elections:

On Sep. 8, Sen. Cantwell joined 260 of her colleagues – including all Senate Democrats and current and former members of the House of Representatives – in filing a bipartisan, bicameral amicus brief with the Supreme Court in a case challenging the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) attempt to impose new requirements that would have interfered with vote-by-mail in Washington state and nationwide. On Sep. 15, the Supreme Court agreed with the lawmakers’ position and refused to reverse a lower-court ruling that blocked the USPS from implementing the onerous new requirements. In denying the stay, the Supreme Court let stand a preliminary injunction issued by a federal district court in two related cases – one brought by Washington along with other states – against the USPS rule for the upcoming election. In a statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling, Sen. Cantwell highlighted that the district court had found “on one side, that immediate implementation of the Final Rule issued less than seventy days before the November 2026 election threatens disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail and, on the other side, that the record includes no evidence relating to fraudulent mail voting to support the rushed implementation of the Final Rule” and granted the preliminary injunction.”

On Sep. 2, Sen. Cantwell held a press conference in Seattle to warn Washington voters about Administration efforts to undermine their right to vote. That same day Sen. Cantwell and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs released a snapshot report showing that late-postmark rejection rates have more than doubled in 19 counties compared to the 2024 primaries – with rural counties worst affected -- following a new Trump Administration policy that can delay postmarking of mail-in ballots by several days.

On August 5, she sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.

On July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections.

On July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional.

On July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders.

On June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington.

On June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.

On June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist. President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee. Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation.

On June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States.

On June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections.

On June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation.

On April 29, she was tapped by Minority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference.

On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.

On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.

On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.

On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.

On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.

Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.

On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information.

On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which the Senators warned could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot.

On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee.

Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-celebrates-new-amtrak-trains-for-the-pacific-northwest,Cantwell Celebrates New Amtrak Trains for the Pacific Northwest,2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Celebrates New Amtrak Trains for the Pacific Northwest

Cantwell championed a record-high Amtrak investment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is funding new Airo trains

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, celebrated the debut of new Airo trainsets on the Amtrak Cascades ahead of the first passenger service on September 30.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law keeps paying dividends,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The state-of-the-art Airo trainsets replace much older cars, making travel on Amtrak’s Cascades route more convenient, accessible, and reliable for riders across the Pacific Northwest. The Airos also have nearly twice as many seats, helping to meet growing demand on this routinely sold-out route.”

Sen. Cantwell led passage of the largest bipartisan investment in passenger rail in history, including $22 billion for Amtrak, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Now, Pacific Northwest customers will be the first in the nation to experience Amtrak’s newest trains.

Amtrak’s Airo trains produce 90% less particulate emissions than their predecessors. Redesigned interiors will offer improved accessibility and comfort in state-of-the art train interiors.

In October 2024, Sen. Cantwell announced that Amtrak would invest nearly $300 million in major upgrades to Seattle’s King Street Station rail yard. The upgraded railyard supported the introduction of the new Airo trains and operates without the use of fossil fuels for heating.",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-colleagues-call-for-memorial-at-arlington-national-cemetery-to-honor-wa-servicemember-killed-in-operation-epic-fury,"Cantwell, Colleagues Call for Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to Honor WA Servicemember Killed in Operation Epic Fury",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell, Colleagues Call for Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to Honor WA Servicemember Killed in Operation Epic Fury

Cantwell, Colleagues Call for Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to Honor WA Servicemember Killed in Operation Epic Fury

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), and Mike Carey (R-OH-15) in introducing bicameral legislation, the Zeus 95 Memorial Act, to establish a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) honoring the six Zeus 95 servicemembers who perished on March 12, 2026, in the crash of a KC-135 during an Operation Epic Fury mission.

Maj. John A. Klinner, (33, Auburn, AL); Capt. Ariana G. Savino, (31, Covington, WA); and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, (34, Bardstown, KY), were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Capt. Seth R. Koval, (38, Mooresville, IN); Capt. Curtis J. Angst, (30, Wilmington, OH); and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, (28, of Columbus, OH) were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.

“Captain Savino and the five heroes of ZEUS 95 gave everything in service to our country. A memorial at Arlington National Cemetery will ensure their courage and sacrifice are never forgotten,” Sen. Cantwell said.

“Captain Ariana G. Savino represents the absolute best of Washington state and our country. I will forever be grateful for her bravery and sacrifice,” said Sen. Murray. “Capt. Savino and the other five courageous Air Force Airmen put their lives on the line to keep our country safe—they should be honored. My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones in this tragic incident—Congress should pass this bill immediately to establish this memorial. We have a commitment to honor our servicemembers not only with words but by supporting the families they leave behind—making sure the federal government is there for our military families will continue to be a top priority for me. To the families, friends, and fellow Airmen who loved the Zeus 95 crew, you have my most sincere condolences.”

“Curtis Angst, Tyler Simmons, and Seth Koval are true American heroes who gave their lives in service to our great Nation and the cause of freedom,” said Sen. Moreno. “My colleagues and I are humbled to join together in establishing a permanent memorial so that their enduring legacy, their unmatched courage, and the selfless sacrifice they made during Operation Epic Fury will stand as a shining beacon of American valor.”

“I remain heartbroken that the crew of Zeus 95, including Captain Savino of Covington, died last spring in flight operations over Iraq. I will continue my efforts to honor their bravery and sacrifice, and am profoundly grateful that these crewmembers chose a life of service to our nation,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “Captain Savino’s passion, leadership, and bravery will be forever remembered by the people of Washington state and all Americans. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of Captain Savino and the entire Zeus 95 crew. I send my deepest condolences to them, and pray for the safety and health of all of our servicemembers.”

Under federal law, monuments that do not contain or mark interred remains generally may not be placed on ANC grounds unless they meet certain statutory requirements. Among other criteria, the monument must commemorate the service of an individual or group of Armed Forces members or a particular military event, and it may not be placed until 25 years after the event being commemorated.

A Zeus 95 monument would not currently meet the 25-year requirement, so the lawmakers are pushing to honor the families’ wishes by seeking to waive the 25-year waiting period and allow for a monument at ANC.",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-her-vote-directing-trump-to-end-his-war-in-iran,Cantwell Statement on Her Vote Directing Trump to End His War in Iran,2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Statement on Her Vote Directing Trump to End His War in Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 49-50 against a concurrent resolution directing President Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran, after nearly seven months of war. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) voted for the resolution and gave the following statement:

“The costs of President Trump’s unnecessary war with Iran continue to mount, and the American people want it to end. We have lost valuable lives, and the conflict is compounding the burden of high gas and grocery prices at home.”

Last week, Sen. Cantwell joined 45 Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding a full accounting of the costs of the war with Iran. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the senators criticized the Department of Defense for withholding information from Congress and the American public, even as U.S. casualties and taxpayer costs continue to rise. This week, partial information provided to Congress showed that the war cost at least $43.6 billion by September 3 – three weeks ago – as the Trump Administration has requested $67 billion more for the war. Moreover, as the senators’ letter notes, the war has also cost American consumers an extra $100 billion just in higher gas and diesel costs, and at least another $60 billion in higher costs for things like groceries, mortgages, and plane tickets, among others.

On June 23, she issued a statement after voting for a War Powers Resolution measure to end the war. Congress passed the resolution – rejecting President Trump’s war with Iran – in a bipartisan vote.

On June 18, she issued a statement on President Trump’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran, saying, “The President’s war with Iran was a mistake. The MOU is the price the President must pay to get us out of this unauthorized war before it further damages our economy and costs more lives.”

On March 15, she issued a statement after six U.S. service members – including Captain Ariana G. Savino from Covington, Washington – died when their KC-135 aircraft crashed in Iraq during an Operation Epic Fury mission. Today, Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) joined Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), and Mike Carey (R-OH-15) in introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Zeus 95 Memorial Act, to establish a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery honoring the six crewmates who perished in the crash.

On March 11, Sen. Cantwell and 45 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Sec. Hegseth pressing the Department of Defense to provide answers to the American people about the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and civilian casualties in the Trump Administration’s war on Iran, as well as accountability for those responsible.

On March 2, she cosponsored a resolution led by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to direct the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. A subsequent vote to advance that measure failed on a 47-53 vote.

On March 1, she issued a statement in response to the news that three U.S. service members had been killed and five others injured in the conflict: “My heart goes out to the families of the servicemembers killed and injured. Our troops valiantly put their lives on the line for the nation, every one of them a hero. The Trump Administration must come before Congress.”

On February 28, soon after the Trump Administration ordered strikes on Iran, Sen. Cantwell issued a statement criticizing the Administration and demanding that it seek congressional approval, as the Constitution requires.",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell/randall-bill-to-restore-lower-elwha-klallam-tribal-lands-unanimously-passes-senate-heads-to-president-for-signature,"Cantwell/Randall Bill to Restore Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Lands Unanimously Passes Senate, Heads to President for Signature",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell/Randall Bill to Restore Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Lands Unanimously Passes Senate, Heads to President for Signature

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act is one of the last steps of the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dam removal project & will help restore fisheries; Bill now heads to President’s desk to become law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill sponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), former chair and longest-serving member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Representative Emily Randall (D, WA-06), who serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, to transfer federal land back to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe after decades of work to restore the Elwha River. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act, having previously passed the House, now goes to the President’s desk for his signature.

“Today, Congress took a historic step to strengthen salmon and habitat recovery and help fulfill a decades-old vision to restore the Elwha River and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s connection to lands that have sustained them since time immemorial. I’m thrilled we got this bill across the finish line and look forward to the President signing it into law,” Sen. Cantwell said.

""Today, we took an important step in upholding our treaty obligations by passing legislation to transfer land into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. As a freshman member of Congress who represents — alongside their elected Tribal leaders — over 15,000 Tribal members, this significance is not lost on me,” said Rep. Randall. “Now signed into law, this bill will help ensure we meet our trust responsibilities to restore Tribal lands.”

“It is a great honor to be trusted to steward these lands again, it continues to be a great part of our healing from the dam removal projects. We continue to see slow but persistent growth in our river and the return of the salmon. This has been a long process, and we appreciate the Federal partners for all the hard work in making this a priority. A special thanks to Councilwoman Frances Charles (Former Chairwoman of 22 years) for her years of persistence to see this land come back to the tribe!” said Melissa A. Gilman, Tribal Chairwoman of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

“The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act is very significant to the Elwha Klallam people. The return of these lands is an important final action to the dam removal project that rewilded the Elwha River and made possible the recovery of the salmon populations,” said Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Council Member and former Chair Frances Charles. “The return of these sacred and culturally significant lands to the Tribe’s stewardship protects the federal investment in the restoration of the river and upholds the federal government’s treaty and trust obligations to the Tribe. The Tribe is grateful to Senator Cantwell and Representative Randall for their efforts to keep this legislation moving toward the return of the lands to the Tribe.”

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act represents another important step in the decades-long effort to restore the Elwha River and address the impacts of the dams on the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Congress authorized the historic removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams in 1992 to restore the river and its once-abundant salmon runs. While both dams were successfully removed by 2014, restoration of the Elwha watershed has continued.

The legislation builds on that work by returning more than 1,082 acres of federal project lands to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Placing these lands into trust will allow the Tribe to continue its stewardship of the Elwha River, protect cultural and natural resources, and support the long-term recovery of salmon and other native fish.

Specifically, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act would:

Transfer three parcels of land totaling 1,082 acres to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to be held in trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

The land is just outside the boundaries of the Olympic National Park and includes 1,061 acres originally acquired by the National Park Service to demolish two dams along the Elwha River.

The two remaining parcels were acquired by the U.S. Department of the Interior to construct a pipeline to transfer surface water to the Tribe’s new fish hatchery – the House of Salmon.

Boost habitat restoration efforts led by the Lower Elwha Tribe and federal agencies, aiding in the recovery of all five species of Pacific salmon and other native fish, including Chinook, coho, chum, pink, and sockeye salmon, along with steelhead and bull trout.",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-protect-college-sports-act-77-22,Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act 77-22,2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act 77-22

Landmark bill enshrines into federal law rights and health and safety protections for college athletes, protects athletes from predatory agents, & secures the future of women’s and Olympic sports; Legislation moves to House for consideration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, celebrated the overwhelming, bipartisan Senate vote to pass the Protect College Sports Act.

""There are several things in this bill that are really important to enshrine into federal law at this time. First and foremost, the federal right to NIL [Name, Image, and Likeness],"" Sen. Cantwell said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.

""But compensation on revenue sharing is probably the most important thing we could possibly enshrine in federal law today. This is [Congress] saying, for the first time, that an athlete gets a percentage of the media rights, the ticket sales, and the sponsorship.""

She continued: ""We also believe in a health and safety standard in federal law, one that protects the athletes beyond the way the law works today and gives them the right to sue and hold these people accountable for any kind of health and safety violations [...] And then medical coverage for five years post eligibility, and capping agents’ [fees] at 5%.""

""We need to stop stealing money out of college [and] university institutions for education, for tuition, for professors, and putting it into an arms race on sports,"" Sen. Cantwell said. ""It is putting a pin in the problems to stabilize the loss of women’s and Olympic [sports] and to create the opportunity to discuss the larger structure moving forward. That is why I think we have so much support.""

Video of Sen. Cantwell’s floor speech is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

The final vote was 77-22. The bill will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. The next scheduled House legislative session begins Monday, November 9.

Sen. Cantwell is leading the effort to reform college sports. The Protect College Sports Act of 2026, which she introduced alongside Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), sets new rules and provides new tools to stabilize college sports, including codifying athletes’ rights to earn compensation for their NIL, enshrining scholarship and health and safety protections in federal law, reining in predatory agents, expanding revenue for all schools, and preserving and protecting the future of women’s and Olympic sports.

On September 15, Sen. Cantwell’s office released a snapshot report detailing how the unsustainable growth in spending on college sports is amplifying financial pressures on colleges and universities. That report can be read in full HERE.

On September 14, Sen. Cantwell joined current college athletes, coaches, and senators from both parties for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to speak in support of the Protect College Sports Act. That press conference, which also included Gonzaga University head men’s basketball coach Mark Few, can be watched in full HERE.

The Protect College Sports Act’s new guaranteed protections for student athletes include:

Granting student athletes a new federal right to earn compensation for their NIL and replacing the patchwork of state laws with a strong national law.

Capping agent fees at 5% to clamp down on predatory agents.

Guaranteeing scholarships for ten years after eligibility, so athletes can complete their degrees, and ensuring student athletes cannot lose their scholarship because of injury or a bad game.

Requiring Division I schools to cover out-of-pocket medical costs for athletic injuries or illness for current student athletes and five years post-eligibility.

Preventing women’s and Olympic sports from being cut by requiring schools to maintain a minimum number of sports.

Giving athletes a private right of action to enforce provisions of the bill, including their NIL rights, agent protections, health and safety standards, scholarship protections, and medical coverage requirements.

For more details, see a summary of the bill HERE.",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-leads-wa-delegation-in-supporting-governors-request-for-major-disaster-declaration-for-individual-assistance-for-devastating-wildfires-in-washington-state/,Murray Leads WA Delegation in Supporting Governor’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance for Devastating Wildfires in Washington State,2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane

ICYMI: Senator Murray Vows to Get Spokane and WA Federal Resources for Wildfire Response and Recovery

***LETTER HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance to help families recover and repair damage due to the devastating wildfires that swept through Central and Eastern Washington from July 23 through August 31.

For the first time, on August 1, the National Weather Service upgraded a Red Flag Warning for fire weather conditions to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. Three massive fires broke out and tore through neighborhoods across Spokane, the Old Trails Fire burned in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burned near Nine-Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burned in Mead. The Spokane Complex Fires forced 67,000 people to evacuate, burned nearly 10,000 acres, with damages predicted to exceed $1 billion.

This was one of Washington state’s worst wildfire seasons on record, with fires causing severe damage and threatening lives, property, businesses, and livestock. In Okanogan County, the Kaiser Canyon, Modrite, and Sinlahekin fires burned over 350,000 acres total.

“As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance due to devastating wildfire damages incurred from July 23 through August 31. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible,” Senator Murray and other members of the delegation wrote. “A record-setting drought and an unusually small snowpack contributed to numerous large and fast-moving wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington, devastating communities in Benton, Spokane, Stevens, and Okanogan Counties, as well as on the Spokane Indian Reservation. These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry.”

Joining Senator Murray in the letter to President Trump were Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).

The lawmakers continued, “Local, state, and federal resources responded quickly to the wildfires. Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces and the National Guard, deployed to Washington state to assist local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. While their heroic efforts helped to contain these devastating fires, federal assistance is required to support communities as they begin to rebuild. The fires destroyed over 2,500 structures, including entire neighborhoods, and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Ultimately, over 650 primary residences were destroyed by these fast-moving wildfires, leaving hundreds of Washingtonians displaced.”

“Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure. We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster, as well as for your prompt approval of the state’s Emergency Declaration request submitted on August 2nd, which allowed for critical federal assistance that supported fire suppression, emergency shelter operations, and other vital needs. We reiterate our full support for the September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance,” Senator Murray and the delegation concluded.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. President:

As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance due to devastating wildfire damages incurred from July 23 through August 31. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible. A record-setting drought and an unusually small snowpack contributed to numerous large and fast-moving wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington, devastating communities in Benton, Spokane, Stevens, and Okanogan Counties, as well as on the Spokane Indian Reservation. These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry.

Local, state, and federal resources responded quickly to the wildfires. Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces and the National Guard, deployed to Washington state to assist local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. While their heroic efforts helped to contain these devastating fires, federal assistance is required to support communities as they begin to rebuild. The fires destroyed over 2,500 structures, including entire neighborhoods, and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Ultimately, over 650 primary residences were destroyed by these fast-moving wildfires, leaving hundreds of Washingtonians displaced.

Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure. We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster, as well as for your prompt approval of the state’s Emergency Declaration request submitted on August 2nd, which allowed for critical federal assistance that supported fire suppression, emergency shelter operations, and other vital needs. We reiterate our full support for the September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance. We appreciate you in advance for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-baldwin-lead-colleagues-in-demanding-vought-abandon-any-and-all-plans-to-exert-political-control-over-nih-funding/,"Murray, Baldwin Lead Colleagues in Demanding Vought Abandon Any and All Plans to Exert Political Control Over NIH Funding",2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Lawmakers emphasize need for Republicans to join Democrats and support new guardrails in law to protect the integrity of NIH’s grantmaking process following long line of politically motivated attacks on NIH

ICYMI: Senator Murray on Trump’s Latest Plan to Politicize Lifesaving NIH Research

ICYMI: Murray on Trump Admin Scrapping Plans for Executive Order to Empower Russ Vought to Kill NIH Research

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, led 29 of their colleagues in demanding White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought halt any plan to exert political control over the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) grant-making process. The Trump administration considering an executive order to establish an external committee of unqualified political appointees empowered to veto any awards selected by NIH and panels of scientific experts is just the latest example and highlights the need for Congress to intervene.

In their letter, the lawmakers underscore that the executive order is just the latest way OMB has sought to undermine NIH and the scientific peer review process that is the foundation of biomedical advancements and innovation. Backtracking on a new executive order or not, the Trump administration has shown time and again it wants to use NIH funding to pursue political agendas and vendettas, at the expense of life-saving research, treatments, and cures for millions of Americans.

“Decisions about which National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants to fund should be guided only by science, and what research is most likely to advance new treatments and cures, or the next breakthrough to save or improve a patient’s life. The Trump administration considering, at the highest level, an Executive Order to exert unprecedented political control over NIH’s grant-making by establishing a commission empowered to veto NIH research awards represents just its latest attack on biomedical research,” the lawmakers write. “Injecting political interference into the NIH grantmaking process will irreparably harm America’s biomedical research enterprise, override scientific expertise, and potentially set back lifesaving medical breakthroughs by decades.”

The lawmakers note that reports that the Trump administration has paused plans for an executive order to scrutinize NIH grants are little relief given the president’s long string of attacks on the agency: “That such an Executive Order was considered at all makes clear that despite Congress acting to temporarily block OMB’s proposed rule, this administration intends to continue to pursue efforts to undermine NIH and its grantmaking process. If not by Executive Order or a new government-wide rule, the Trump administration will simply pursue alternative administrative means that put politics over science and undermine the biomedical research enterprise we have built in this country over more than a century that is the envy of the world.”

The senators explained that given the administration’s attacks, it’s critical Congress take additional steps to put guardrails in place—something Senate Democrats have been pushing to do over the last 18 months: “Congress must step in to establish guardrails to protect American biomedical science. We urge our Republican colleagues to work with us on legislation to do much more to protect NIH from the Trump administration, which has proven over and over again to be dead set on picking political fights at the expense of advancing lifesaving treatments and cures for millions of Americans.”

The lawmakers conclude: “We write to call on you to abandon any plan to exert political control over NIH’s grant-making decisions — whether that’s through your proposed rule, a new Executive Order, or any other means—that would empower political appointees to deny funding for grant applications that have already been deemed meritorious by the NIH peer-review and Advisory Council process. Patients and families are already paying an enormous price because of this administration’s nonstop attacks on the NIH—the last thing they need is for their hopes for new treatments and cures to be pushed farther out of view because you want to put politics ahead of saving lives.”

In addition to Senators Murray and Baldwin, the letter was also signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Angus King Jr. (I-ME), Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Director Vought:

Decisions about which National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants to fund should be guided only by science, and what research is most likely to advance new treatments and cures, or the next breakthrough to save or improve a patient’s life. The Trump administration considering, at the highest level, an Executive Order to exert unprecedented political control over NIH’s grant-making by establishing a commission empowered to veto NIH research awards represents just its latest attack on biomedical research. If established, such an entity would radically alter a nearly 140-year-old evaluation system built upon a rigorous peer-review process where subject matter experts assess applications based on scientific merit. Injecting political interference into the NIH grantmaking process will irreparably harm America’s biomedical research enterprise, override scientific expertise, and potentially set back lifesaving medical breakthroughs by decades.

Reports that the Trump administration is backtracking on such an Executive Order is of little relief. This scheme comes on the heels of the Office of Management Budget’s (OMB) proposal to rewrite rules governing the administration of federal grants government-wide, which centers on the same aims—to put politics over scientific rigor. These efforts violate longstanding practice and interpretation of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) statutory duties and are clearly counter to what Congress intended when funding NIH. That such an Executive Order was considered at all makes clear that despite Congress acting to temporarily block OMB’s proposed rule, this administration intends to continue to pursue efforts to undermine NIH and its grantmaking process. If not by Executive Order or a new government-wide rule, the Trump administration will simply pursue alternative administrative means that put politics over science and undermine the biomedical research enterprise we have built in this country over more than a century that is the envy of the world. The Trump administration will continue to have political appointees review Notices of Funding Opportunities and grant applications. It will continue to terminate scientifically meritorious grants for political reasons. And it will sideline expert peer review and empower political appointees to decide what research to fund or to not fund. Congress must step in to establish guardrails to protect American biomedical science. We urge our Republican colleagues to work with us on legislation to do much more to protect NIH from the Trump administration, which has proven over and over again to be dead set on picking political fights at the expense of advancing lifesaving treatments and cures for millions of Americans.

As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH supports research across virtually every area of human health. NIH research has led to countless groundbreaking discoveries, including mapping the human genome, isolating the AIDS virus, and the development of new drugs and treatments for cystic fibrosis, childhood leukemia, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and rare diseases, among so many others. The NIH peer-review system is the backbone of each one of those discoveries. It is a process established to ensure that taxpayer-funded research is evaluated according to scientific standards and to insulate funding decisions from political considerations. NIH funding has, for example, supported basic scientific research on lizard venom and sea snails that you or another political appointee without any scientific expertise may well have vetoed as a waste of taxpayer resources, but that very research led to the development of GLP-1 medications and non-addictive opioid alternatives. NIH’s scientific and peer review process that you are actively working to tear down is the foundation on which the United States stands as the world leader in biomedical innovation. OMB and unqualified political appointees have no business being involved in individual grant funding decisions and determining which specific cancer or Alzheimer’s disease research grants get funded.

Putting political decree above scientific peer review will mean research proposals are rejected not because of deficiencies in scientific quality, methodology, or relevance to statutory NIH missions, but because the subject matter, populations studied, institutions involved, or anticipated policy implications of the research do not align with the President’s political agenda. Breast cancer patients should not be denied hope of a new lifesaving treatment because you and the President think women’s health research is “woke”. Each year, NIH awards more than 50,000 grants and reviews tens of thousands more, each containing dozens of pages of dense scientific material. Whether through Executive Order, a new OMB rule, or other means, this administration seeks the ability to cut funding for specific research institutions it doesn’t like, or to cut funding for specific research projects because it doesn’t like how they sound. This would mean overruling decisions made by panels of scientific experts that have already determined which research is meritorious of federal funding and is our nation’s best bet at advancing new treatments and cures. Congress appropriated more than $48 billion to NIH in fiscal year 2026 for biomedical research pursuant to statute and congressionally directed programs, to be awarded according to a multi-step peer review process mandated by law. Congress does not delegate, or in any way intend to delegate, authority to the White House or your office to determine which individual scientific proposals may receive federal support. It similarly does not intend for unqualified political appointees to override the scientific peer review process in determining which specific grants to fund. But that is exactly what this administration continues to pursue.

These efforts are just the latest in a series of actions elevating politics and undermining science in biomedical research. Under your leadership, OMB has focused its efforts on destroying NIH and, with it, the nation’s biomedical research enterprise. To date, the Trump administration has terminated or disrupted 5,780 NIH grants worth an estimated $15 billion. Today, 1,231 of those grants still have not been restored. In fiscal year 2025, the agency issued 6,478 fewer awards compared to the year before – fewer than any year since 2018. The overall success rate for grant applicants fell to 17 percent, marking a 30-year low. The Trump administration has delayed NIH notices of funding opportunities and grant awards by months, setting back research and clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease, cancer research, opioid addiction, rare diseases, and others by a year or more. These disruptions are causing young scientists and researchers to abandon their careers altogether or leave to pursue them in other countries. Meanwhile, uncertainties about federal funding have led to a 15 percent decline in doctoral admissions at major research universities in the United States. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Trump administration plans to transfer up to $1.9 billion per year from NIH to the Department of Defense. Taken together, the Trump administration’s actions have systematically weakened the biomedical workforce and upended the very system designed to select the most scientifically promising research that delivers hope for millions of American patients and families who are praying for new treatments and cures.

We write to call on you to abandon any plan to exert political control over NIH’s grant-making decisions — whether that’s through your proposed rule, a new Executive Order, or any other means—that would empower political appointees to deny funding for grant applications that have already been deemed meritorious by the NIH peer-review and Advisory Council process. Patients and families are already paying an enormous price because of this administration’s nonstop attacks on the NIH—the last thing they need is for their hopes for new treatments and cures to be pushed farther out of view because you want to put politics ahead of saving lives.

###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-slams-trump-for-illegal-impoundment/,Murray Slams Trump for Illegal Impoundment,2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump’s illegal attempt to do an end run around Congress with a “pocket rescission.” While the president has called out over $800 million in federal funding that he intends to impound, Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats have identified additional funding that the Trump administration is on track to either illegally impound or spend in defiance of Congress. That includes additional funding for critical health research, funds to combat the international illicit narcotics trade, and more.

“This is theft from the American people, plain and simple. These are funds Congress has delivered on a bipartisan basis and should be helping people—not cut off by a president more focused on building a ballroom than investing in families. Every Republican who voted for these bills should be furious because Vought is saying their votes don’t count.

“In negotiations over the recently enacted CR, Democrats fought to include language to prevent the Trump administration from once again usurping Congress’ power—but for the second time in a year, Republicans refused to take common sense action and prevent this from happening. While Trump spends tax dollars on ads promoting himself, Congress needs to reassert its powers to help people, and it’s past time Republicans join us in that fight. Russ Vought’s message to Congress is that your votes don’t count, and your laws are optional. It is now time for my Republican colleagues who said they would never let this happen to stand up and join us to stop this, and remind this administration this is not how this works.”

###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-and-colleagues-push-trump-to-negotiate-ai-guardrails-with-xi-jinping,Cantwell & Colleagues Push Trump To Negotiate AI Guardrails With Xi Jinping,2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell & Colleagues Push Trump To Negotiate AI Guardrails With Xi Jinping

Senators’ letter calls for global cooperation on AI development to preserve public safety and human control; Cantwell-led bill established the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee; Last year, Cantwell halted an effort to impose a 10-year moratorium on states establishing AI regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined 16 of her colleagues in calling on President Donald Trump to negotiate a formal agreement between the U.S. and China on guardrails and global standards for the development, testing, and use of frontier Artificial Intelligence (AI) models with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We write concerning public reporting that your administration plans to have discussions about artificial intelligence with China during the upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping currently planned for September 24, 2026. We support this dialogue and encourage you to have those discussions at the highest level. As extraordinary as the promise of some of AI’s advanced capabilities are, safety incidents make clear that both national and international infrastructure is threatened by unregulated testing and release of AI models. It is incumbent upon both governments to discuss necessary guardrails and global standards for the development, testing, and use of AI in order to mitigate the risks of unfettered advancement,” the senators wrote.

They continued: “The conversations should include specific focus on the standards needed for development and testing processes, oversight and monitoring of models, enforcing human control over the use of autonomous systems, and technological verification of any agreed upon terms to ensure that an agreement is being enforced. Protecting American safety and leadership in AI will require international cooperation with many countries, but it must start with serious engagement by your administration and China at this summit.”

“AI technology is too powerful, and its risks too many, for the U.S. and China to forgo discussions on parameters around its development and use. What our two countries develop as guardrails will serve as a standard for how the technology is used worldwide. Given how quickly AI technology is developing and how transformative it may be, we cannot delay our pursuit of diplomatic efforts to mitigate its risks. Those efforts must start with direct engagement with China to ensure the safety and well-being of all people as AI innovation continues,” the lawmakers concluded.

The letter can be read in full HERE.

As Commerce Committee Chair in 2024, Sen. Cantwell assembled and advanced a bipartisan package of bills designed to build that federal infrastructure and establish an AI safety and security framework before the most dangerous AI threats would appear. These bills included the Future of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act, the TEST AI Act, the Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy (VET) Artificial Intelligence Act, the CREATE AI Act and the Promoting United States Leadership in Standards Act of 2024. Taken together, these bills would have built out a robust Standards, Testing, and Evaluation ecosystem capable of mitigating to help mitigate the most dangerous uses of AI, including harmful AI swarms and AI-enabled cyberattacks. Senate Republicans blocked this bipartisan solution from ever coming up for a vote by the full Senate.

In August 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted a Future of AI Forum in Seattle with a panel of AI experts.",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-cantwell-moreno-schrier-call-for-memorial-at-arlington-national-cemetery-to-honor-fallen-zeus-95-servicemembers/,"Murray, Cantwell, Moreno, Schrier, Call for Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to Honor Fallen Zeus 95 Servicemembers",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA 08), Joyce Beatty (D-OH 03), and Mike Carey (R-OH 15), introduced bicameral legislation, the Zeus 95 Memorial Act, to establish a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) honoring the six Zeus 95 servicemembers who perished on March 12, 2026, in the crash of a KC-135 during an Operation Epic Fury mission.

Maj. John A. Klinner, (33, Auburn, AL); Capt. Ariana G. Savino, (31, Covington, WA); and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, (34, Bardstown, KY), were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Capt. Seth R. Koval, (38, Mooresville, IN); Capt. Curtis J. Angst, (30, Wilmington, OH); and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, (28, of Columbus, OH) were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.

In the House, the bill is also cosponsored by Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA 01), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA 05), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA 10).

“Captain Ariana G. Savino represents the absolute best of Washington state and our country. I will forever be grateful for her bravery and sacrifice,” said Senator Murray. “Capt. Savino and the other five courageous Air Force Airmen put their lives on the line to keep our country safe—they should be honored. My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones in this tragic incident—Congress should pass this bill immediately to establish this memorial. We have a commitment to honor our servicemembers not only with words but by supporting the families they leave behind—making sure the federal government is there for our military families will continue to be a top priority for me. To the families, friends, and fellow Airmen who loved the Zeus 95 crew, you have my most sincere condolences.”

“Captain Savino and the five heroes of ZEUS 95 gave everything in service to our country. A memorial at Arlington National Cemetery will ensure their courage and sacrifice are never forgotten,” said Senator Cantwell.

“Curtis Angst, Tyler Simmons, and Seth Koval are true American heroes who gave their lives in service to our great Nation and the cause of freedom,” said Senator Moreno. “My colleagues and I are humbled to join together in establishing a permanent memorial so that their enduring legacy, their unmatched courage, and the selfless sacrifice they made during Operation Epic Fury will stand as a shining beacon of American valor.”

“I remain heartbroken that the crew of Zeus 95, including Captain Savino of Covington, died last spring in flight operations over Iraq. I will continue my efforts to honor their bravery and sacrifice, and am profoundly grateful that these crewmembers chose a life of service to our nation,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “Captain Savino’s passion, leadership, and bravery will be forever remembered by the people of Washington state and all Americans. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of Captain Savino and the entire Zeus 95 crew. I send my deepest condolences to them, and pray for the safety and health of all of our servicemembers.”

Under federal law, monuments that do not contain or mark interred remains generally may not be placed on ANC grounds unless they meet certain statutory requirements. Among other criteria, the monument must commemorate the service of an individual or group of Armed Forces members or a particular military event, and it may not be placed until 25 years after the event being commemorated.

A Zeus 95 monument would not currently meet the 25-year requirement, so the lawmakers are pushing to honor the families’ wishes by seeking to waive the 25-year waiting period and allow for a monument at ANC.

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-presses-fda-nominee-heidi-overton-on-her-anti-abortion-extremism-and-fdas-failures-to-keep-food-safe/,Murray Presses FDA Nominee Heidi Overton on Her Anti-Abortion Extremism and FDA’s Failures to Keep Food Safe,2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Overton refuses to say whether mifepristone is safe and effective; Overton refuses to say that IUDs and contraception are NOT abortion

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning***

Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Heidi Overton to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the HELP committee, grilled Overton on the FDA approval of mifepristone and the safety of medication abortion, the mass foodborne illness outbreaks over the summer, and extreme claims that birth control is abortion.

[MEDICATION ABORTION]

Senator Murray began by questioning whether Overton agreed that mifepristone was safe and effective, something decades of research has consistently affirmed.

MURRAY: Dr. Overton, do you do agree with the FDA approval of mifepristone, which means the agency deems it safe and effective?

OVERTON: Thank you for the question. I look forward to getting to meet with you next week and talk in more detail. Mifepristone was approved by the FDA, as having met its safety and efficacy standards.

MURRAY: I know what the FDA has done. I asked if you agree with the FDA, that it is safe and effective?

OVERTON: Senator, as the nominee for the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, my job would be to abide by the statutory standards set out for safety and efficacy. And when a product is before the agency and has met those standards, I would agree with the statutory standards of safety and efficacy.

MURRAY: So, you do believe it’s safe?

OVERTON: I know that it has met the safety and efficacy standard according to the FDA review.

MURRAY: Well, despite what FDA says, and what decades of science says, you actually published an article three years ago that incorrectly described medication abortion as “dangerous to women.” The fact that you would blatantly contradict decades of high-quality scientific evidence, and millions of patients use it, is alarming to me. So, that’s why I asked you that question.

You have stated in an article that you believe it is dangerous. So, I asked you, do you believe it is safe today and you are not answering the question.

OVERTON: Senator, thank you for the opportunity to discuss this directly. I have always been driven by data and information and use the clinical training and the research training that I have in everything that I have written. Specific to that publication in 2023 was a time after a change was made at the FDA in how that medication was accessed. And I think it’s very important for the FDA in its post-market review, like with every medication, especially those medications that have a risk evaluation mitigation strategy—

MURRAY: I hear you changing your answer now saying you don’t think it is safe. The FDA agreed that this was safe and effective 26 years ago. Where I come from, I really believe that our FDA needs people who will put science first. The FDA has said this is safe and we need somebody in FDA who is going to be there to make sure that this is done by—is science based. So that’s where I come from. Let me change really quickly, I’m almost out of time.

[FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS]

Senator Murray then asked about the massive foodborne illness outbreaks from this past summer, that led Americans to no longer trust what foods were safe to eat or not—asking Overton simple questions about the human foods program at FDA.

MURRAY: As you know, this summer Americans have had to deal with lettuce that causes explosive diarrhea. There’s been an outbreak recalling millions of eggs; frozen blueberries were contaminated with E.coli; multiple recalls of infant formula—and the list goes on.

What happened this summer just it cannot happen again. And coincidentally, this all happened after Trump and DOGE pushed out and fired more than 4,600 people at the FDA—and now the agency I hear is trying to scramble to rehire at least 3,500 people. That is a nearly 17 percent reduction in just a year and a half for a workforce whose job it is to keep our food and our medicines safe.

Can you tell us how many people currently work at the Human Foods Program at FDA right now?

OVERTON: Senator, thank you for the question. Having not been at the agency right now, I don’t know the exact staffing numbers of that center. I know there are about 16,000 employees currently. And I know that the FDA, as publicly reported, is hiring to have the best people in the best positions to be able to deliver on the core mission. Food safety is one of those. There are a lot of things that we can do and work together on.

MURRAY: Let me just tell you because this is really important. The office has approximately 1,700 employees which is still 13% fewer than they had at the start of 2025. So, that is deeply disturbing. I want you to be aware of that and I want you to focus on that.

And I wanted to ask you are you currently aware of which part of the FDA’s Human Foods Program monitors those kind of outbreaks and foodborne illness? Do you know what it’s called?

OVERTON: Within the center of Human Foods? Food Safety and Inspection center I believe.

MURRAY: Well I’ll tell you, it’s the Coordinated Outbreak Risk and Evaluation Network—it’s called the CORE Network. I think it’s really important that you focus on that and know that. And make sure that it is fully staffed. It is absolutely, incredibly important to people’s safety and I think everyone right now is very concerned about what has been happening and I see a direct correlation to the reduction of staff that has been there.

[LIES ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL]

Senator Murray concluded by asking about the Trump administration’s lies about birth control being abortion.

MURRAY: Finally, and I just have a minute, a few seconds left. Last year, the Trump administration falsely labeled birth control as “abortion.”

Do you agree that, say, an IUD is an “abortifacient”?

OVERTON: Senator, if I have the privilege of being confirmed, first off, I commit to working with you on the food safety pillars that are critically important. We did ask in the congressional justification for more foreign facility user fees to be able to have more of those inspections to specifically address the problems we were raised this summer.

MURRAY: I appreciate that, but I wanted to know if you agree that an IUD is an “abortifacient”?

OVERTON: Senator, thank you for the question. If I’m confirmed as FDA Commissioner, I’ll be briefed on all their prior decisions, and I will make determinations according to the standards of safety and efficacy.

MURRAY: Well, I don’t think you answered the question. Look, I think it is outrageous and should be deeply alarming to all Americans right now that the prospect of an FDA commissioner who doesn’t know that birth control is not an abortion is deeply concerning to me.

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senators-murray-hirono-cortez-masto-reintroduce-bill-to-expand-coverage-of-birth-control-in-america-and-sound-the-alarm-on-trumps-relentless-attacks-on-contraception-family-planning/,"Senators Murray, Hirono, Cortez Masto, Reintroduce Bill to Expand Coverage of Birth Control in America and Sound the Alarm on Trump’s Relentless Attacks on Contraception & Family Planning",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “Trump administration officials literally asserted birth control caused abortion, and wanted to set it on fire—seriously!”

ICYMI: Murray Leads Colleagues in Calling on RFK Jr. to Reinstate 50+ Recently Cancelled Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grants

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks and the full press conference***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a press conference with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) on the reintroduction of their bicameral Affordability is Access Act. Senator Murray was also joined by Dr. Serina Floyd, Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Daria Neal, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, Audrey Ann Ross, Senior Manager of Communications and Policy at AccessMatters, and Dana Singiser, Co-Founder of Contraceptive Access Initiative. The legislation is also led by Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA-06), and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) in the House of Representatives.

The Affordability is Access Act would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs, once it’s FDA-approved. The legislation also includes a new provision to require health insurance to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or drug-led combination product without cost sharing unless the health plan also covers a therapeutically equivalent generic without cost sharing—this would significantly eliminate barriers that some patients face in accessing contraceptives prescribed by their provider.

This reintroduction comes as the Trump administration continues their senseless attacks on reproductive care, family planning, and contraception. Throughout the press conference, speakers discussed the administration’s moves to cancel teen pregnancy prevention grants, their attempts to decimate Title X, and their attacks on contraception—including the State Department’s extremist decision to falsely label birth control products as abortifacients.

“When it comes to birth control, the challenge we face isn’t just to stop Trump from setting up new barriers. We have to tear down the barriers that have been standing for far too long—like cost,” said Senator Murray. “We have to put forward our own vision for the future—not just reject Trump’s far-right dystopia. That’s why we are re-introducing the Affordability is Access Act. This bill would require insurance to fully cover safe, over-the-counter birth control for patients. And this year we made a big update: our bill will also make sure all other FDA-approved forms of contraception are covered for patients. No fees. No hurdles. No out-of-pocket costs. This is especially important because, as of March 2024, there is an over-the counter birth control pill that women can buy at pharmacies and grocery stores. Trump has made his vision painfully clear, he wants to take women’s rights away, he wants to set birth control on fire. Well, this bill is our vision as Democrats. We want to protect women’s rights. And we want to protect your birth control.”

“As the Trump regime continues to attack reproductive freedom, fighting for contraception access has never been more important,” said Senator Hirono. “FDA approval of over-the-counter birth control is a major step forward, but approval alone does not guarantee access. By requiring insurance companies to cover over-the-counter contraception at no cost and without a prescription, this legislation will help to ensure women nationwide have the power to control their bodies and their lives.”

“Congress must pass the Affordability is Access Act to expand Americans’ reproductive freedoms even as this Administration tries to shrink them,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Birth control has helped thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans live healthy lives. It’s past time we made sure every woman who wants it has an affordable over-the-counter option they can buy.”

“While Trump and his Republican co-conspirators attack our bodily autonomy and make life less affordable, we’re fighting hard to protect reproductive freedom, lower costs, and ensure contraceptives are affordable nationwide,” said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill would make over-the-counter birth control accessible to all who need it, without the burden of prescriptions or out-of-pocket costs. Reproductive justice means protecting and expanding reproductive healthcare, and I’m proud to partner with Senators Murray, Cortez Masto, and Hirono, alongside Reps. Bera and Ocasio-Cortez, and our colleagues to make that a reality for all.”

“I am proud to reintroduce the Affordability is Access Act alongside Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Patty Murray, which will make birth control widely accessible and affordable without a prescription,” said Rep Ocasio-Cortez. “As this administration continues to attack bodily autonomy, we will continue to fight to ensure that people everywhere have access to reproductive care.”

“Birth control is essential healthcare that everyone, no matter their insurance or income, should be able to get when they need it,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “This act is a crucial first step in removing cost barriers and expanding access to contraception. As anti-reproductive health lawmakers continue to do everything in their power to restrict access to care, we’re grateful to Sen. Murray for reintroducing this bill.”

“Contraception is a fundamental part of reproductive health care and autonomy— it gives people the power to shape their own futures,” said Daria Neal, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Everyone who needs contraception should be able to access and afford it. Yet the Trump Administration has repeatedly put that access at risk, from subverting the federal family planning program and ending teen pregnancy prevention grants, to letting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded contraceptives go to waste overseas. We’re grateful to Senator Murray and her colleagues for standing up for reproductive rights and supporting this critically important legislation.”

“With the sudden termination of AccessMatters’ teen pregnancy prevention initiative, over 2,500 adolescents in Philadelphia immediately lost access to everything this program provided over the last three years – including evidence-based education programming, parent workshops, connections to local healthcare providers, assistance setting up medical appointments and accessing contraceptives, and leadership opportunities for the Youth Advisory Board,” said Audrey Ann Ross, Senior Manager of Communications and Policy at AccessMatters. “This loss of access coupled with the shifts in Title X program priorities further underscore the need for policies that support access to contraceptives and sexual and reproductive health care and information. We urge Congress to pass policies like the Affordability in Access Act and to also demand that HHS immediately restore this funding so that adolescents nationwide can continue benefitting from these programs.”

Under the Affordable Care Act, all private health insurance plans are required to fully cover — without copays or out-of-pocket costs — prescribed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, granted, or cleared methods of contraception. The Affordability is Access Act would change this to apply to over-the-counter birth control that women can get without a prescription. The Affordability is Access Act would also maintain the FDA’s sole authority to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and make them available over the counter without a prescription, and ensure retailers provide contraception without a prescription. The legislation states that any retailer that stocks contraception that the FDA has approved, granted, or cleared without a prescription may not interfere with a consumer’s access to or purchase of such contraception.

The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senators Murray (D-WA), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Hirono (D-HI), Baldwin (D-WI), Bennet (D-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Cantwell (D-WA), Duckworth (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Gallego (D-AZ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Hassan (D-NH), Heinrich (D-NM), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kaine (D-VA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Markey (D-MA), Merkley (D-OR), Padilla (D-CA), Reed (D-RI), Rosen (D-NV), Sanders (D-VT), Schatz (D-HI), Schiff (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Smith (D-MN), Van Hollen (D-MD), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR).

The bill is endorsed by: Contraceptive Access Initiative (CAI), National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, Reproductive Health Access Project, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Partnership for Women & Families, Healthy Teen Network, Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, Reproductive Freedom for All, Power to Decide, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Center for Biological Diversity, National Council of Jewish Women, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Advocates for Youth, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, AIDS United, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Network of Abortion Funds, Center for Reproductive Rights, National Organization for Women (NOW), Religious Community for Reproductive Choice, The Guttmacher Institute, Population Connection Action Fund, American College of Nurse Mid-Wives, and Ibis Reproductive Health.

Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the Senate floor multiple times over the last four years.

Over the course of her career, Senator Murray has always fought to ensure widespread access to affordable birth control. In the aftermath of the Dobbs leak, Senator Murray introduced and sought unanimous consent to pass the Right to Contraception Act to protect every American’s right to use contraception—Republicans blocked the bill. Senator Murray pushed to ensure birth control was covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), led the fight against the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling, and has persistently pressed the administration to enforce the ACA’s coverage for contraceptive services since then. Senator Murray has long held that FDA must make its decisions based on sound science and public health needs, not politics—and she is widely credited with leading the fight to make Plan B available over the counter.

Read the full text of the Affordability is Access Act HERE.

A transcript of Senator Murray’s remarks as delivered are below:

“Two years ago—the Biden Administration set forward a proposed rule to strengthen requirements that insurance cover birth control. Not even one year later—Trump administration officials literally asserted birth control caused abortion, and wanted to set it on fire—seriously!

“I mean it does not get clearer than that. While Democrats have always fought to expand access to birth control, the Trump Administration has put up barrier after barrier. Make no mistake—Trump has given far right radicals the green light to go after birth control in just about any way they can think of.

“Their record is plain as day. Trump took the Title X family planning program—and is twisting it into pretzels trying to redirect funds away from organizations that help people get birth control. He took the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program canceled grants, and is now trying to distort the very purpose of that program too.

“And the attacks on reproductive rights don’t stop at family planning and contraception. At the FDA Trump fired his own Commissioner for not moving fast enough to throw out the science and rip medication abortion away from patients.

“At the EPA Trump has them checking drinking water for traces of medication abortion.

“And don’t forget the birth control example I led with, at Trump’s State Department they are spending thousands of dollars each month to withhold contraceptives meant for foreign aid and they incorrectly claimed that these birth control supplies cause ‘abortion.’

“And yet some Republicans still have the gall to act like they have no idea why we say birth control is under attack! Just like how they had no idea abortion was under attack—right up until they ripped it away.

“Let’s please not pretend that the administration which is weaponizing environmental laws to attack medication abortion and has falsely labeled contraception as abortion is not coming for birth control.

“Well Democrats are not standing by. We have been fighting back against each and every one of these attacks on birth control.

“But more than fighting back—we are going to keep pushing forward.

“Because when it comes to birth control, the challenge we face isn’t just to stop Trump from setting up new barriers—we have to tear down the barriers that have been standing in the way for far too long, like the cost. We have to put forward our own vision for the future—not just reject Trump’s far-right dystopia.

“That’s why we are re-introducing the Affordability is Access Act. This bill would require insurance to fully cover safe, over-the-counter birth control for patients.

“And this year we made a big update: our bill will also make sure all other FDA-approved forms of contraception are covered for patients. No fees. No hurdles. No out-of-pocket costs.

“This is especially important because, as of March 2024, there is an over-the-counter birth control pill that women can buy at pharmacies and grocery stores!

“Trump has made his vision painfully clear: He wants to take away women’s rights. He wants to set birth control on fire.

“Well this bill is our vision as Democrats: We want to protect women’s rights and we want to protect your birth control.”

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-on-trump-admin-scrapping-plans-for-executive-order-to-empower-russ-vought-to-kill-nih-research/,Murray on Trump Admin Scrapping Plans for Executive Order to Empower Russ Vought to Kill NIH Research,2026-09-23,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Senator Murray on Trump’s Latest Plan to Politicize Lifesaving NIH Research

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on news breaking today that plans to issue an executive order to establish an external review committee empowered to veto National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards are being scrapped.

“It shouldn’t take public outcry to prevent President Trump and Russ Vought from laying waste to the NIH and defunding lifesaving research because they think it’s ‘woke’ or want to extort a university. This president is on a mission to shred patients and families’ hopes for new treatments and cures.

“While this specific scheme may now be on ice, make no mistake: President Trump and Russ Vought are already playing politics with lifesaving NIH funding and will continue to do so, with or without a new Executive Order. What’s sorely needed are more protections in law to actually put an end to that—to stop funding and staffing cuts, prevent political appointees from meddling in decisions about lifesaving research, and ensure grantmaking is guided only by what gives us the best chance at the next medical breakthrough. I’ve been pushing to do much more in our spending laws, but we need Republicans to finally agree to put real checks on President Trump and Russ Vought.”

Senator Murray has raised alarms and fought back against this administration’s nonstop efforts to politicize, cut, and defund all manner of lifesaving medical research—including by pushing for new guardrails in the HHS spending law. She and her Democratic colleagues in Congress also successfully fought to secure language in the recently enacted continuing resolution (CR) to block the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) attempt to politicize every aspect of the federal grantmaking process.

###",1,2026-09-24T09:44:48Z,2026-09-24T09:45:52Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-daines-lead-wa-mt-and-ak-lawmakers-in-letter-to-rfk-jr-defending-top-nw-organ-donation-group,"Cantwell, Daines Lead WA, MT, & AK Lawmakers in Letter to RFK Jr. Defending Top NW Organ Donation Group",2026-09-22,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell, Daines Lead WA, MT, & AK Lawmakers in Letter to RFK Jr. Defending Top NW Organ Donation Group

LifeCenter Northwest, the primary organ procurement organization in Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, threatened with decertification due to CMS criteria that disadvantages geographically large and sparsely populated service areas; “Decertification would create unnecessary risk for our region - jeopardizing timely access to organ transplants and undermining support for donor families”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) led 17 House and Senate members from western states in sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz expressing support for recertification of the regional organ donation group, LifeCenter Northwest – as well as concern that the HHS and CMS criteria used to evaluate the organization’s performance may undervalue organizations that serve large, rural areas.

Organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, are responsible for helping recover organs from deceased donors and getting those organs to patients who need transplants. Under the framework established by CMS in 2020, OPOs are assessed on two measures: How many potential donors become actual donors, and how many organs from those donors are ultimately transplanted. But in January, the Trump administration proposed major oversight and accountability changes that will determine whether OPOs may continue operating during the 2026 recertification cycle. If these changes are finalized, it is estimated that approximately 75% of OPOs could be at risk of decertification.

“LifeCenter Northwest plays a vital role in sustaining organ donation and transplantation across a uniquely large and complex donation service area. We are deeply concerned that their decertification would create unnecessary risk for our region – jeopardizing timely access to organ transplants and undermining support for donor families,” the lawmakers wrote.

In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized that LifeCenter Northwest serves an unusually large and difficult-to-reach region, where long distances, few transplant centers, remote communities, and transportation challenges make its work especially difficult. The letter also argues that CMS’s current evaluation system may not fully account for the unique challenges of the region and that replacing LifeCenter Northwest could disrupt lifesaving services.

“The organization serves more than 10 million people across approximately 808,000 square miles and coordinates donation services for more than 200 hospitals. Despite serving this expansive region and large population, there are only five transplant centers in the entire service area, all located in Washington state,” the lawmakers continued. “We support performance evaluation frameworks grounded in sound, evidence-based measures. However, we are concerned that CMS’s current OPO evaluation methodology does not adequately account for the unique circumstances and operational challenges inherent in serving a large, rural, geographically dispersed service area, like our region.”

When considering LifeCenter Northwest’s performance, the lawmakers asked HHS and CMS to:

Consider the regional and operational circumstances beyond LifeCenter Northwest’s control, including the availability and proximity of transplant centers, variation in acceptance practices for medically complex organs, transportation and logistical challenges, and the unique demands of serving remote and geographically dispersed communities.

Refrain from automatic decertification based solely on the current outcome-only, single-year tiering methodology.

Provide LifeCenter Northwest with a clear pathway to demonstrate sustained, measurable improvement over time before taking any certification action that would disrupt the donation service area.

The letter was led by Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Daines. They were joined by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and U.S. Representatives Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Troy Downing (R, MT-02), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Ryan Zinke (R, MT-01), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03).",1,2026-09-23T09:45:16Z,2026-09-23T09:46:14Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/on-senate-floor-murray-ticks-through-trumps-most-wildly-out-of-touch-economic-quotes/,"On Senate Floor, Murray Ticks Through Trumps Most Wildly Out-of-Touch Economic Quotes",2026-09-22,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “It is everything. It is health care costs—which Trump has sent higher. It is child care—which is out of control. It is goods across the board—which are up due to Trump’s insane trade wars. It is gas—which Trump launched to new heights with his Iran war. Trump just does not get it. He has no idea what Americans are going through.”

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full speech***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor slamming Trump for the many wildly out-of-touch statements he’s made about the economy and working families. In addition to ticking through ten of Trump’s most out-of-touch takes, she discussed how Trump and Republicans’ policies are making gas, groceries, health care, and child care more expensive for working families while pouring trillions into illegal wars.

Senator Murray focused her discussion on Trump quotes below:

“I love the inflation.”

“’Groceries,’ it’s a very simple word. ‘Groceries.’ Like almost—you know, who uses the word?”

“Affordability is a hoax…”

“I don’t think that a beautiful baby girl needs…to have 30 dolls. I think they can have three dolls or four dolls…”

“I always say tariffs is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary.”

“I found health care sort of like not of tremendous interest…”

“We can’t take care of day care. We’re a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care.”

“I don’t want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes.”

“Wars can be fought ‘forever’…”

Reporter: “I wonder what grade would you give your economy?” Trump: “A plus. A plus, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus.”

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“As President Trump himself has admitted: ‘I’m not so careful with what I say.’ And: ‘Americans’ financial situation? I don’t think about anybody.’

“No kidding—we noticed!

“And when it comes to the economy, President Trump’s statements could not be more divorced from reality—let alone the experience of everyday Americans. Yes—in a shock to no one, the billionaire who gets advice from a trillionaire is way out of touch today with everyday people.

“Trump said last year he never even knew the word affordability until recently. He said that ‘tariffs’—the taxes that he raised on working families—is his favorite word. Trump said we can’t afford child care. He said no one cares about affordable housing. He said health care is not of tremendous interest.

“Or—get a load of this—Trump said he loves inflation. And that $4 for a gallon of gas is ‘Okay.’ And then when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.

“Well, that may be true for his buddies—the billionaires and oil robber barons—but it sure isn’t true for working families!

“Of course, I know it is hard to keep track of all of Trump’s whack-a-doodle claims about the economy—especially with the constant stream of new nonsense spewing out of this President’s brain.

“So today, I want to take a trip down memory lane and discuss what I consider Trump’s craziest quotes about the economy and working families.

[INFLATION]

“It’s no secret Americans are fed up with inflation—at least all Americans except for one.

“President Trump has said: ‘I love it, the numbers were great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation.’

“Do my Republican colleagues agree? Do they love inflation? Because I will say, they have not lifted a finger to help us stop the Trump policies driving inflation through the roof.

“Republicans have not helped rein in Trump’s absurd trade wars. Republicans have not stood up against Trump’s war with Iran. They have not helped reject Trump cuts to programs that lower energy costs. They did not stop the MAGA health care hike that caused insurance premiums to skyrocket.

“I know Trump is out of touch with everyday Americans when he says he loves inflation. I know it because I hear directly from people back in Washington state about this all the time.

“But what about Republicans here in Congress? They may not be as blunt about it as Trump, but their actions—or rather, their inaction to lower prices—speaks pretty darn loudly.

[GROCERY COSTS]

“Now, if you are not a billionaire like Trump, you are probably very familiar with groceries, and the fact that costs have been going up, up, and up.

“If you are Trump, well then: you are saying things like: ‘It’s a very simple word, ‘groceries,’ like, almost, you know, who uses the word?’ That’s a quote. Or: ‘It’s such an old-fashioned term but a beautiful term: groceries… It sort of says a bag with different things in it.’ That is a quote.

“For most of us, the grocery trip is a weekly errand—it’s everyday life. But the way Trump talks about groceries—he may as well be from another planet.

“It’s very clear Trump has no idea what it’s like to clip coupons for discounts on milk and bread. He doesn’t know what it’s like to compare cereal boxes to see what size has the best value, or check the clearance aisle in hopes of finding a deal. And I would bet my bottom dollar he’s never in his life bought the generic brand to save a few bucks. He probably doesn’t even know they exist!

“Now, groceries may seem old-fashioned to Trump, but for everyone else—whether or not we can afford groceries is the difference between being able to put a healthy dinner on the table, scraping by on the cheapest junk, or just going hungry.

[AFFORDABILITY]

“Now, if you were wondering why President Trump doesn’t seem to care at all about rising prices—well, it may just be that a billionaire like Trump literally doesn’t understand the idea of struggling to pay for something. The word ‘affordability’ is practically a new concept for him. He doesn’t believe in it! He thinks it was made up!

“In his own words: ‘First time I heard it, was a word, you know, made up by the Democrats: affordability.’

“He said, ‘Affordability is a Democrat scam.’

“‘They made up a phony word that they used. They said, ‘affordability.’

“And he said, ‘Look, affordability is a hoax.’

“A scam, a hoax, a phony, made up word—that is what Trump thinks affordability is.

“But for families across the country, affordability is a very real problem—one that they are having to deal with every day, and one that is being made worse by this President’s own policies.

[FAMILIES STRETCHING BUDGETS]

“In case anybody thinks Trump doesn’t have any solutions on affordability, don’t forget this little pearl of wisdom from Trump: ‘I don’t think that a beautiful baby girl needs to have 30 dolls. I think they can have three dolls or four dolls… They don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five.’

“Seriously? I talk to moms and dads all the time who are struggling to get by. Families are already stretching their budgets and pinching their pennies. People are not struggling because they are blowing their savings on dolls. The problem is not their pencil budget. Good lord!

“It is everything. It is health care costs—which Trump has sent higher. It is child care—which is out of control. It is goods across the board—which are up due to Trump’s insane trade wars. It is gas—which Trump launched to new heights with his Iran war.

“Trump just does not get it. He has no idea what Americans are going through.

[TARIFFS]

“Trump has already told us that he views ‘groceries’ as an old-fashioned word. He has already said he thinks the word ‘affordability’ is made up. But what has he said about ‘tariffs?’ You almost have to hear it to believe it.

“Trump has said: ‘I always say tariffs is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary.’

“Now, as a reminder—since Republicans keep trying to put their heads in the sand on this—tariffs are taxes. A Republican president is saying his favorite thing is a tax increase!

“Reagan must be spinning in his grave.

“And not only are tariffs taxes—they are taxes that hurt working families especially hard. We have seen that time after time.

“Trump’s tariffs have rocketed grocery prices through the roof. Trump’s tariffs have made baby items—strollers, car seats, toys more expensive. Trump’s tariffs have put a strain on back-to-school shopping. They’ve squeezed our local coffee shops.

“And Trump’s favorite word is crushing small businesses too! I’ve talked to local restaurants, and sporting goods stores, and farmers, and a lot more, they are all facing serious hardship because of Trump’s tariffs. They are losing customers for produce that they ship abroad. They are having to raise prices in their stores. They are having to pay employees less, let people go, or even just shut their doors entirely.

“All because Trump chose to pursue some of the biggest tax hikes in American history, while Republicans cheered him on.

[HEALTH CARE]

“Let’s not forget, Trump is also totally out of touch on health care. As Trump put it: ‘I’ve found health care sort of like…not of tremendous interest.”

“That explains why he has done absolutely nothing to lower health care costs. And worse than that—Trump and Republicans passed the largest cuts to health care in our nation’s history, and then stood by and cheered as patients faced some of the largest health care price hikes in history.

“In their Big Ugly Bill, Republicans gutted Medicaid, with changes that are—right now—kicking families off their health care coverage.

“And while Trump and Republicans are plenty interested in tax cuts for billionaires, while they will bend over backwards to help keep the private jets fueled—they didn’t lift a finger to save families from exploding [health] insurance premiums.

“They stood by as tax credits for working families expired, and people saw their monthly premiums double, triple, or even worse. We know millions of people lost their coverage because of Trump and Republicans.

“And don’t forget—Trump put tariffs on pharmaceuticals, of all things!

“Now maybe a billionaire like Trump doesn’t find health care interesting because Trump has never had to. He’s never had to ration his prescription and hope it would be okay, he’s never had to delay a needed check-up until the next paycheck. He’s never debated whether to go get urgent care or not because he was worried about the bill, or wondered how on earth he could afford a lifesaving cancer treatment.

“But that is the reality millions of patients face every day, and they deserve leaders in Washington who are interested in the challenges they face, and focused on solutions so that everyone can get the care they need without worrying about the cost.

[CHILD CARE]

“Now, M. President, I of course have to talk about child care. I got into politics fighting for child care, and it’s something I push hard on every day.

“So I was floored when I heard Trump say: ‘The United States can’t take care of day care. That has to be up to a state. We can’t take care of day care. It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.’

“Talk about out of touch—this is exactly backwards. We have a child care crisis in this country. It is holding our country back!

“A billionaire like Trump may not understand—but working parents are the backbone of our economy. And if mom and dad can’t find child care, then mom and dad can’t go to work.

“That is a big problem—for parents who are trying to make ends meet, and small businesses who are trying to find workers.

“Trump says we can’t afford child care? The truth is—we cannot afford to ignore child care.

[HOUSING]

“One of the most outrageous things Trump has said about the economy was something he actually said behind closed doors. According to Punchbowl News, earlier this year, Trump told Republican leaders: ‘No one gives a ‘BLEEP’ about housing.’

“How ridiculous. We have an enormous housing shortage in this country—especially when it comes to affordable housing.

“The rising costs from Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war have made it harder for people to make rent. And because Trump has done so much damage to the economy—federal interest rates are on the rise, meaning mortgage rates are going higher and higher, and millions of families are watching as Trump pulls the rug out from under them—putting their dream of owning a home farther and farther out of reach.

“But Trump doesn’t care. And worse than that—Trump sees high housing costs as a good thing. He literally said: ‘I don’t wanna drive housing prices down, I wanna drive housing prices up.’

“Spoken like a true slum-lord.

[TRUMP’S WAR]

“And let’s not forget that while Trump doesn’t know words like ‘affordability’ and ‘groceries,’ while he loves ‘inflation’ and ‘tariffs,’ and while he doesn’t care about health care, or housing, and doesn’t think we need money for child care, there is one issue Trump is ready to throw trillions of dollars at—war.

“He started a pointless war with Iran—with no plan, and no concern for how it would explode gas prices. Even now, he is saying $4 gas is okay.

“He doubled down recently, saying: ‘You have a higher gas—it’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done. Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more.’

“Meanwhile, he has put forward a completely war-bloated budget calling for $1.5 trillion for war spending. That’s trillion, with T—we are talking twelve zeroes here.

“And I know what you’re thinking—it’s the same thing most Americans are thinking—we cannot afford another ‘forever’ war. We have investments right here we need to be making—child care, health care, energy, roads, housing, and more.

“But Trump—who once promised ‘no more forever wars’—has actually done a complete one-eighty. Not only did he launch a new war—he wrote online about his belief that ‘wars can be fought forever and very successfully.’

“So to recap: Trump thinks wars can be fought forever, but we can’t afford child care at all. He wants to spend trillions on bombs and weapons, but doesn’t care about housing and health care.

“It simply does not get more wrong or out of touch than that.

[TRUMP OUT-OF-TOUCH WITH AMERICANS]

“There are so many insane things Trump has said about the economy. But a lot of it comes down to one basic fact: he is in complete denial. Maybe it’s because he has let AI videos melt his brain. Maybe it is because he is hopelessly an out-of-touch billionaire. Maybe it’s just because he is exactly what he has always been—a liar.

“They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. When it comes to the economy, Trump cannot even do that.

“Despite the painful inflation, despite the sluggish job growth, despite the red flashing lights—like rising bond rates, and slowing GDP growth, and plummeting consumer confidence—despite all of that: when Trump was asked to give himself a grade on the economy, he gave himself an: ‘A plus… A plus, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus.’ That was a quote.

“A Plus? That’s more like: BS.

“Maybe the high prices and chaos are working great for corrupt billionaires like Trump. After all, he has made more stock trades as President than all of congress combined, he’s raking in billions through crypto scams, and his family is cashing in through highly conflicted foreign business deals.

“However, Trump’s rigged economy is not working for working families.

“But here’s the thing—we live in a democracy. And at the end of the day, Trump’s final grade on the economy won’t come from himself. The American people—the ones who are paying the prices of Trump’s tariffs, the ones who are paying the price of his war with Iran, the moms and dads who are struggling to find child care, the patients struggling to afford health care, the families struggling to pay rent—they are the ones who will pass final judgement later on this year on Trump’s economy.

“I have no doubt that in the meantime Trump will continue making out of touch statements and bizarre AI videos.

“But here’s a reminder to all of my colleagues who are afraid to stand up to this President: even if Trump has lost touch with reality, he is still going to have to face all of that this fall.”

###",1,2026-09-23T09:45:16Z,2026-09-23T09:46:14Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/trump-admin-set-to-impound-or-redirect-billions-of-dollars-in-foreign-policy-investments-congress-made/,Trump Admin Set to Impound or Redirect Billions of Dollars in Foreign Policy Investments Congress Made,2026-09-22,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray, Schatz respond as President Trump and Secretary Rubio refuse to follow the law and deploy resources Congress provided to combat international fentanyl and narcotics trafficking, counter Russia, protect against global health threats, and more

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s refusal to spend foreign assistance investments Congress made as intended as the end of the fiscal year quickly approaches on September 30.

“Cracking down on fentanyl trafficking, countering Putin, protecting Americans from global health threats—these are priorities just about everyone supports. But instead of spending funding Congress provided to support these common-sense objectives, the Trump administration is on track to permanently impound nearly a billion dollars and to commit billions more to pay for its brazen dismantlement of USAID instead of following the law that Congress passed and using those funds to save lives and advance bipartisan U.S. foreign policy objectives.

“Far from cutting wasteful spending, the Trump administration has created more of it. This administration is now using funding Congress provided for countering health threats and autocrats alike to cover legal bills Trump and DOGE incurred from illegally razing USAID to the ground and cutting off lifesaving work in the blink of an eye.

“Congress passed a law to invest in saving lives, protecting the American people, and advancing our interests abroad; it did not hand Trump a checkbook to spend on whatever he pleases while blocking funding for everything else. The Trump administration needs to rework its plans and spend these resources as Congress intended, and we need Republicans in Congress to finally join us in insisting that happens.”

When Congress provides federal funding, it specifies how long that funding is available to be expended. Most foreign assistance funding is available to be spent down for two fiscal years, and as the end of the fiscal year nears on September 30, the Trump administration plans to:

Raid $2.5 billion provided in fiscal year 2025 for global health programs ($1.3 billion) and development assistance ($1.2 billion) to pay for “USAID closeout costs.” While provided for USAID, these funds remain available through FY26 for the State Department to spend down on the same priorities that Congress provided them for: to advance U.S. interests, combat global health threats, and save lives. In fact, the State Department has already tapped some of the funds to belatedly invest in the Ebola response after it previously cancelled related global health work. But instead of expending the remainder of the $2.5 billion in funding, the Trump administration is raiding these funds and obligating them to cover costs incurred when dismantling USAID—despite the fact that other balances already exist that could cover these costs.

Permanently impound $725 million provided in fiscal year 2025 to: combat the international illicit narcotics trade, human trafficking, and other international crimes ($115 million); counter Russia with U.S. assistance in Europe and Eurasia ($310 million); and invest in secure supply chains and American competitiveness through economic growth programs ($300 million). These investments were provided by Congress to spend through September 30, 2026, but President Trump has, at Russ Vought’s urging, illegally refused to spend them.

Senators Murray and Schatz have been pushing the administration to get every appropriated dollar out as Congress intended. In June, Senator Murray called out the administration’s withholding of these funds, and Senator Schatz pressed Secretary Rubio on the matter.

###",1,2026-09-23T09:45:16Z,2026-09-23T09:46:14Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-hails-final-approval-of-25m-federal-grant-for-new-lummi-island-ferry-and-dock-upgrades,Cantwell Hails Final Approval of $25M Federal Grant for New Lummi Island Ferry and Dock Upgrades,2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Hails Final Approval of $25M Federal Grant for New Lummi Island Ferry and Dock Upgrades

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Whatcom County and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have announced they have finalized a $25 million federal grant that will allow Whatcom County to replace the 64-year-old Lummi Island ferry with a state-of-the-art vessel and rebuild the aging ferry terminal.

The grant came from DOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, which was championed by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee.

“This federal investment will allow construction to begin to replace a 64-year-old ferry used by over 175,000 passengers each year as the only link between Lummi Island and mainland Whatcom County,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Now and for decades to come, residents will have a reliable way to get to the mainland for vital services like jobs, groceries, education, and health care.”

Sen. Cantwell visited Lummi Island and rode the existing ferry when the grant was first announced back in summer of 2022. Photos of her visit are available HERE, b-roll of Sen. Cantwell stepping off the Lummi Island Ferry is available HERE, and a transcript of her remarks is available HERE.

Lummi Island is a rural community, with the ferry producing the only connection between the island and the mainland of Whatcom County. The Lummi Island Ferry is located on Lummi Nation land.

The Lummi Island Ferry is one of the state’s oldest vessels and is well past the end of its useful life. The RAISE grant for the Lummi Island Ferry Replacement and System Modernization Project will help replace the ferry with a battery-hybrid vessel that would reduce emissions and increase ridership capacity to meet future growth.

This funding comes following a letter of support written by Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray to then-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in March 2022.

RAISE grants, which were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, can be used for a wide variety of infrastructure projects with local or regional impact. As then-chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee, Sen. Cantwell worked to authorize the RAISE grant program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided the program with $7.5 billion over five years, a 50 percent increase in funding.",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-kaptur-demand-answers-on-trump-admins-rapid-sweeping-changes-to-nuclear-safety-measures-putting-workers-and-the-public-at-risk/,"Murray, Kaptur Demand Answers on Trump Admin’s Rapid & Sweeping Changes to Nuclear Safety Measures, Putting Workers and the Public at Risk",2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, sent a letter to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Ho K. Nieh about the broad changes being made at the NRC to regulations, security, organizational structure, and more, which could threaten worker safety at nuclear facilities and impair independent oversight. The NRC has been quickly making these changes and rehauling the organization without providing time for public input or transparency.

NRC, a statutorily independent agency, has been undertaking wholesale revision of its regulations, guidance, oversight processes, and organizational structure pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” that President Trump signed on May 23, 2025. These sweeping changes encompass 47 regulations, 27 rulemakings, and 71 guidance documents.

“The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is undertaking wholesale revision of its regulations, guidance, oversight processes, and organizational structure,” write Murray and Kaptur. “We support efforts to ensure that the NRC’s regulatory framework is efficient, risk-informed, and capable of supporting the safe and secure deployment of nuclear energy. However, the breadth of the changes currently underway raises significant questions about whether the NRC has adequately evaluated the cumulative effects of these reforms on nuclear safety, security, independent oversight, and public confidence.”

Murray and Kaptur express deep concern for NRC plans to remove “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) radiation safety requirements, endangering workers’ safety: “We are particularly concerned about the proposed revisions to the NRC’s radiation protection framework. The NRC proposes to remove regulatory requirements implementing the ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ (ALARA) principle and replace them with a determinate, graded approach to dose management based on defined thresholds. The proposal would also establish a new planned occupational dose limit extension permitting multi-year averaging of doses, revise monitoring and reporting requirements, and allow licensees in certain circumstances to request higher public dose limits for controlled areas and restricted situations.”

“The scale of this regulatory revision effort also warrants greater transparency regarding its costs, benefits, and resource implications. Given the scope of these changes, Congress needs to understand the analytical basis for the NRC’s determination that the proposed reforms will improve efficiency without compromising safety, security, or regulatory effectiveness. In particular, the NRC should be able to identify the specific requirements being eliminated or modified, explain the basis for each change, and demonstrate how the revised framework will continue to provide adequate protection,” Murray and Kaptur continue.

Murray and Kaptur conclude by demanding more information about the NRC’s extensive changes to its regulations, guidance, oversight process, security programs, and organizational structure, and by urging caution and sorely needed transparency: “We therefore urge the NRC to proceed with appropriate caution and transparency as it implements these sweeping changes. Congress has a responsibility to understand how and why the Nation’s nuclear safety regulator is changing its regulatory framework, and to ensure that those changes do not inadvertently weaken the protections that are required to maintain the safety of the U.S. nuclear fleet.”

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Chairman Nieh:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the “NRC” or “Agency”) is undertaking wholesale revision of its regulations, guidance, oversight processes, and organizational structure pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14300, encompassing 47 regulations, 27 rulemakings, and 71 guidance documents. The NRC has also updated and “rebaselined” its Reactor Oversight Process and security programs, completed a reorganization, and is proceeding with broader efforts to reform the Agency’s culture. We support efforts to ensure that the NRC’s regulatory framework is efficient, risk-informed, and capable of supporting the safe and secure deployment of nuclear energy. However, the breadth of the changes currently underway raises significant questions about whether the NRC has adequately evaluated the cumulative effects of these reforms on nuclear safety, security, independent oversight, and public confidence.

On July 15, 2026, the NRC published a proposed rule revising its radiation protection framework (91 Fed. Reg. 43456). We are particularly concerned about the proposed revisions to the NRC’s radiation protection framework. The NRC proposes to remove regulatory requirements implementing the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) principle and replace them with a determinate, graded approach to dose management based on defined thresholds. The proposal would also establish a new planned occupational dose limit extension permitting multi-year averaging of doses, revise monitoring and reporting requirements, and allow licensees in certain circumstances to request higher public dose limits for controlled areas and restricted situations.

The scale of this regulatory revision effort also warrants greater transparency regarding its costs, benefits, and resource implications. Given the scope of these changes, Congress needs to understand the analytical basis for the NRC’s determination that the proposed reforms will improve efficiency without compromising safety, security, or regulatory effectiveness. In particular, the NRC should be able to identify the specific requirements being eliminated or modified, explain the basis for each change, and demonstrate how the revised framework will continue to provide adequate protection.

Accordingly, please provide the following information within 15 days of the date of this letter:

A complete list of all NRC regulations, guidance documents, oversight processes, security programs, and other regulatory requirements that have been or are expected to be modified, eliminated, consolidated, or otherwise affected as part of the NRC’s implementation of E.O. 14300.

For each regulation, guidance document, or other requirement that has been materially modified or eliminated, the NRC’s justification for the change, including the statutory, regulatory, technical, scientific, or operational basis relied upon.

A complete description of the process used to identify, develop, review, and approve the 27 E.O. 14300 rulemakings to date, including the roles of the NRC’s leadership, program offices, and the Office of the General Counsel; the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; and other independent or advisory bodies.

For each of the rulemakings, the staff hours and full-time equivalents expended to date and projected through completion, by office, and the associated dollar cost by fiscal year.

For those costs, an identification of what portion is recovered as a service fee under 10 C.F.R. Part 170, what portion is recovered through annual fees under 10 C.F.R. Part 171, and what portion is excluded from fee recovery under 42 U.S.C. 2215, together with the resulting effect on annual fees assessed to materials and medical licensees.

All non-concurrences filed under the NRC’s Non-Concurrence Process and all differing professional opinions submitted under the Differing Professional Opinions Program relating to any rulemaking, guidance revision, oversight process change, or reorganization undertaken pursuant to E.O. 14300 to date, together with the management responses to each; all letters from the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards addressing those actions and the staff’s responses; and, for each action the NRC has voted on, the vote sheets and any additional views of individual Commissioners.

For each completed or proposed rulemaking, the analyses conducted to determine whether the changes could affect nuclear safety, radiation protection, physical security, emergency preparedness, environmental protection, or the NRC’s ability to conduct effective oversight.

A description of the criteria the NRC is using to determine that revised or eliminated requirements will provide protection equivalent to or greater than the requirements they replace.

With respect to the proposed radiation protection framework, a detailed explanation of the scientific and technical basis for replacing ALARA requirements with determinate dose thresholds, including the analyses used to evaluate the potential effects on workers and members of the public.

With respect to the proposed changes to occupational dose limits and monitoring requirements, an explanation of the basis for allowing multi-year averaging of occupational doses and establishing a reporting threshold tied to a five-year assessment.

A description of the NRC’s engagement with radiation workers and the organizations representing them on the proposed changes to occupational dose limits and monitoring requirements, including the dates, participants, and subject of any such engagement; any analysis of the effects of the proposed planned occupational dose limit extension on the health of the affected workforce, including any evaluation of collective dose; and occupational exposure data for the past 10 years sufficient to establish a baseline against which the effects of the revised framework can be measured.

With respect to the proposed changes to public dose limits, identify the circumstances under which a licensee could receive authorization for a higher dose limit, the maximum limits contemplated, and the controls and review criteria that would apply to such requests.

All regulatory analyses, cost-benefit analyses, safety evaluations, scientific assessments, risk assessments, technical reports, legal analyses, decision memoranda, and other documents used to support the changes being undertaken pursuant to E.O. 14300.

A description of the NRC’s process for identifying and monitoring unintended consequences resulting from the regulatory changes, including deterioration in safety performance, reduced regulatory visibility, increased radiation exposure, or other adverse outcomes.

The specific, outcome-oriented goals and performance measures the NRC will use to evaluate the implementation of E.O. 14300, including baseline data against which changes in safety performance, occupational exposure, public exposure, inspection findings, enforcement actions, licensing timelines, and other relevant outcomes will be measured.

A description of the circumstances or performance thresholds that would cause the NRC to reconsider, modify, or restore a requirement that has been eliminated or substantially revised pursuant to E.O. 14300.

An identification of any licensing review, inspection, or oversight activity that has been deferred, narrowed, or reprioritized to absorb this workload, by office and fiscal year, and the fiscal year 2026 appropriation and the fiscal year 2027 President’s Budget Request amounts that supports implementation of E.O. 14300.

The NRC plays a unique and important role in protecting the American public from the risks associated with nuclear technology. We recognize the importance of maintaining a regulatory framework that is efficient, predictable, risk-informed, and capable of supporting the continued operation of the existing nuclear fleet and the deployment of new nuclear technologies. The NRC’s own materials identify these objectives as central to its implementation of E.O. 14300.

We therefore urge the NRC to proceed with appropriate caution and transparency as it implements these sweeping changes. Congress has a responsibility to understand how and why the Nation’s nuclear safety regulator is changing its regulatory framework, and to ensure that those changes do not inadvertently weaken the protections that are required to maintain the safety of the U.S. nuclear fleet.

We look forward to your response within 15 days.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-on-trumps-latest-plan-to-politicize-lifesaving-nih-research/,Senator Murray on Trump’s Latest Plan to Politicize Lifesaving NIH Research,2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump’s latest reported plans to issue an executive order to establish an external review committee empowered to veto any awards selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to receive funding.

“Whether lifesaving medical research gets funded or not should be determined by experts at the NIH—not a panel of lackeys chosen by Donald Trump and Russ Vought. Under this scheme, a single political appointee could kill a cancer study or an Alzheimer’s trial with no scientific reason at all.

“Only one question should decide which research gets funded: is this good science that could save lives? Trump wants to answer a different question: does this help me settle a score? NIH funding doesn’t belong to Donald Trump—it belongs to the patients and families waiting on the next medical breakthrough.

“President Trump will stop at nothing to defund medical research that fundamentally changes the lives of patients and families across the country, and Republicans need to join us to put a stop to any effort by this administration to politicize what groundbreaking new treatments and cures we decide as a country to invest in—whether that’s an OMB rule or a new executive order.

“Breast cancer patients shouldn’t be denied hope of a new lifesaving treatment because Russ Vought thinks women’s health research is woke. Researchers at UW, Fred Hutch, and labs across Washington state and the country are working on cures that families are counting on; I’m going to fight this corrupt heist every step of the way.”

Senator Murray has raised alarms and fought back against this administration’s nonstop efforts to politicize, cut, and defund all manner of lifesaving medical research. She and her Democratic colleagues in Congress also successfully fought to secure language in the recently enacted continuing resolution (CR) to block the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) attempt to politicize every aspect of the federal grantmaking process.

###",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-schatz-shaheen-reed-warner-coons-statement-on-deadly-iranian-wedding-strike/,"Murray, Schatz, Shaheen, Reed, Warner, Coons Statement on Deadly Iranian Wedding Strike",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“Reports that a strike on a home in Kuhestak, Iran that killed four civilians, including women and a child, and injured more than 60 others was likely caused by an errant U.S. bomb are shocking and deeply troubling. This is not the first time that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties during this war of choice, and it once again raises grave concerns about the Trump administration’s disregard for protecting civilian life. This incident must be fully and impartially investigated, and the full investigation must be shared publicly with Congress and the American people. We have yet to receive the full investigation of the Pentagon’s inquiry into a February 28th strike on a school in Minab that killed 175 civilians, mostly children. The public deserves to know what led to these failures and what is being done to prevent similar incidents in the future. This war must end.”",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-hails-historic-opportunity-to-codify-athletes-rights-in-protect-college-sports-act,Cantwell Hails Historic Opportunity to Codify Athletes’ Rights in Protect College Sports Act,2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Hails Historic Opportunity to Codify Athletes’ Rights in Protect College Sports Act

“We can recognize [these rights], enshrine them today, and make sure that these athletes are protected forever.”; Protect College Sports Act creates historic federal rights and protections for student athletes and secures the future of women’s and Olympic sports; aims to rein in runaway spending on athletics that’s harming colleges & students; Today, the Senate advanced the bill 77-22, picking up 4 votes -- 3 Democrats and 1 Republican

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, urged her colleagues to support her bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, a historic opportunity to enshrine athletes’ rights to name, image, and likeness (NIL) revenue – as well as important health and safety protections – into federal law.

“We can recognize [these rights], enshrine them today, and make sure that these athletes are protected forever, including the rights to not have their contracts screwed with, their rights to not have their school override them, the rights to have any amount of money that some business wants to pay them, as long as it is for a valid business purpose,” said Sen. Cantwell said in a speech on the Senate floor.

Sen. Cantwell also outlined the importance of stabilizing college sports. “I want these rules put in place because sports is about any given Saturday,” she said. “It is not about whether you have a billionaire in your backyard. It is about whether you can coach and recruit and develop and maintain and have academic performance and have fairness … and have everybody compete and keep the ecosystem in place. But that fairness does not exist today without this bill.”

Sen. Cantwell noted that the runaway spending on athletics threatens opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports. “I am not going to have women's and Olympic sports undermined by this system. In fact, there is a poll that shows that 87% of the public ... agree, women's and Olympic sports need to be preserved,” she said. “We are not going to let runaway boosters who basically want no rules and runaway agents who want to prey on high school kids decide what's going to happen here.”

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has written in support of the bill.

Student Athlete Advisory Committee Chairs from Divisions I, II, and III, representing the 500,000 student-athletes in the college sports ecosystem, have sent letters of support in favor of passing the Protect College Sports Act.

Team USA Athletes’ Commission sent a letter of support signed by over a hundred athletes.

19 student-athlete commissions from conferences and individual schools have sent letters supporting the passage of the Protect College Sports Act.

Sen. Cantwell spoke ahead of a procedural vote. The Senate advanced the bill 77-22, moving it closer to final passage.

Video of Sen. Cantwell’s floor speech is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

Sen. Cantwell is leading the effort to reform college sports and ensure tomorrow’s athletes have the same opportunities as today’s competitors. The Protect College Sports Act of 2026, which she introduced alongside Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), sets new rules and provides new tools to stabilize college sports, including codifying athletes’ rights to earn compensation for their NIL, enshrining scholarship and healthcare protections in law, reining in predatory agents, expanding revenue for all schools, and preserving and protecting the future of women’s and Olympic sports. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 74-24 to begin debate on the bill.

On Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell’s office also released a snapshot report detailing how the unsustainable growth in spending on college sports is amplifying financial pressures on colleges and universities. That report can be read in full HERE.

Monday, Sen. Cantwell joined current college athletes, coaches, and senators from both parties for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to speak in support of the Protect College Sports Act. That press conference, which also included Gonzaga University head men’s basketball coach Mark Few, can be watched in full HERE.

The Protect College Sports Act’s new guaranteed protections for student athletes include:",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-colleagues-in-demanding-answers-from-hegseth-on-cost-of-iran-war,Cantwell Joins Colleagues in Demanding Answers From Hegseth on Cost of Iran War,2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins Colleagues in Demanding Answers From Hegseth on Cost of Iran War

Pentagon greatly underestimates cost of Iran war to taxpayers & families, senators write in letter to SecDef Hegseth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined 45 of her colleagues in the Democratic Senate caucus in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding a full accounting of the costs of the ongoing war with Iran.

The letter also criticized the Department of Defense for withholding basic budget information from Congress and the American public even as U.S. casualties and taxpayer costs continue to increase.

“Meanwhile, at home, American taxpayers have already paid an extra $100 billion out of their pockets for higher gas and diesel prices alone and at least another $60 billion in higher costs for things like groceries, mortgages, and plane tickets as a result of the war,” wrote the Senators. “Now you are asking that they pay again to fund a war of choice that Congress never authorized and the President launched with no strategic plan.”

The United States is now more than six months into a conflict President Trump initially said would last six weeks. Eighteen American servicemembers have been killed and more than 820 wounded, and over 50,000 troops are currently deployed to the Middle East. In the letter, the senators note that deployments, including for the USS Abraham Lincoln and the 82nd Airborne, have been repeatedly extended, and that their offices have heard directly from military families worried about loved ones serving in the conflict. The aircraft carrier – which the Navy recently indicated is likely coming to Bremerton – was at sea for 286 days, a modern record, and concerns were raised by the crew and their families.

In their letter, the senators highlight the contrast between the current Pentagon’s transparency record with past wartime practice, noting that Hegseth has briefed Congress only seven times in six months and held just eight Pentagon press briefings or interviews since the war began, compared to more than 70 press briefings in the first month of the Iraq War alone. The senators also criticized the administration’s public supplemental funding request as a seven-page document offering only vague line items, in contrast to the detailed, hundred-page supplemental requests provided to Congress during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Senators are requesting that the Department of Defense provide:

A detailed breakdown of all direct and indirect costs of military operations against Iran to date, including damage to installations, aircraft, and equipment.

A full accounting of the $67 billion supplemental request, specifying what covers past costs versus future operations.

A detailed plan for how the Pentagon intends to spend the remaining $34 billion from the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent,” continued the senators. “Congress must have access to this information to carry out our oversight responsibilities. It is the bare minimum that any American would expect in balancing their own household budget.”",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/at-help-hearing-murray-grills-trump-nominees-on-ai-denying-seniors-health-care-abortion-bans-killing-women/,"At HELP Hearing, Murray Grills Trump Nominees on AI Denying Seniors’ Health Care & Abortion Bans Killing Women",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning***

Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing to consider Trump’s latest slate of nominees for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the HELP committee, grilled Trump’s nominees on the harmful WISeR model that is denying seniors doctor recommended care and on how Republican abortion bans are putting women with ectopic pregnancies at life threatening risk.

[AI DENYING SENIORS’ CRITICAL HEALTH CARE]

Senator Murray began by questioning Chris Klomp, nominee to be Deputy Secretary of HHS, on the WISeR model—which uses artificial intelligence to deny seniors’ health care—and the private companies doing the prior authorization assessments profiting from the denials.

MURRAY: Mr. Klomp, I’ll start with you and I want to start with the WISeR model, that as you know is a program CMS is using to implement AI prior authorization in Traditional Medicare in several states, including in my home state of Washington.

Do the contractors in the model—who are the private companies conducting the prior authorization assessments—make more money if they deny care? Just yes or no?

KLOMP: My understanding is no.

MURRAY: Well, the answer actually is yes. We already know these companies are paid based on the number of claims they deny.

And we also know that the CMS Office of the Actuary literally said in a memo, “model participants will have an incentive to deny as many claims as possible.” And what do you know? In the first three months of this year, the Washington state contractor denied more requests than they approved.

So, Mr. Klomp, you’ve said prior authorization was one of the first things you wanted to focus on at HHS, saying it needs to be fixed so it’s “invisible to the patient.”

KLOMP: Yes ma’am.

MURRAY: I’m telling you, it is not invisible for the seniors in my state who’ve had to wait weeks in pain as their doctors battled with these contractors for approval. In fact, I just met with a large number of hospitals, rural hospitals in particular, from my state, and they said it has not gotten better.

So, will you commit today to revoking the WISeR model and allowing our Medicare beneficiaries in Washington state to receive the timely care that they need?

KLOMP: Senator, I’d like to, I want to comment on a couple of those points. First, you know that you and I very strongly agree about prior authorization being used appropriately and it has in fact largely not been used appropriately in this country. And that undermines trust between providers and patients. In fact, one of my family members who’s here today recently went through a six-week prior authorization stall that was incredibly frustrating at a time of great uncertainty. That is the very thing that must be eliminated. At the same time, it is an appropriate utilization management tool if it is used precisely, and surgically, and appropriately. You asked me earlier if they were paid based on the volume. My understanding—and it is not my center that was responsible for developing the WISeR model, so I’m happy to bring more experts in, but—

MURRAY: Okay, but they do deny care. They’re paid to deny care.

KLOMP: My understanding is when they deny care, and if they do so inappropriately, there are significant financial penalties and that CMMI is carefully watching their performance and has the ability to terminate. My understanding as well is that they will be producing a report or a report card, something shortly that will show an accounting by vendor in these trial markets—

MURRAY: Who is the “they”?

KLOMP: CMMI—to drive an accountability. You have my very strong commitment that if this program is not working, if it is not improving patient care, and prior authorization has an important point here, it’s not just about cost control. It is about making sure, and WISeR is targeting elected procedures, that patients get the right care.

MURRAY: Well, let me just say, I only have a few minutes here. I already know CMS is planning to expand this to oncology. I am going to do everything I can to stop this. It is really hurting patients.

KLOMP: You and I are on common ground on this topic Senator Murray. It must be done appropriately, or it should not expand. And you have my commitment, that that will not change. I believe you have my cell phone as well. I’m happy to stay closely engaged with you on this.

MURRAY: Thank you.

[REPUBLICANS’ ABORTION BANS KILLING WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY]

Senator Murray then questioned Nicole Saphier, nominee to be Surgeon General of the Public Health Services, about her commitment to help women get abortion care who are in life threatening situations and advocate against abortion bans that are rolling out across the country.

MURRAY: Dr. Saphier, I wanted to turn to you, in July of 2022, you claimed on Fox News that Democrats were spreading false information about what would happen to women experiencing ectopic pregnancies under abortion bans. You said, “I will be the first person, if any of the states stand up and say there will no longer be access to treatment, you will hear me. I will start advocating against that because that would be wrong.”

Well, I have news for you: that is what is happening. CDC data shows that the number of women who died after an ectopic pregnancy has doubled in recent years, with women dying at even higher rates in states that have banned abortion.

So, it’s clear, that these Republican abortion bans are killing women.

So, will you stick to your word? Will you advocate against abortion bans that are harming women?

SAPHIER: Thank you, Senator, for this question. Obviously as a woman, it is very personal to us. I have been in media for a very long time. It is my understanding that the FDA is currently undergoing a review on the safety of mifepristone, as there were some safeguards—

MURRAY: I’m not asking you about that. I’m asking you about ectopic pregnancies. I’ll just tell you the facts. The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among wealthy nations, and these bans are killing women, permanently damaging their fertility, and traumatizing them. It just seems to me that this was never about protecting women, it was about controlling them. And I’m happy to share the data with you.

SAPHIER: I appreciate that, Senator. And I always welcome reading more data. I think the maternal mortality rate in the United States is something that we should be judged upon and if confirmed I desperately want to do work with other people at HHS to see what we can to ensure the lives of our mothers, because they deserve better than we are giving them right now.

MURRAY: For the record, from 2020 to 2025, [almost] 200 women experiencing ectopic pregnancies died, that is compared with 100 in the previous six years. So, this is something we all have to—I expect you to speak out about it.

SAPHIER: I diagnose ectopic pregnancies and I understand the severity and importance of them.

MURRAY: Okay, and I expect you to speak out too if you’re confirmed. Thank you.

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-baldwin-sound-alarm-on-trump-admins-plans-to-siphon-away-likely-impound-healthcare-research-funds/,"Murray, Baldwin Sound Alarm on Trump Admin’s Plans to Siphon Away & Likely Impound Healthcare Research Funds",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Lawmakers demand immediate information about plans to award tens of millions in AHRQ funding set to expire September 30, after HHS informed them it plans to transfer some funding to other agencies

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, demanded Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. release information about HHS’ plans to spend down tens of millions of dollars in funding Congress approved for lifesaving and cost-cutting healthcare research at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—all of which is set to expire come September 30 if it is not awarded.

President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have worked to systematically dismantle AHRQ since taking office and are on track to impound—or transfer away to other agencies—a significant portion of the agency’s budget for the current fiscal year. This comes after AHRQ terminated approximately 150 grants totaling $94 million earlier this year and impounded $80 million in fiscal year 2025 funding after failing to award grants last year.

“It is increasingly clear that once again, your Department intends to ignore the law and—through a combination of gross negligence and intentional sabotage—will refuse to spend millions of taxpayer dollars that should be funding research to lower costs in the health care system and protect patients’ safety,” write Murray and Baldwin.

“Research funded by AHRQ grants has saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care costs, but once again, instead of getting these funds provided by Congress out the door as is required by law, this administration is on track to impound these resources and kill lifesaving research,” they continue.

In the letter, Senators Murray and Baldwin state that HHS recently informed them that it plans to award just 90 grants this year—hundreds fewer than in prior years—and is seeking to transfer funding specifically appropriated for AHRQ to other agencies. “AHRQ leadership informed the Committee of its ‘plans’ to spend $100 million on inter-agency agreements (IAAs), which would enable the Department to siphon dollars away from AHRQ to support other initiatives, instead of funding the health care quality and delivery research that Congress specifically set aside resources for. But to date, AHRQ has provided very limited information on how this funding would actually be spent—let alone how it could be spent effectively between now and September 30th.”

The lawmakers also make clear that beyond seeking to steer AHRQ funding elsewhere without regard for the law, it is apparent the Trump administration may well simply illegally impound funding set aside for this lifesaving research: “Even more alarming is the fact that AHRQ has provided exactly no information on how the remaining $65 million provided to it will be spent, again raising the likelihood that funding provided by Congress will simply be wasted.”

Murray and Baldwin ask HHS to furnish copies of all inter-agency agreements AHRQ has entered into and more information about exactly how Secretary Kennedy intends to get this funding out the door to support cost-cutting and lifesaving research.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

For months, we have directly raised our concerns about the unacceptable and intentional chaos at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) with you, with Director Roger Klein, and most recently with Deputy Secretary Nominee Chris Klomp. As health care costs continue to rise and patient safety concerns persist, your Department has chosen to dismantle the very agency whose mission is to solve these problems.

It is increasingly clear that once again, your Department intends to ignore the law and—through a combination of gross negligence and intentional sabotage—will refuse to spend millions of taxpayer dollars that should be funding research to lower costs in the health care system and protect patients’ safety.

Research funded by AHRQ grants has saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care costs, but once again, instead of getting these funds provided by Congress out the door as is required by law, this administration is on track to impound these resources and kill lifesaving research.

At Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, AHRQ research helped reduce the percentage of preventable blood clots after surgery. A critical access hospital in New Mexico used AHRQ research to greatly reduce the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by more than 90 percent. The Dayton, Ohio VA used AHRQ research to help veterans manage high-risk diabetes more effectively. AHRQ’s work is evidence-based first and foremost—it saves lives and money. Sabotaging this agency is a direct attack on both the patients and providers who rely on AHRQ to make our health care system work better.

In fiscal year 2025, under your leadership, AHRQ allowed over $80 million in federal funding provided by Congress to be wasted. Instead of awarding grants to promote patient safety, support families with children in the hospital, improve autism screening and diagnosis, and provide support for those suffering from chronic pain, the Trump administration intentionally withheld federal funding that Congress provided on a bipartisan basis, disrupting 200 different research programs across nearly 30 states. Over the past year, you have also managed to push out 80 percent of all AHRQ staff, including the majority of those who had previously vetted grants and worked directly with researchers. From 2020-2024, AHRQ awarded an average of 127 new grants and 306 continuation grants. In 2025, AHRQ awarded only one new grant and 206 continuation awards.

Your Department recently informed us that it intends to award only 90 grants this year. That is unacceptable.

In July, AHRQ terminated over 150 grants via a generic form letter. These grants included research that was clearly focused on addressing the agency’s stated priorities, such as patient safety, the use of digital tools to improve health, artificial intelligence, and training future health services researchers. AHRQ discontinued research in Wisconsin testing the use of artificial intelligence to improve the experience of hospitalized children and their families, research that the agency had highlighted in a webinar in May. AHRQ also discontinued the health services research training program at the University of Washington. For reasons we cannot comprehend, these two grants, among many others, were cited as “inconsistent with agency priorities.”

It is now abundantly clear that AHRQ terminated those grants, that were clearly consistent with AHRQ’s mission and stated priorities, with no plan on how it would otherwise spend its funding for this year.

On September 4th, AHRQ leadership informed the Committee of its “plans” to spend $100 million on inter-agency agreements (IAAs), which would enable the Department to siphon dollars away from AHRQ to support other initiatives, instead of funding the health care quality and delivery research that Congress specifically set aside resources for. But to date, AHRQ has provided very limited information on how this funding would actually be spent—let alone how it could be spent effectively between now and September 30th. AHRQ supposedly plans to spend $30 million to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and help schools develop strategies for improving school meals. We have received no further information on these plans. So far, it appears the only thing the agency has done is issue a press release, and with 15 days left in the fiscal year there aren’t any actual funding opportunities available for schools and school districts to apply for these resources. This continues an alarming pattern by which this administration is seeking to use IAAs to siphon funding away from one agency to fund the administration’s priorities at another, without regard for the law and what Congress provided funding for in the first place.

Similarly, while Congress set-aside $5 million to accelerate evidence-based research and care delivery models into routine clinical practice so that women can get the menopause care they need, all AHRQ has shared is that the funding will be spent on working with two other agencies on “quality improvement activities” addressing menopause. Yet no actual funding opportunities are available for that work. Even more alarming is the fact that AHRQ has provided exactly no information on how the remaining $65 million provided to it will be spent, again raising the likelihood that funding provided by Congress will simply be wasted.

Congress appropriated funding for AHRQ to improve the health of Americans, and to make health care safer, better, and more affordable. Using accounting gimmicks and supposed IAAs as cover for either intentional sabotage or complete incompetence is inexcusable. It is unfortunately only one of many examples of how this administration is willfully choosing to make Americans less healthy and less safe—and raising costs while it’s at it.

Within 24 hours, we expect to receive written copies of all IAAs that AHRQ has entered into with other federal agencies, a detailed description of all supported activities, and a list of all grantees that will be supported by such funding in accordance with Public Law 119-75 before the end of the fiscal year.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-kaptur-demand-energy-department-restore-eliminated-safety-rules-justify-rewrite-of-dozens-of-critical-safety-and-accountability-measures/,"Murray, Kaptur Demand Energy Department Restore Eliminated Safety Rules, Justify Rewrite of Dozens of Critical Safety and Accountability Measures",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, sent a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright calling out the dozens of changes being made to operating directives at the Department of Energy (DOE), which is jeopardizing the safety of work being done at DOE labs, plants, and sites, reduces transparency and Federal oversight, and risks wasting taxpayer dollars. DOE made these sweeping changes without meaningful engagement with workers, labor unions, and other stakeholders.

Murray and Kaptur are demanding DOE immediately restore three of the cancelled orders and justify the other forty-six changes. Those orders required DOE to track safety incidents and worker injuries across its labs and sites, and let workers formally challenge technical decisions they believed put safety at risk.

“We are deeply concerned that the scope and pace of these simultaneous changes will weaken critical safety protections, reduce independent Federal oversight, impair public visibility into departmental operations, and transfer significant responsibility from Federal officials to contractors without adequate safeguards in place,” write Murray and Kaptur. “In short, we are worried the rollback of these changes could jeopardize the safety of work being conducted across the DOE enterprise and waste taxpayer dollars.”

Murray and Kaptur further detail the importance of independent oversight, quality assurance, nuclear facility safety reporting, and worker training—and call out the Trump administration for claiming to support “performance-based accountability” and strong safety and security standards, while also eliminating reporting requirements and rewriting regulations that do just that.

Murray and Kaptur continue by responding to DOE’s decision to flat out cancel several orders, “Department-wide reporting requirements…provide Congress, regulators, and the public with standardized information necessary to identify trends and evaluate safety performance across the National Laboratories, plants, and sites…Congress also cannot effectively conduct oversight if the Department no longer collects consistent information about what is occurring across the enterprise. A reduction in reporting burden that results in the loss of accessible information about safety incidents or worker injuries is not simply an administrative change—it is a clear reduction in transparency that places safety at risk.”

“Furthermore, eliminating these standardized safety and health databases at the very moment the Department executes the sweeping deregulatory initiatives of Project Velocity creates a dangerous diagnostic blind spot, making it impossible to empirically measure whether these systemic rollbacks are actively causing an increase in accidents, toxic exposures, or operational failures across the complex,” the lawmakers continue.

Murray and Kaptur are also requesting detailed answers on operational and safety risks of “Project Velocity” and the process used to determine the changes being made while emphasizing: “The Department cannot execute such sweeping systemic changes across multibillion-dollar facilities without providing the empirical baselines, safety analyses, and governance frameworks that justify them.”

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Wright:

We write regarding the Department of Energy’s (the Department or DOE) ongoing efforts to modify operating directives for the Department’s National Laboratories, plants, and sites, an effort you have branded “Project Velocity.” On August 13, 2026, DOE announced it updated operating directives, which included revisions to 46 DOE Directives and cancellation of four DOE Directives. We are deeply concerned that the scope and pace of these simultaneous changes will weaken critical safety protections, reduce independent Federal oversight, impair public visibility into departmental operations, and transfer significant responsibility from Federal officials to contractors without adequate safeguards in place. In short, we are worried the rollback of these changes could jeopardize the safety of work being conducted across the DOE enterprise and waste taxpayer dollars.

We are particularly concerned about these changes given the Department’s longstanding challenges overseeing its contractors and managing major projects and programs. At our request, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently examined the Department’s earlier effort to streamline project management at the National Laboratories and nuclear security sites (which is just one of the 50 DOE directives that have been revised or cancelled to date through Project Velocity). GAO found that the Department had not established specific goals or performance measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of implementing the Secretary’s directed revisions. This is concerning given that GAO also concluded that the proposed streamlining could result in less reliable project cost estimates and late identification of cost and schedule overruns—wasting time and taxpayer resources. Without reliable performance metrics and goals, cost increases and schedule slips as a result of the efforts to streamline may be harder to detect and mitigate.

You are now championing sweeping revisions to Departmental directives with Project Velocity, but GAO’s recent findings are cause for real concern about how these changes will be implemented and evaluated over time. The Department claims the current initiative is a shift from “prescriptive procedural compliance” toward “performance-based accountability” and that modernization will maintain strong safety and security standards. Yet the Department is simultaneously revising or eliminating important requirements governing independent oversight, project management, quality assurance, conduct of operations, nuclear facility safety, worker training and qualification, occurrence reporting, environmental and occupational safety reporting, and the ability of Federal and contractor employees to formally challenge technical safety decisions. The Department must demonstrate—not merely assert—that these changes will preserve effective Federal oversight and safety mechanisms.

We are particularly concerned by the Department’s decision to wholesale cancel several DOE orders including DOE Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting; DOE Order 232.2A, Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information; and DOE Order 442.2, Differing Professional Opinions for Technical Issues Involving Environmental, Safety, and Health Technical Concerns.

Department-wide reporting requirements (such as those in Order 231.1B and Order 232.2A) provide Congress, regulators, and the public with standardized information necessary to identify trends and evaluate safety performance across the National Laboratories, plants, and sites. Fragmenting these reporting requirements or replacing them with locally determined processes risks making it significantly more difficult to identify recurring problems, compare performance across sites, and recognize emerging Department-wide safety concerns. Congress also cannot effectively conduct oversight if the Department no longer collects consistent information about what is occurring across the enterprise. A reduction in reporting burden that results in the loss of accessible information about safety incidents or worker injuries is not simply an administrative change—it is a clear reduction in transparency that places safety at risk. Furthermore, eliminating these standardized safety and health databases at the very moment the Department executes the sweeping deregulatory initiatives of Project Velocity creates a dangerous diagnostic blind spot, making it impossible to empirically measure whether these systemic rollbacks are actively causing an increase in accidents, toxic exposures, or operational failures across the complex.

The Department’s cancellation of DOE Order 442.2, Differing Professional Opinions for Technical Issues Involving Environmental, Safety, and Health Technical Concerns similarly guts a critical safety process. The formal Differing Professional Opinion process provided a structured mechanism for such disagreements to receive independent technical consideration outside the ordinary management chain. Eliminating that process raises serious questions about whether workers and safety professionals will continue to have an effective mechanism to challenge decisions they believe could jeopardize worker safety or public safety. Other Departmental dispute-resolution or scientific-integrity processes cannot simply be presumed to provide adequate substitutes for a process specifically designed to address technical environmental, safety, and health disagreements.

Accordingly, we request that the Department immediately reinstate DOE Order 231.1B, DOE Order 232.2A, and DOE Order 442.2.

We also have significant concerns regarding the 46 DOE Directives the Department has chosen to revise governing high-consequence operations, worker safety, project management, and Federal oversight. The Department cannot execute such sweeping systemic changes across multibillion-dollar facilities without providing the empirical baselines, safety analyses, and governance frameworks that justify them.

To evaluate the cumulative operational and safety risks of Project Velocity, please provide the following information within 30 days of the date of this letter:

A complete list of every requirement modified, eliminated, consolidated, transferred, or otherwise affected by the operational modernization effort, including a redline comparison of each revised directive against its predecessor.

For each eliminated or materially modified requirement, the Department’s justification for the change, including the statutory, regulatory, technical, scientific, or operational basis relied upon.

A complete description of the process used to develop and approve the 46 directive revisions and four cancellations.

An explanation of the role of Department officials and offices, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), the Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security (EHSS), and the Office of Enterprise Assessments in reviewing and approving the changes, including the criteria used to determine that each revision or cancellation would not adversely affect nuclear safety, worker safety, security, environmental protection, project performance, or Federal oversight.

An explanation of the role of, or consultations undertaken with, National Laboratories, management and operating (M&O) contractors, subject matter experts, worker representatives, labor unions, safety organizations, and other entities, in reviewing and approving the changes, including the criteria used to determine that each revision or cancellation would not adversely affect nuclear safety, worker safety, security, environmental protection, project performance, or Federal oversight.

For DOE Order 231.1B and DOE Order 232.2A, a crosswalk identifying which reporting requirements, thresholds, and other data within these Orders have been incorporated into other directives, and which have been eliminated or delegated to local contractor discretion.

For DOE Order 231.1B and DOE Order 232.2A, an explanation of how the Department will conduct complex-wide trend analysis, benchmarking, and early warning detection across National Laboratories and sites without standardized enterprise databases.

For DOE Order 231.1B and DOE Order 232.2A, the specific contractual and legal mechanisms DOE line management will use to enforce timely incident reporting and data submission in the absence of these orders.

A description of any changes to Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS), Computerized Accident Incident Reporting System (CAIRS), Radiation Exposure Monitoring System (REMS), or other safety and occurrence reporting systems resulting directly or indirectly from Project Velocity, including any changes in reporting thresholds, categories, timeframes, required data elements, public accessibility, or governmental review.

For DOE Order 442.2, an explanation of what process now permits a Federal or contractor employee to formally challenge an environmental, safety, health, engineering, maintenance, or operational technical decision; how that process ensures independence from the management officials whose decision is being challenged; and what protections exist against retaliation.

A detailed crosswalk identifying which provisions of DOE Order 442.2, if any, the Department believes have been preserved elsewhere, including the authority and process for independent technical review and final disposition of differing professional opinions.

For each revised directive affecting nuclear safety, worker safety, quality assurance, conduct of operations, training and qualification, readiness, maintenance, emergency management, or independent oversight, an assessment of the safety functions or controls removed or modified and the basis for the Department’s determination that the revised requirements provide equivalent or greater protection.

A list of all Contractor Requirements Documents or other requirements that have been eliminated, reduced, or replaced as part of Project Velocity, together with an explanation of how the Department plans to verify contractor performance in the absence of those requirements.

A description of every new or expanded authority provided to M&O contractors or National Laboratory directors under the revised directives, including any authority previously exercised by Federal officials, and the circumstances under which DOE may revoke or reassume that authority.

For DOE Order 413.3C, a list of all projects for which critical decision or other project management authority has been, or is expected to be, delegated to M&O contractor personnel, including total project cost, current project status, responsible contractor, and the Federal reviews and approvals that will no longer occur as a result of that delegation.

For DOE Order 414.1F, an explanation of the basis for reducing the deemed-approved period for Quality Assurance Programs from 90 days to 30 days; the number of Quality Assurance Programs that DOE historically has taken more than 30 days to review; and what safeguards will prevent a deficient program from becoming effective solely because DOE failed to complete its review within the required period.

A description of how the Office of Enterprise Assessments, the DNFSB, and other independent Federal oversight organizations will maintain their ability to conduct independent assessments when warranted, including whether any revised directive limits such reviews because a contractor or another Departmental office or program has previously assessed the same activity.

The specific, outcome-oriented goals and performance measures that will be used to evaluate Project Velocity department-wide, including baseline data against which changes in cost, schedule, safety performance, worker injuries, project performance, and other outcomes will be measured.

A description of how the Department will identify unintended consequences of the changes, including deterioration in safety performance or loss of visibility into contractor operations, and the thresholds or criteria that would cause the Department to restore a requirement or otherwise modify a revised directive.

All analyses, risk assessments, business cases, cost-benefit analyses, safety reviews, legal reviews, crosswalks, decision memoranda, and other documents used to support the 46 directive revisions and four cancellations.

We recognize the importance of ensuring that the Department’s requirements are efficient, current, and appropriately tailored to risk. We share those goals. However, efficiency cannot come at the expense of independent oversight, reliable information, technical rigor, and the worker protections necessary to safely operate the Department’s unique facilities and effectively and responsibly steward billions of taxpayer dollars.

The Department’s reliance on contractors makes strong Federal oversight more—not less—important. The Department should proceed cautiously before removing systems developed over decades to ensure that Federal officials, Congress, and the workforce can identify problems before they become accidents, project failures, or significant taxpayer liabilities.

We look forward to your response within 30 days.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/on-senate-floor-murray-calls-on-republicans-to-end-trumps-trade-war-republicans-ignore-rising-costs-block-bill-to-end-tariffs/,"On Senate Floor, Murray Calls on Republicans to End Trump’s Trade War—Republicans Ignore Rising Costs & Block Bill to End Tariffs",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “We have a bill today that could actually save families thousands of dollars. All we need is for Republicans to join us, stand up to Trump, and pass this bill that will end Trump’s deranged trade wars.”

ICYMI: Murray Introduces Bill to End Trump’s Trade War with Canada & Lower Costs, Slams Trump’s Latest Tariffs as “Economic Arson”

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full speech***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor urging Republicans to pass her End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would end Trump’s global tariffs and 50% tariffs on Canada, and stop him from waging his unilateral trade war.

Following Murray’s speech, Senate Republicans blocked a request by Democrats to pass the bill through unanimous consent, despite Trump’s tariffs costing the average family nearly $2,000.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“In the face of the skyrocketing prices Trump has caused with his own policies, he has been trying to sell voters a new empty promise about $5,000 checks that everyone knows are never coming.

“But we have a bill today that could actually save families thousands of dollars. All we need is for Republicans to join us, stand up to Trump, and pass this bill that will end Trump’s deranged trade wars. It is quite literally a bill to cut taxes—so Republicans should be all for it.

“And it will save families big time. After all, we know Trump’s tariffs cost the average family nearly $2,000 last year. Two thousand dollars! Think about that. That is money families should have in their pockets. It could help with months of groceries, or cover rent. It could help fund home or car repairs in a pinch. It could be a family vacation.

“But instead—that money got burned up by Trump’s trade war.

“Now, I hear from folks back in Washington state about this about every time I’m home. They have not been shy about saying just how damaging Trump’s trade war has been. Business owners cannot build a long-term plan around a trade policy and tariff rates that change every time the President stays up too late posting online. Families cannot budget for their groceries, when prices keep rising higher every week, or when Trump is outright banning things like milk from Canada.

“Trump’s recent escalation with Canada is especially absurd. This is our ally! This is our neighbor! It is Canada for god’s sake.

“Why is Trump forcing higher costs on our families, just to stick it to Canadians? How is that worth it?

“Congress needs to put a stop to this and leave this money where it belongs—with our hard working families. So today, we are going to try and pass a bill that will revoke Trump’s latest Canada tariffs and end his ability to continue these trade wars.

“Today we are forcing the question: Do Republicans really think they need to let Trump jack up prices on their constituents just because he is mad at Canada? Do Republicans really think the average family is happy paying $2,000 in new taxes because Trump’s ego is hurt?

“Is Trump’s ego really that important to Republicans?

“Well, we are about to find out.

“And you better believe families are watching this debate today, just as they have been watching prices go up all year long, and they are keeping close track of who is putting Trump first, and who is putting our families first.”

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-the-supreme-courts-ruling-that-blocks-us-postal-service-from-interfering-with-vote-by-mail,Cantwell Statement on the Supreme Court’s Ruling That Blocks U.S. Postal Service From Interfering With Vote-by-Mail,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Statement on the Supreme Court’s Ruling That Blocks U.S. Postal Service From Interfering With Vote-by-Mail

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to reverse a lower-court ruling that blocked the Postal Service from implementing requirements that would have interfered with vote-by-mail in Washington state and nationwide:

“This close to the election we need stability, not disenfranchisement and confusion. I’m glad a majority of the Supreme Court Justices rejected Trump’s mail-in ballot scheme that would have created chaos and denied many Americans the right to vote. I still encourage Washingtonians to stay vigilant, vote early, and use drop boxes when possible to avoid delays in the postal system.”

On September 8, Sen. Cantwell joined 260 of her colleagues – including all Senate Democrats and current and former members of the House of Representatives – in filing a bipartisan, bicameral amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the case. Together, the lawmakers argued, “As current and former legislators, amici took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States — including its guarantee of the separation of powers. Amici have a particular interest in defending the institutional role of the Legislative Branch under Article I of the Constitution and in vindicating the long-settled principle that the Constitution commits ultimate regulatory authority over federal elections to Congress. The Constitution does not contemplate the Executive Branch acting unilaterally to assert power over federal elections. Yet that is what the Order and Final Rule do.”

The lawmakers argued, “The district court correctly concluded that Appellees are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that USPS lacked authority to issue the Final Rule, that the Final Rule unconstitutionally imposes mail-ballot requirements on the States, and that the Final Rule unconstitutionally bars non-compliant State and local election officials from using the USPS to mail ballots at all.” Accordingly, Sen. Cantwell and her colleagues urged the Court, “Because the Order and Final Rule claim power that the Constitution has assigned to the States and Congress and that Congress has otherwise withheld from the Executive Branch, the district court correctly enjoined the Final Rule’s mandatory implementation, and this Court should deny Applicants’ request.” Today, the Supreme Court agreed.

In denying the stay, the Supreme Court let stand a preliminary injunction issued by a federal district court in two related cases – one brought by Washington along with other states – against the USPS rule for the upcoming election. In that ruling, the district court found “on one side, that immediate implementation of the Final Rule issued less than seventy days before the November 2026 election threatens disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail and, on the other side, that the record includes no evidence relating to fraudulent mail voting to support the rushed implementation of the Final Rule” and granted the preliminary injunction.

Earlier this month, Sen. Cantwell held a press conference in Seattle to warn Washington voters about Administration efforts to undermine their right to vote. That same day Sen. Cantwell and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs released a snapshot report showing that late-postmark rejection rates have more than doubled in 19 counties compared to the 2024 primaries – with rural counties worst affected -- following a new Trump Administration policy that can delay postmarking of mail-in ballots by several days.

Sen. Cantwell remains a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections:

On August 5, she sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts. The quiet period began on August 5, more than a month ago.

On July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections.

On July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional.

On July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders.

On June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington.

On June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.

On June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist. President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee. Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation.

On June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States.

On June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections.

On June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation.

On April 29, she was tapped by Minority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference.

On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.

On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.

On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.

On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.

On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.

Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.

On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters.

On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which the Senators warned could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot. The new snapshot report Sen. Cantwell and Sec. Hobbs released today shows the actual impact on voters in Washington state so far.

On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day.

Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/runaway-athletics-spending-threatens-the-financial-health-of-americas-colleges-cantwell-snapshot-report-shows,"Runaway Athletics Spending Threatens the Financial Health of America’s Colleges, Cantwell Snapshot Report Shows",2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Runaway Athletics Spending Threatens the Financial Health of America’s Colleges, Cantwell Snapshot Report Shows

94% of Division I programs are in the red, spending more than they generate; schools faced approx. 300% higher costs for recruiting, equipment, and coaching since 2005; Universities and state governments are footing the bill, boosting spending by $520 million across 53 Power Four athletic programs alone in 2025 vs. 2015; Senate voting today on advancing Cantwell’s bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, which would stabilize college sports

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, released a new snapshot report on how runaway athletics spending is harming the financial health and broader missions of U.S. colleges and universities – and hitting students with record-high fees.

“This report demonstrates how the unsustainable growth in spending on college sports is amplifying the broader financial pressures on colleges and universities,” said Sen. Cantwell. “We're seeing universities transfer general fund money to cover athletic department deficits, dip into endowments to sustain their general funds, and beg state legislatures for even more sports dollars. We must rein in runaway athletics spending or face the consequences of a brain drain that threatens our global leadership in science and technology.”

The report contains a new analysis of the increase in government and institutional support to our leading public universities. According to this analysis, leading universities now contribute a half-billion dollars more towards athletics each year than they did ten years ago. Contributions from general funds to support athletics among Power Four schools have nearly tripled from 2015-2024, increasing from $445 million to $1.2 billion.

Other findings outlined in the report:

94 percent of all Division I athletics programs now spend more than they generate in athletics revenue.

Only 14 of 53 publicly reported Power 4 athletic departments generated enough revenue to cover expenses in 2024–25.

The percentage of annual operating budgets being funded by endowments reached an all-time high of 15.2% in FY 2025, a significant increase from 10.9% in FY23.

In the 2023–24 academic year, 87 percent of non-power-conference colleges required all students to pay mandatory fees to fund athletics, along with 48 percent of power-conference colleges. At James Madison University – a public university in Virginia – 74 percent of the athletics budget came from mandatory student fees, which cost students $3,011 per year.

Within the past two years, legislatures in Connecticut, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida have earmarked state tax dollars, raised taxes, or created significant tax breaks to benefit college athletics.

Sen. Cantwell is leading the effort to reform college sports and ensure tomorrow’s athletes have the same opportunities as today’s competitors, without sacrificing the educational and research endeavors of these institutions that are the lifeblood of our economic competitiveness.

In September 2025, she released a new analysis of college sports TV revenues showing how skyrocketing media rights payments have exacerbated a massive financial gap between traditional power conferences, especially the new Power 2 – the SEC and Big Ten – and everyone else.

Yesterday, she joined Gonzaga University head men’s basketball coach Mark Few, and current college athletes, coaches and senators rom both parties to speak in support of the Protect College Sports Act.

The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 sets new rules and provides new tools to stabilize college sports, including codifying athletes’ rights to earn compensation for their NIL, enshrining scholarship and healthcare protections in law, reining in predatory agents, expanding revenue for all schools and preserving and protecting the future of women’s and Olympic sports.

In June, at a landmark hearing on the bill, the Commerce Committee heard powerful testimony on the worsening crisis facing college athletics, including the future of women's and Olympic sports, athletes’ rights, and the financial sustainability of the entire collegiate sports system.

In December of last year, she introduced the Helping Undergraduate Students Thrive with Long-Term Earnings (HUSTLE Act) with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) so that college athletes earning NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money can protect more of it for their post-playing lives.

In October, Sen. Cantwell joined former college and professional athletes and Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in warning that the SCORE Act would roll-back hard fought NIL rights and health protections, leave athletes vulnerable to unscrupulous agents, short-change women’s and Olympic sports, and shut the door on collective bargaining rights.",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-votes-74-24-to-advance-cantwells-bipartisan-protect-college-sports-act,Senate Votes 74-24 To Advance Cantwell’s Bipartisan Protect College Sports Act,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senate Votes 74-24 To Advance Cantwell’s Bipartisan Protect College Sports Act

The Protect College Sports Act creates federal rights and protections for student athletes and secures the future of women’s and Olympic sports; Today, Cantwell’s office published a snapshot report detailing how runaway spending on athletics is harming colleges & students

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate voted 74-24 to invoke cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill authored and introduced by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the committee chair.

Following today’s vote, the bill now awaits additional votes in the Senate. If passed by the Senate, the legislation would then be considered by the House of Representatives.

In a speech on the Senate floor before the vote, Sen. Cantwell said: ""This bill brings order to [college sports]. It helps women and Olympic sports, and it sets up a commission to look at the real future, which I think should include collective bargaining [...] Let's bring some sanity. Recognize that athletes do deserve revenue sharing, and that this bill will put that into law for the first time.""

Video of her speech is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

Today, Sen. Cantwell’s office also released a snapshot report detailing how the unsustainable growth in spending on college sports is amplifying financial pressures on colleges and universities. That report can be read in full HERE.

Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell joined current college athletes, coaches, and senators from both parties for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to speak in support of the Protect College Sports Act. That press conference, which also included Gonzaga University head men’s basketball coach Mark Few, can be watched in full HERE.

The Protect College Sports Act:

PROTECTS ATHLETES:

First-ever NIL Right

Grants student athletes a new federal right to earn compensation for their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and replaces the patchwork of state laws with a strong national NIL right.

Adopts the revenue share cap negotiated between plaintiff student-athletes and the NCAA and Power 5 conferences in the Grant House vs. NCAA settlement, but also allows tens of millions of additional dollars to flow directly from schools to student-athletes through a new $22.5 million retention fund (up to $27.5 million if schools pay athletes in non-revenue sports).

The revenue share cap can be increased or otherwise modified by agreement of the parties, and the provisions of the bill relating to the revenue share cap and retention fund are solely for the duration of the negotiated House settlement, unless Congress votes to retain them.

New Contract & Agent Rules with Real Teeth to Protect Athletes From Exploitation

NIL contracts must include key terms and cannot bind athletes beyond their eligibility for intercollegiate athletics.

Requires agents to register with a state and certify to the NCAA that they are registered before they can represent a student athlete.

Caps agent fees at 5 percent.

Prohibits an agent from misleading a student-athlete about the existence or value of NIL deals to entice the athlete to enroll or transfer.

These protections can be enforced by athletes through a private right of action or by the FTC or state attorneys general.

Academic & Scholarship Guarantee

Guarantees scholarships for ten years after eligibility, so athletes can complete their degrees.

Ensures student athletes cannot lose their scholarship because of injury or a bad game.

Prevents athletic staff from pressuring student-athletes regarding their choice of course or major.

Student Athletes’ Health and Safety Protections While in School

Requires Division I schools to cover out-of-pocket medical costs for athletic injuries or illness for current student-athletes, including covering the cost of a second opinion and providing an end-of-eligibility medical examination.

Mandates safety standards for heat exertion, brain injury, sickle cell trait, and asthma; overseen by health and safety officers independent of the athletic department.

Prevents coaches or non-medical athletic personnel from second-guessing the decisions of medical personnel about a student’s ability to play.

Requires schools to prevent, assess, and remediate abuse of athletes, hazing, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment.

Healthcare Protections When the Season is Over

For Division I schools, mandates they cover out-of-pocket costs for sports-related injuries or illness for 5 years post-eligibility.

Creates a medical trust fund of at least $60 up to $100 million/year to help schools with demonstrated financial need provide post-eligibility medical coverage and to help athletes with the cost of significant, long-term conditions, like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), incurred from playing a sport. Pooled media rights revenue from the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 (SBA) covered entity may be used for this fund.

Equal Treatment in Tournaments

Requires the NCAA and conferences to maintain comparable standards across men’s and women’s teams for medical care, lodging, meals, rest, transportation, publicity and promotion, and athletic facilities at championship events or tournaments.

Strong Enforcement When Athletes’ Rights Are Violated

Gives athletes a private right of action to enforce provisions of the bill, including their NIL rights, agent protections, health and safety standards, scholarship protections and medical coverage requirements.

Athletes cannot be forced to give up their right to join a class action with more than seven named plaintiffs or enter arbitration if they seek to enforce their rights.

Protections for Women’s and Olympic Sports

Prevents women’s and Olympic sports from being cut by requiring schools to maintain a minimum number of sports and requiring schools making $80 million or more in athletic department revenue to maintain, at minimum, the same total roster spots and grant-in-aid for non-revenue sports as in 2024-2025. Establishes a waiver process including exemptions for extraordinary circumstances. For mid-sized schools with athletic department revenue between $50 and $80 million, they are subject to the same roster spot and grant-in-aid requirements for non-revenue sports as large schools; however, they have a more lenient exemption process.

Makes clear that nothing in the bill overrides, modifies, or amends the applicability of Title IX. Also provides whistleblower protections for reporting Title IX violations or participating in a Title IX challenge.

Protects para-athletes’ walk-on eligibility so all student-athletes can participate in college sports.

Requires schools that pool their media rights to promote and distribute the media rights for women’s and Olympic sports.

Athlete Ombudsman

Creates an Office of Athlete Ombudsman at the NCAA to provide independent guidance and advice to student athletes, help them resolve disputes with schools and conferences and refer them to available resources.

Whistleblower Protections

Provides whistleblower protection to individuals who report violations of the bill’s provisions or participate in legal challenges brought or about to be brought under the Act.

Student Athletes Get a Seat at the Table

Requires at least one-third of athletic association governing boards or other committees with rulemaking authority to be comprised of current or recent former student athletes.

Creates a Student Athlete Retention Council within the Commission on the Future of College Athletics to provide recommendations on the future of the retention fund.

Expands Representation and Opportunities

Requires two members of the Commission on the Future of College Athletics to be representatives from HBCUs and two members of the Commission to be representatives from a mid-sized conference.

Eligibility

Provides athletes with five years of eligibility with exceptions, including for serious injury or medical condition.

Transfer

Allows athletes to transfer once without having to sit out a year. Athletes may transfer again without sitting out a year to pursue a graduate degree, if their sport is cut, if their head coach leaves, or if they are sexually assaulted or harassed.

Prohibits Mid-Season Coaching Transitions

Prevents football coaches and key football staff from leaving mid-season to coach or otherwise effectively take over another FBS program during the same competitive season, including through recruiting, roster management, NIL activity, or game-planning functions.

EXPANDS REVENUE TO BENEFIT SCHOOLS, ATHLETES, FANS

More Revenue for Every Participating School

Schools join a voluntary collective to pool and jointly negotiate their media rights, just like the NFL, NBA, and NHL. The bill amends the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to extend this antitrust protection to college sports.

Less Pressure on Endowments and Student Fees

New pooled revenue under this bill gives schools more financial stability without raiding academics or charging students more.

Voluntary Participation, Existing Contracts Preserved

No school or conference is forced to join. Existing media rights contracts are not abrogated.

Protections for Women’s and Olympic Sports

Schools must use pooled media revenue to maintain the same number of grant-in-aid opportunities and roster spots for non-revenue generating sports as provided in the 2024-25 academic year. Stops major programs from cutting non-revenue sports to fund football and basketball arms races.

Local Outlet Option for Football and Basketball

Requires every football and basketball game be made available on a non-exclusive basis to at least one free TV local outlet in the home market of each participating school.

Media Rights Utilization for Non-Revenue Sports

Requires distributors to reconvey media rights back to schools if those rights are not used, so non-revenue sports like volleyball, soccer, and track can grow through targeted distribution rather than sitting on a shelf.

A Move Back to Regionalism

Protects traditional rivalries on football schedules to ensure fans still get to see their favorite teams play each other.

Prohibits Mid-season Coaching Transitions

Prevents football coaches and key football staff from leaving mid-season to coach or otherwise effectively take over another FBS program during the same competitive season, including through recruiting, roster management, NIL activity, or game-planning functions.

Sen. Cantwell is leading the effort to reform college sports and ensure tomorrow’s athletes have the same opportunities as today’s competitors. The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 sets new rules and provides new tools to stabilize college sports, including codifying athletes’ rights to earn compensation for their NIL, enshrining scholarship and healthcare protections in law, reining in predatory agents, expanding revenue for all schools, and preserving and protecting the future of women’s and Olympic sports.

In June, at a landmark hearing on the bill, the Commerce Committee heard powerful testimony on the worsening crisis facing college athletics, including the future of women's and Olympic sports, athletes’ rights, and the financial sustainability of the entire collegiate sports system.

In December of last year, she introduced the Helping Undergraduate Students Thrive with Long-Term Earnings (HUSTLE Act) with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) so that college athletes earning NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money can protect more of it for their post-playing lives. In October, Sen. Cantwell joined former college and professional athletes and Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in warning that the SCORE Act would roll-back hard fought NIL rights and health protections, leave athletes vulnerable to unscrupulous agents, short-change women’s and Olympic sports, and shut the door on collective bargaining rights.

Last September, Sen. Cantwell, joined by co-sponsors Sens. Booker and Blumenthal, introduced the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act to codify athletes’ rights and protections in law, expand revenue for all schools, support women’s and Olympic sports, and bring much-needed stability to the college sports system.

Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-colleagues-introduce-privileged-resolution-seeking-answers-on-west-bank-violence/,"Murray, Colleagues, Introduce Privileged Resolution Seeking Answers on West Bank Violence",2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"The Senators’ resolution – introduced Monday night – would require a report on increasing violence in the West Bank, including deaths of American citizens

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and 19 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a 502B privileged resolution requiring the Department of State to report to Congress on increasing violence in the West Bank, including the killings of Americans in the West Bank. Nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank in recent years – and more detained – and none have received accountability or justice from either the Israeli or United States governments. The Senators’ resolution would require the Department of State to provide information and assessments related to investigations of the killing of United States citizens by violent Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank, as well as an assessment of the human rights situation in the West Bank, specifically related to the detention of Palestinian children.

They were joined in introducing the resolution by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

“The increasing violence in the West Bank is horrifying and unacceptable. Nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank since 2022 and their families deserve clarity and accountability. Two constituents from Washington state have been killed by Israeli forces with no answers and no justice—that can’t go unanswered. Additionally, the reports of detained Palestinian children are absolutely heartbreaking—those families deserve answers too. It is crystal clear there needs to be an assessment of the human rights situation in the West Bank at the very least. That is exactly why I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues and introducing this resolution. What the world is seeing happen in the West Bank is unacceptable and only getting worse—this administration must hold the extremist Netanyahu government accountable for its outright endorsement of illegal settler violence,” said Senator Murray.

The resolution draws upon Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows Congress to file a privileged resolution that, if passed, would require the State Department to provide information on any country receiving U.S. security assistance and that country’s observance of internationally-recognized human rights. After introduction, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has ten days to consider it in committee, and if it fails to do so, the resolution can be called up for a vote on the Senate floor. If the resolution passes the Senate, the Trump Administration must submit the report within 30 days or the majority of security assistance authorized to Israel would be prohibited. If the resolution passes, and following the receipt of the State Department report, Congress may consider any necessary changes to U.S. security assistance to that country in light of the information received. If the Administration declines or fails to submit the required report, the Administration’s decision would prompt the termination of certain covered security assistance programs for Israel.

Text of the resolution is available HERE.",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-rallies-with-bipartisan-members-of-congress-advocates-parents-against-trumps-attacks-on-head-start/,"Senator Murray Rallies with Bipartisan Members of Congress, Advocates, Parents Against Trump’s Attacks on Head Start",2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “Trump wants to turn Head Start into a Dead End.”

ICYMI: Senator Murray Slams Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Calls on Teachers and Parents to Protect the Program

ICYMI: Senators Murray, Luján, and Advocates Sound the Alarm on Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Vow to Save Head Start

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined a bipartisan group of members of Congress, child care advocates, and parents, to sound the alarm on the damaging new proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that if finalized could gut Head Start by shredding basic standards that keep kids safe and advances their education. The proposed rule removes most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for class sizes, discipline, medical screenings, home visits, hours of service, staff qualifications, and more.

In her remarks, Senator Murray highlighted how vital Head Start is for families in Washington state and across the country, and how important it is to preserve the strong, consistent standards and comprehensive services that Head Start provides for communities. In her remarks, she also called on families to make their voices heard and participate in the ongoing public comment period.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Last month, President Trump, the billionaire who thinks we cannot afford child care but who does thinks we can always find money for war and billionaire tax cuts, well as you know, he launched his latest attack on working families: it is a proposal that will rip the heart out of our Head Start program, by shredding over a hundred and thirty pages of rules that help our kids stay safe and make sure they do get a quality education.

“No one is falling for Trump’s spin here, no one. Are you? No!

In just about every way you can think of—this rule would tear Head Start down.

“Now, Trump wants to tear down guardrails that keep kids safe; like requiring background checks on the people we trust with our kids, or banning corporal punishment, or requiring bus monitors so bus drivers can actually focus on traffic without wondering what’s happening to all of the toddlers that are behind him or her.

“Now, Trump also wants to tear down the standards that ensure quality; duration requirements so programs are actually open when parents need them, curriculum requirements so kids aren’t just left watching brain rot television, and requirements for play areas, and food prep spaces, and bathrooms.

“And Trump wants to tear down safety nets that keep our kids from falling through the cracks—you know like screenings that are often the first time a kid has their hearing, vision, and teeth checked, trainings on how to recognize and help victims of child abuse, and rules that protect our kids with disabilities from harmful practices.

“But, of course, when it comes to the one thing he should be tearing down—which is barriers for families—he’s putting up new ones!

“His rule will end up kicking homeless kids out of Head Start—the proposal even admits to that! His rule will push out families that might not speak English as their first language. And his rule will ultimately shut down Head Start centers as it whittles down threadbare budgets even more and burns out our caregivers who are already overworked and underpaid by pushing them to watch more kids than they can handle.

“The bottom line for this proposal is pretty simple, Trump wants to turn Head Start into a Dead End. Well not if I have anything to say about it—and not if parents have anything to say about it.

“And I will tell you right now, there is a comment period—parents are already raising their voices. You can go and read their stories about how Head Start health care screenings helped their child get a hearing aid or glasses, or what a relief it was to know their kids were safe, and cared for, and how they could not have afforded early education without Head Start. Now, I just checked this morning, and there are already over 12,000 comments on this proposed rule.

“But I know there are a lot more parents with stories that need to share them. I know there are moms and dads out there watching right now, wondering what they can do and what’s going to happen to this program and what they can do to help save it.

“Here is what you can do, go to regulations.gov right now and leave a comment, make your voice heard.

“And here’s what is going to happen, we are going to fight tooth and nail to stop each and every one of Trump’s horrible attacks on Head Start.”

###",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-on-new-report-finding-trump-wasted-billions-in-taxpayer-dollars-to-force-out-essential-federal-workers-most-expensive-way-imaginable-to-make-government-worse/,Murray on New Report Finding Trump Wasted Billions in Taxpayer Dollars to Force Out Essential Federal Workers: “Most expensive way imaginable to make government worse.”,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today finding the Trump administration spent $9.5 billion paying federal workers not to work as part of its sweeping campaign to reduce the federal workforce. In many cases, after pushing out federal workers and paying them not to work, the Trump administration proceeded to rehire for their roles, and those new hires have been less qualified than the staff they replaced.

“After promising to cut waste, Trump instead set billions upon billions in taxpayer dollars on fire to quite literally pay people not to do jobs they loved—from researching cancer cures to taking care of our National Parks, and so much else.

“Trump spent billions to push out experienced and badly needed experts across government—this was the most expensive way imaginable to make government worse.

“Seniors, veterans, and families will wait longer for the help they count on for years to come, all thanks to Trump’s reckless mass firing campaign, which was endorsed by Republicans in Congress who cheered these cuts and refused to join Democrats to put a stop to it.”

Vice Chair Murray and Senate Democrats have fought to put a stop to President Trump’s sweeping efforts to fire all manner of essential federal workers, including in negotiations over annual spending bills. But Republicans have rejected Democrats’ efforts to put a permanent stop to mass firings and workforce reductions through spending measures and voted against a number of amendments Democrats proposed to protect staffing levels in critical areas.

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-gonzagas-mark-few-current-college-athletes-and-other-coaches-speaking-in-support-of-protect-college-sports-act,"Cantwell Joins Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Current College Athletes & Other Coaches Speaking in Support of Protect College Sports Act",2026-09-14,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Current College Athletes & Other Coaches Speaking in Support of Protect College Sports Act

CANTWELL: “I'm asking my colleagues to join us in fixing what's wrong with college sports today.”; FEW: ""We really, really need help, and we need it from Congress.”; Cantwell’s bipartisan Protect College Sports Act ensures federal rights and protections for athletes and secures the future of women’s and Olympic sports; vote on legislation expected this week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Gonzaga University head men’s basketball coach Mark Few, current college athletes, other coaches, and senators from both parties to speak in support of the Protect College Sports Act.

""[The Protect College Sports Act] is a first-time federal statute on the rights of students to earn NIL and revenue sharing. So, a historic recognition of both of those rights,"" said Sen. Cantwell.

""This is [also] about reining in the bad practices that are happening in college sports today, the runaway costs that are sending people to the state legislature, asking for bailouts from taxpayers to pay for sports ... because of the runaway arms race in sports spending,"" she added. ""I'm asking my colleagues to join us in fixing what's wrong with college sports today.""

""We really, really need help, and we need it from Congress,"" said Coach Few. ""This bill might not be perfect, but it's far and far away the best thing we got out there right now.""

""I'm so proud of both Senator Cantwell working with her over all these years, but just teaming with Senator Cruz,"" he added, ""it really, really gives you a great feeling and great encouragement of just how Washington does really work for all of us.""

Speakers at today’s press conference included current college athletes, current college coaches and bill cosponsors from both parties.

COLLEGE ATHLETES

Diego Diaz, Fairleigh Dickinson University Men’s Volleyball

Sophia Stylianos, University of Michigan Women’s Rowing

Kedrick Green, Howard University Football

Sydney Wilson, Saint Mary’s College Women’s Tennis

Ella Brooks, Clemson University Track & Field

COLLEGE COACHES

John Calipari, Head Coach, University of Arkansas Men’s Basketball

Mark Few, Head Coach, Gonzaga University Men’s Basketball

Craig Bohl, former Head Coach, North Dakota State University / University of Wyoming Football

Kelvin Sampson, Head Coach, University of Houston Men’s Basketball (and former Washington State University head coach)

Craig Robinson, Executive Director, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and former Head Coach, Brown University / Oregon State University Men’s Basketball

SENATORS

Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

Commerce Committee chair Ted Crux (R-TX)

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO)

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO)

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)

Sen. Cantwell is leading the effort to reform college sports and ensure tomorrow’s athletes have the same opportunities as today’s competitors. The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 sets new rules and provides new tools to stabilize college sports, including codifying athletes’ rights to earn compensation for their NIL, enshrining scholarship and healthcare protections in law, reining in predatory agents, expanding revenue for all schools and preserving and protecting the future of women’s and Olympic sports.

In June, at a landmark hearing on the bill, the Commerce Committee heard powerful testimony on the worsening crisis facing college athletics, including the future of women's and Olympic sports, athletes’ rights, and the financial sustainability of the entire collegiate sports system.

In December of last year, she introduced the Helping Undergraduate Students Thrive with Long-Term Earnings (HUSTLE Act) with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) so that college athletes earning NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money can protect more of it for their post-playing lives. In October, Sen. Cantwell joined former college and professional athletes and Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in warning that the SCORE Act would roll-back hard fought NIL rights and health protections, leave athletes vulnerable to unscrupulous agents, short-change women’s and Olympic sports, and shut the door on collective bargaining rights.

Last September, Sen. Cantwell, joined by co-sponsors Sens. Booker and Blumenthal, introduced the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act to codify athletes’ rights and protections in law, expand revenue for all schools, support women’s and Olympic sports and bring much-needed stability to the college sports system.",1,2026-09-15T09:50:21Z,2026-09-15T09:52:05Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-trump-plan-to-eliminate-epa-limits-on-power-plant-pollution,Cantwell Statement On Trump Plan To Eliminate EPA Limits on Power Plant Pollution,2026-09-14,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Statement On Trump Plan To Eliminate EPA Limits on Power Plant Pollution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Trump administration officials announced a plan to remove the existing pollution caps placed on power plants in the United States, changing a longtime policy of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and threatening to increase the level of greenhouse gases pumped into our atmosphere.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, made the following statement:

“Rolling back carbon pollution limits from power plants is a step in the wrong direction. Rather than abandoning public health standards and the fight against climate change, the way to keep electricity prices down is to invest in cleaner, more efficient energy technologies.”

In the United States, the power sector is already the second-largest producer of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, behind only the transportation sector.

According to data recently released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), July 2026 was the hottest on record for the contiguous U.S., with an average temperature of 76.9*F – a full 3.3*F hotter than the 20th century average, and the hottest in 132 years of record keeping. Climate change is already costing American consumers, with one study published earlier this year finding U.S. households paying an average of $400 to $900 more per year because of climate change, and more than $1,300 in some parts of the country.

Sen. Cantwell has been a strong advocate of polices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions across multiple sectors and industries. As then-chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, she secured $297 million for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Low-Emissions Aviation Technology Grant Program, now known as the Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program, which was enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act. She also partnered with her Senate colleagues to introduce the Sustainable Skies Act in 2019, a version of which was also incorporated in the Inflation Reduction Act to provide a tax credit to increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel.

In 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report requested by Sen. Cantwell and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) on the economic impacts of climate change to the federal government. The report identified six key sectors of great financial risk to the federal government due to the projected impacts of climate change: crop insurance, coastal disaster relief, health care expenditures, wildland fire suppression, flood insurance, and sea level rise. The GAO warned that changes in the first four sectors would cost the federal government an estimated $18 billion annually by midcentury and nearly $69 billion annually by late century.

In 2023, Sen. Cantwell joined Sen. Collins in introducing the bipartisan Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act, which would direct the Departments of Energy and Interior to establish new research programs and evaluate the feasibility of carbon removal and storage pathways, quantify the net impact of carbon removal solutions, and establish an innovative pilot reverse auction purchasing program to accelerate carbon removal market commercialization. The CREST Act followed the Cantwell-Collins CLEAR Act, introduced in 2009, which would set up a mechanism for selling carbon shares to fuel producers and would return most of the resulting revenue in checks to every American.",1,2026-09-15T09:50:21Z,2026-09-15T09:52:05Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-patty-murray-statement-on-pete-serranos-nomination-for-u-s-attorney-in-the-western-district-of-washington/,Senator Patty Murray Statement on Pete Serrano’s Nomination for U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Washington,2026-09-14,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — In response to Pete Serrano’s nomination for U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Washington, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has issued the following statement.

“Pete Serrano is not qualified to serve as U.S. Attorney and his extreme right-wing views are completely out of touch with the priorities of Washington state. His record hasn’t changed—he tried to rewrite the history of the violent January 6th insurrection and sides with anti-abortion extremists.

“Let’s be clear about what a sham this is: after federal judges declined to appoint Serrano in Eastern Washington, this administration invented a workaround to install him anyway. Now they want to permanently install Serrano in the Western District. When the federal judges in the Western District appointed a highly qualified prosecutor unanimously—this President fired him within an hour for no cause.

“The people of Washington state deserve a serious U.S. Attorney who will follow the law, not a political loyalist who thinks the law is whatever the President says it is. I will be using every tool I have to block this nomination.”

###",1,2026-09-15T09:50:21Z,2026-09-15T09:52:05Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lopez-island-food-center-breaks-ground-with-1m-cantwell-supported-federal-investment,Lopez Island Food Center Breaks Ground With $1M Cantwell-Supported Federal Investment,2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Lopez Island Food Center Breaks Ground With $1M Cantwell-Supported Federal Investment

The 6,000-square-foot facility will help local farmers connect directly with food-insecure families & workers, & provide needed infrastructure; Cantwell & Larsen helped secure a $1 million federal grant for the project

EDMONDS, WA – Yesterday, leaders in the San Juan Islands celebrated the groundbreaking of the Lopez Food Center, a 6,000-square-foot facility that once completed will house a food share, job training, storage space and farm stands for local farmers, a commercial kitchen, and more.

The project was funded in part by a $1 million federal grant secured by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D, WA-02) through an FY2026 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request.

“Too many families on Lopez Island struggle with food insecurity while San Juan County farms need access to markets, employees, and infrastructure which are all harder to find on the islands than on the mainland. This 6,000-square-foot community space will connect families in need, local farmers, and community organizations and create new opportunities for workers and businesses,"" Sen. Cantwell said. ""The Lopez Food Center is exactly the kind of grassroots solution we should be investing in, and that’s why Congressman Larsen and I worked to secure $1 million in federal funds toward this groundbreaking.""

The project will construct a multi-use building in the ""main square"" of the island focused on two issues: fighting high levels of food insecurity, which impacts approximately 40% of Lopez Island residents, and increasing economic development opportunities for island farms and restauranters.

Once completed, the center will provide a safe and accessible home for the Lopez Food Share, a food share that currently serves 1,123 low-income adults and children each month. The new space will double the number of people who can be served and allow the food share to create a hot meal program and expand its prepared food offerings.

The center will also provide a space for business development and job training to help tackle the labor shortage that limits the growth of the local food economy in San Juan County, an issue compounded by a shortage of affordable housing. The Lopez Food Center will also provide business incubation spaces for local entrepreneurs, pop-up restaurants, and a commercial kitchen.",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murrays-statement-on-the-25th-anniversary-of-9-11/,Senator Murray’s Statement on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11,2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on the 25th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11.

“Today, on the twenty fifth anniversary of September 11th , we remember the innocent lives that were taken from us, and we pause to honor the bravery and selflessness of every single person who stepped up in the face of unthinkable tragedy. We will never forget the loved ones we lost, the courage of our first responders and servicemembers—nor will we forget how our country came together with an outpouring of unity in the aftermath to grieve and heal together. On that terrible day, there were countless individual acts of courage, kindness, and solidarity and unlikely heroes stepped up from all walks of life. These Americans exemplify the very best of our country and a quarter century later, they continue to inspire us. I hope all of us can remember that there will always be more that unites us as Americans than divides us, despite what some would tell us.”

In 2022, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Murray helped pass the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act unanimously in the United States Senate which would expand Post-9/11 combat veterans’, including those suffering from conditions caused by toxic exposures, access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care.

Senator Murray also helped pass the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act (PACT Act) as a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In 2019, Senator Murray voted to reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for the next 73 years, which provides financial support to help pay the health care bills for first responders and survivors of the attack on 9/11.

###",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-the-eve-of-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-9/11-terrorist-attacks,Cantwell Statement on the Eve of the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks,2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Statement on the Eve of the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) made the following statement:

“Our hearts are mourning for all those lost on September 11, 2001. We remember the victims as well as the heroism of first responders, the service members who continue to protect us, and the incredible unity we felt as a nation in the aftermath of the attacks.

“On that terrible day, America came under attack. The world rallied around us. This anniversary is a call to rededicate ourselves to these shared values that have always defined us as a nation.",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/icymi-senator-murray-visits-pnnl-in-sequim-vows-to-protect-federal-funding-for-national-labs/,"ICYMI: Senator Murray Visits PNNL in Sequim, Vows to Protect Federal Funding for National Labs",2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***PHOTOS HERE***

Sequim, WA – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) Sequim campus, which houses the only marine research facilities in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) national lab complex. The Sequim campus is focused on marine-based research that helps the nation achieve energy innovation and maintain robust, secure coasts. PNNL’s testbed in Sequim Bay is an ideal testing location for a variety of technologies—from new energy systems to AI-enabled maritime technologies—that link Sequim Bay through an energetic tidal channel to the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Puget Sound.

Senator Murray toured PNNL’s new Bench to Bay Deployment and Applied Sciences Laboratory. This lab allows scientists to engineer lab equipment and deploy it directly into marine environments, a unique capability in the national lab complex. Senator Murray secured $21.3 million in FY24 through DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) to directly support the construction of this new facility.

“Trump has launched an all-out attack on science and research in this country—and I’m doing everything I can to stop it,” said Senator Murray. “PNNL does critical work to study marine environments, develop new renewable energy technology, and keep Washington state and the country safe from threats by securing our coasts. This is exactly why investing in research matters. I will continue to push back against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to research at our national labs.”

PNNL is one of the national lab complex’s top labs for research funding through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). NNSA’s nuclear nonproliferation work and EERE programs have both been targeted for elimination or draconian cuts by both the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress. Thanks to Senator Murray’s leadership on the Energy and Water Development (EWD) Appropriations Subcommittee, she has successfully fought to protect significant funding for PNNL.

For FY26, Senator Murray secured $3.1 billion for EERE, $2.212 billion above Trump’s budget request. While President Trump has worked to eliminate renewable energy research funding, Senator Murray has fought hard to preserve the EERE programs that directly support PNNL-Sequim’s research, including securing $60 million for Marine National Laboratoriesand $24 million for the Powering the Blue Economy Initiative, both under DOE’s WPTO.

In the FY26 funding bills, Senator Murray also secured $25.40 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Within NNSA, the bill includes $2.415 billion for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), $130.89 million above the FY26 budget request. Republicans cut DNN by $185 million in their FY25 CR, and Trump requested an even lower funding level for the account for FY27. DNN programs provide 30% of PNNL’s funding from the Department, so Senator Murray prioritized protecting this funding in the FY26 funding bill she negotiated as much as possible to avoid significant layoffs at the lab.

Senator Murray is continuing to work to protect these programs and their funding in the FY27 appropriations bills.

###",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senators-murray-coons-shaheen-klobuchar-slotkin-statement-on-president-trumps-trade-war-with-canada/,"Senators Murray, Coons, Shaheen, Klobuchar, Slotkin Statement on President Trump’s Trade War with Canada",2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s continued imposition of new tariffs on Canada:

“The states we represent rely on Canada as a key trading partner and our primary export market. We have deep ties with our neighbors to the north, and we share one of the world’s most enduring defense partnerships. We have built two powerful nations over many decades by working together, growing our economies together, and securing our homelands together. Our countries have achieved great things by working closely together, and we still can.

“Instead of working with our neighbors, President Trump is doubling down on a pointless trade war. His tariffs will squeeze our states’ small businesses and farmers harder and drive costs up for working families. They will raise the cost of the lumber, plywood, and construction equipment we need to build new housing. They will hurt our workers and businesses who manufacture autos, aircraft, and machinery. They will drive up the prices consumers pay for everyday basics like milk, clothing, and paper products.

“President Trump’s tariffs have already cost American families as much as $5,000 in some states, and his senseless trade war with Canada will only grow that number. While American families and businesses suffer from President Trump’s trade wars, partners around the world, including Canada, are increasingly looking to diversify away from the United States and deepen trade ties with other countries including China. Congressional Republicans need to stand up to the president and do their part to give families and businesses on both sides of the border relief from this insanity.”

###",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-responds-to-22-2-rate-increase-for-washingtons-2027-exchange-health-insurance-market/,Senator Murray Responds to 22.2% Rate Increase for Washington’s 2027 Exchange Health Insurance Market,2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington’s Office of Insurance Commissioner Says Republicans Refusing to Extend ACA Tax Credits is Key Driver of New Premium Hike

ICYMI: New Report Shows Health Care Premiums Doubled for Over 200,000 Washingtonians Thanks to Trump and Republicans’ Health Care Cuts

Washington, D.C. — Today—nearly a year after Republicans refused to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits—the Office of the Insurance Commissioner of Washington State announced that a 22.2% average rate increase was approved for insurance providers who will sell individual health plans on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange in 2027.

In response, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement.

“This massive rate increase is a direct result of the health care crisis that Republicans have created by prioritizing billionaires over American families. Costs are skyrocketing while patients are losing health coverage—and it didn’t have to be this way. We know exactly how we got here: last year, Republicans passed the single largest cut to health care in our country’s history, and they blocked every Democratic effort to extend the ACA tax credits,” said Senator Murray. “Trump and Republicans would rather give trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and endlessly fund Trump’s war with Iran than help families afford their doctor appointments and prescriptions. Republicans chose to put billionaires and foreign wars ahead of health care for the American people—but the people can have the last word using their voice and their vote.”

In August, a new report was released detailing how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)—which cut over $1 trillion from health care to fund tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires—has caused 50,545 Washingtonians to lose their Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage they relied on to receive health care. Republicans also refused to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, which caused premiums to double for 226,813 people across Washington state and which the Washington State Insurance Commissioner cites as a primary reason driving the rate increase for 2027. For 2026, rates for plans on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange increased by 21%, which had direct impacts on families. This year, a family of four in Washington state who makes $130,000 a year saw their average annual premium rise by $12,392—costing them a total of $23,442.

Hospitals and clinics in Washington state are facing a $160 million loss in funding, a 5.6% spike in uncompensated care, and are expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion over the next decade due to Republicans’ health care cuts. So far 37 hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes in Washington state are at-risk, have announced cuts to services, are closing, or have closed, including:

AT-RISK: Astria Sunnyside Hospital, Coulee Medical Center, Dayton General Hospital, Forks Community Hospital, Klickitat Valley Health, Lake Chelan Hospital – Labor & Delivery Ward, Mason General Hospital, Mid-Valley Hospital, Odessa Memorial Hospital, Othello Community Hospital, Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington & North Idaho health centers, Prosser Memorial Health, Samaritan Hospital, Summit Pacific Medical Center, Three Rivers Hospital, Toppenish Community Hospital

CUTS ANNOUNCED: East Adams Rural Healthcare – Ritzville Hospital, Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, PeaceHealth, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Providence Swedish, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

CLOSED: DominiCare (St. Joseph’s Hospital), Legacy Salmon Creek Pain Clinic, Legacy-GoHealth – Camas, Legacy-GoHealth – Cascade Park, Legacy-GoHealth – Salmon Creek, Outpatient Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinic (Providence Medical Park), Overlake Medical Center – Lake Hills urgent care clinic, Planned Parenthood – Port Angeles Health Center, Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinic, St. Michael Medical Center Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic, Swedish Weight Loss Outpatient Clinic, The Spokane Allergy & Asthma Clinic, ZoomCare Super Bellevue – Emergency Care

ABOUT GOP REFUSAL TO EXTEND ACA TAX CREDITS:

Senator Murray forced the issue of the ACA tax credits at every opportunity before Republicans ultimately refused to take any action, speaking out nonstop about the urgent need to save health care and calling on Republicans to come to the negotiating table to work out a bipartisan deal to extend the ACA tax credits. She took to the Senate floor in November 2025 with her Democratic colleagues to call for a clean one-year extension of the ACA tax credits, and held numerous virtual press conferences with Washingtonians, as well as residents of neighboring states Idaho and Montana, about the exploding health care premiums that Americans would see due to the expiration of the tax credits. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray led legislation supported by the Democratic caucus that would have addressed the health care crisis during the government shutdown last fall. Senator Murray has also cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation over the past year—the Health Care Affordability Act and the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act—that would make the ACA tax credits permanent.

As then-chair of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Murray played a critical role in passing the ACA enhanced premium tax credits into law in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extending them in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

ABOUT TRUMP’S MEDICAID CUTS:

Nationwide, the Republican health care cuts represent a more than $400 billion hit to America’s hospitals—with one estimate finding that over 170 rural hospitals will likely be forced to close or scale back their services, which will force more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency room visits, and face longer wait times. Washington state is one of the states most at-risk, with 22 hospitals at-risk of closing or reducing services. An estimated 477,000 health workers will lose their jobs as a result of the Republican cuts to Medicaid. Senator Murray has consistently advocated for rural health care access across the state, hosting numerous events to emphasize the importance of investment into rural communities.

Hospitals in Washington state could lose at least $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year under OBBBA—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut services, or close their doors entirely. Overall, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade. In 2024, Washington had an uninsured rate of 4.8 percent—the lowest in the country—but the Republican bill is expected to balloon that number into the double digits.

In Washington state, nearly 2 million people—roughly 1 in 5—are enrolled in Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program. Washington’s 4th Congressional District has the highest Medicaid enrollment in Washington state, with nearly 300,000 people—38 percent of all residents—reliant on Apple Health, including 70 percent of all children in the state.

###",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-seattle-senator-murray-spotlights-bills-to-combat-child-labor-wage-theft-and-strengthen-workers-rights-in-the-face-of-trumps-anti-worker-agenda/,"In Seattle, Senator Murray Spotlights Bills to Combat Child Labor, Wage Theft, and Strengthen Workers Rights in the Face of Trump’s Anti-Worker Agenda",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Senator Murray secured $2 million for MLK Labor’s Union Hiring Hall

ICYMI: Murray Introduces Legislation to Protect Kids as Child Labor Violations Surge and Trump Undermines Enforcement

ICYMI: Murray Reintroduces Bicameral Legislation to Combat Wage Theft, Strengthen Workers’ Rights

***PHOTOS OF EVENT HERE***

Seattle, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), held a roundtablewith labor leaders from across King County to discuss the dangers of Trump’s anti-worker agenda and why it is more important than ever for Congress to focus on a pro-worker agenda. This Congress Murray has introduced a host of labor bills to crack down on child labor violations, wage theft by giant corporations, and to strengthen workers’ rights overall.

“We’re living through a moment in time where AI companies are pretty much all forecasting major disruption—major job loss. Well, I can’t think of a time when a union contract and strong labor laws would matter more! We can’t let a handful of companies redefine the economy on their own terms—this is a moment in history where we have to make sure workers have their say in the future of work,” said Senator Murray. “This administration doesn’t care what happens to working people as long as the ultra-rich can get richer. We need to consider what a healthy economy really means—it’s not just the stock market, it’s whether regular people can afford their groceries, a home, retirement—a good life. That’s what I’m fighting for.”

Senator Murray also met with workers who found jobs through MLK Labor’s Union Hiring Hall, a centralized website to find and apply for good-paying union jobs in King County—which Senator Murray secured $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for in FY23. Last year, MLK Labor was unable to receive the CDS funds due to the Trump administration slow walking the award, but Senator Murray stepped in and was able to restore the funding. Since the Union Hiring Hall was launched, it has helped thousands of people secure jobs with good benefits and union protections.

Joining Senator Murray for the roundtable were: Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor; Dustin Lambro, President of MLK Labor and Political and Organizing Director at UFCW 3000; Rigoberto Valdez, Jr., Executive Director of the People’s Organizing Center; Shaunie Wheeler, Deputy Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor; Corina Yballa, Political Director at MLK Labor; Samantha Grad, Political Director at Teamsters 117; Jennifer Bacon, President of IATSE Local 15; Clementine Trujillo, Hiring Hall Manager at IATSE Local 15; Zenia Javalera, President of SEIU 6 Property Services NW; Greg Ramirez, Deputy Director of SEIU 6 Property Services NW; Pia Rivera-Jones Deputy Executive Director of the People’s Organizing Center; Nick Peter’s, Director of Digital Strategy & Messaging at MLK Labor.

“When we launched our first union job board during the COVID-19 shutdowns, the platform was massively influential for local union employers at a time that the workforce was unprecedentedly sparse. Now that our economy has shifted, UnionHiringHall.org is serving as a game-changing avenue for workers across the Greater Seattle Area that are looking for high-road union careers,” said Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor.

Senator Murray also detailed how she is fighting back against Trump’s anti-worker agenda and recently introduced a series of legislation that will strengthen workers’ rights and the economy.

In June, Senator Murray reintroduced her Children Harmed in Life-threatening or Dangerous (CHILD) Labor Act which strengthens our ability to combat child labor by cracking down on employers who violate child labor laws with stronger penalties and allows children who have been seriously injured to sue their employers. The bill also expands child labor provisions to hold suppliers and subcontractors throughout the supply chain responsible.

Senator Murray also reintroduced her Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation that puts hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and cracks down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees. The proposed legislation would give workers the right to receive full compensation for the work they perform and receive regular paystubs and final paychecks in a timely manner.

Senator Murray also reintroduced her Restoring Justice for Workers Act, legislation to end forced arbitration clauses, protect workers’ ability to pursue work-related claims in court, and allow workers to band together to vindicate their rights.

Murray is also an original author of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray also pushed back against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to funding for workforce training programs and labor enforcement. In FY26 Senator Murray protected investments in key federal workforce training programs that she first authorized when she passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014 and has funded every year since. She also rejected Trump and House Republicans’ proposal to eliminate the Women’s Bureau and protected $23 million in funding for the agency and included new language requiring that amount to be spent by the Bureau. In FY26 Senator Murray also secured $191 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration for retirement security legislation and strengthened requirements to ensure private health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. And she secured $260 million for the Wage and Hour Division to work to combat exploitative child labor and prevent wage theft and worker misclassification.

###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/its-not-1950-senator-murray-on-trumps-outrageous-and-backwards-move-to-siphon-child-care-funding-away-from-single-parents-and-working-families/,“It’s not 1950”: Senator Murray on Trump’s Outrageous and Backwards Move to Siphon Child Care Funding Away from Single Parents and Working Families,2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s reported plans to tap funding provided by Congress to help working families afford child care through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and establish the first federal subsidy to incentivize parents to leave the workforce and raise their own kids. The plan would siphon funding away from an already-underfunded program specifically designed to help working families afford child care as the Trump administration seeks to promote “traditional family values.”

“It’s not the 1950s in America—our government shouldn’t punish people for being single parents or choosing not to marry. There are hundreds of thousands of families stuck on waiting lists who are eligible for very limited federal child care subsidies—you don’t get to skip the line because you have a marriage certificate. I will not allow this President to tell single moms that their kids matter less. This is an illegal and backwards move to deny single parents and unmarried couples federal funding they should be entitled to.”

“There are hundreds of thousands of working families who qualify for federal child care assistance on waiting lists—I’m ready to pass a bill that delivers enough funding so that every working family in America can afford child care. Instead, Trump is taking money away from those families and pushing for an obscene half trillion increase for his so-called Department of War. Nobody cares what JD Vance thinks constitutes a ‘real’ family—single parents and parents who aren’t married pay taxes, too. Raiding an underfunded program solely to score culture war points is not pro-family—it’s a wasteful grift that I will fight every step of the way.”

Senator Murray has led the fight in Congress to make affordable child care a reality for every working family in America. She is the author of the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to address the child care crisis, and she has used her seat on the Appropriations Committee to deliver significant increases to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Over the last 10 years, she has helped more than triple funding for the program. Earlier this year, she announced the launch of a new Child Care for America Working Group alongside Senator Warren, and she has been leading the fight against President Trump’s attempts to weaken the federal child care program. In July, she forced a Senate vote on her Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval of the Trump administration’s May 2026 rule to remove regulations for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program.

###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-tours-harborview-in-seattle-sounds-alarm-on-republican-health-care-cuts-raising-costs-for-patients-straining-hospitals-across-wa-and-nationwide/,"Senator Murray Tours Harborview in Seattle, Sounds Alarm on Republican Health Care Cuts Raising Costs for Patients, Straining Hospitals Across WA and Nationwide",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***

Seattle, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), toured Harborview Medical Center and discussed the new challenges health care providers are facing over a year after Republicans passed the largest health care cuts in history in their Big Ugly Bill. Senator Murray also held a roundtable discussion and heard from providers and Medicaid patients about the impact of the Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and their failure to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits—causing massive premium hikes for families in Washington state and rising uncompensated care for hospitals and clinics.

The Republican reconciliation bill, which was signed into law in July 2025, cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA over the next 10 years and will make health care more expensive and harder to access. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health insurance for roughly 15 million Americans nationwide.

“Harborview is the only Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. When the worst happens anywhere in this region—this is where people come. That safety net runs on Medicaid. And whether or not people realize it: Republicans in Congress have cut almost $1 trillion out of it to pay for tax breaks for billionaires,” said Senator Murray. “Over 50,000 people in our state have already lost their Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage—and Washington hospitals and clinics stand to lose between $31 and $51 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade. 37 hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes across Washington state are at risk, cutting services, or have already closed. Uncompensated care is up 5.6 percent, and Harborview absorbs more of that than anyone. I will fight to repeal Trump’s Medicaid cuts and make health care the priority it should be in Congress. This is not settled—it is a fight, and I intend to win it.”

“As the agency responsible for administering Apple Health (Medicaid), we are doing everything we can to keep eligible Washingtonians covered as we implement the new federal requirements. When people lose coverage, the impact extends beyond families and individuals. It puts pressure on hospitals like Harborview who will continue to provide lifesaving care, even when a patient can’t pay for it.” said Ryan Moran, director of the Washington State Health Care Authority. “Protecting Apple Health coverage helps protect the health care system we all rely on.”

ABOUT TRUMP’S MEDICAID CUTS:

Nationwide, the Republican health care cuts represent a more than $400 billion hit to America’s hospitals—with one estimate finding that over 170 rural hospitals will likely be forced to close or scale back their services, which will force more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency room visits, and face longer wait times. Washington

ABOUT GOP REFUSAL TO EXTEND ACA TAX CREDITS:

Senator Murray forced the issue of the ACA tax credits at every opportunity before Republicans ultimately refused to take any action, speaking out nonstop about the urgent need to save health care and calling on Republicans to come to the negotiating table to work out a bipartisan deal to extend the ACA tax credits. She took to the Senate floor in November 2025 with her Democratic colleagues to call for a clean one-year extension of the ACA tax credits, and held numerous virtual press conferences with Washingtonians, as well as residents of neighboring states Idaho and Montana, about the exploding health care premiums that Americans would see due to the expiration of the tax credits. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray led legislation supported by the Democratic caucus that would have addressed the health care crisis during the government shutdown last fall. Senator Murray has also cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation over the past year—the Health Care Affordability Act and the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act—that would make the ACA tax credits permanent.

As then-chair of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Murray played a critical role in passing the ACA enhanced premium tax credits into law in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extending them in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/icymi-senator-murray-meets-seadoc-researchers-and-orca-tracking-dog-eba-in-bellingham/,"ICYMI: Senator Murray Meets SeaDoc Researchers and Orca Tracking Dog, Eba, in Bellingham",2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***PHOTOS HERE***

Bellingham, WA – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, met with SeaDoc Society scientists to learn more about their research on Southern Resident Killer Whales. Senator Murray secured $850,000 in FY26 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for SeaDoc to continue their work and support the recovery of endangered orcas. The SeaDoc Society was founded in 2000 to conduct and sponsor scientific research in the inland waters of the Salish Sea. SeaDoc also uses an orca tracking dog named Eba, who stands on the bow of the boat and can detect an orca’s fecal sample by smell up to a mile away. Fecal tracking and collection are crucial to the research team’s mission of understanding and protecting orcas. When Eba successfully tracks down an orca, she gets to play with her rope toy as a reward.

“Orcas are not just whales, they are foundational to the identity and culture of the Pacific Northwest,” said Senator Murray. “SeaDoc is doing incredible work to study orcas and develop new systems to share data across research institutions and government agencies so we can all do our part to protect this amazing species. So many endangered species, like orcas, are the heartbeat of our native cultures and coastal economies—and I will keep doing all I can to save our orcas, our salmon, and everything that makes the Pacific Northwest so special.”

A large population of Southern Resident Killer Whales once thrived in the Salish Sea, but a sharp decline in Chinook salmon, their primary food source, along with rising toxin levels and disruptive vessel noise, has pushed them to the brink of extinction. Their population has fallen nearly 20 percent since the late 1990s. Many established tracking and research techniques for orcas are highly invasive, but Eba, a scent-detection dog, can detect the scent of fecal matter from a great distance, allowing the research team to work non-invasively and stay away from the whales so as not to trigger a stress response. Whale scat alone can reveal hormone levels, toxin exposure, and other valuable data. The team also operates drones that capture samples from plumes of breath released through the orcas’ blowholes; these drones have a perfect flight record and follow federal guidelines designed to avoid disturbing the whales.

Senator Murray is a strong advocate for protecting endangered species, including our orcas. In FY26, Senator Murray secured critical funding for salmon recovery efforts, including $65 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF), rejecting the Trump administration’s proposed elimination of this critical funding. She also secured $70.75 million for salmon fisheries science and management activities and $75.75 million for protected resources science and management related to Pacific salmon. The funding also includes $27.6 million for the operation and maintenance of Mitchell Act hatcheries and maintains direction for NOAA to continue its genetic stock identification work. Despite Trump’s FY27 budget proposal eliminating all funding for PCSRF, Senator Murray continues to fight to ensure the program is funded at the highest level possible in the FY27 bill.

###",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-leads-bicameral-letter-urging-trump-administration-not-to-axe-protections-for-americas-remaining-wild-public-forests,Cantwell Leads Bicameral Letter Urging Trump Administration Not to Axe Protections for America’s Remaining Wild Public Forests,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Leads Bicameral Letter Urging Trump Administration Not to Axe Protections for America’s Remaining Wild Public Forests

Popular Roadless Rule conservation measure protects 44 million acres of pristine U.S. Forest Service lands from destructive and expensive roadbuilding, logging, and supports outdoor recreation economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, led 39 Senators and dozens of House members in a letter calling on the Trump Administration to end its efforts to repeal the Roadless Rule. For a quarter century, the Roadless Rule has shielded approximately 44 million acres of the most pristine and treasured areas within the National Forest System from roadbuilding and logging.

“Since its adoption in 2001, the Roadless Rule has served as a cornerstone of public lands conservation, now protecting approximately 44 million acres of National Forest System lands across 37 states,” wrote the Senators. “These areas provide clean drinking water, critical wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and world-class recreation opportunities. Iconic landscapes such as the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and the George Washington National Forest in Virginia exemplify the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of these lands.”

The letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz goes on to note the habitat protection, wildfire mitigation, and economic benefits of the Roadless Rule.

The Roadless Rule enjoys strong public support, as evidenced by the overwhelming majority of 2.5 million comments submitted on the Roadless Forest Protection Rule since it has been enacted — more than 95%— were in support of protecting roadless areas. A March 2019 poll by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that three out of four respondents said they supported keeping roadless forest protections, while only 16% opposed it. That level of support changed little between respondents living in rural or non-rural areas and across party affiliation and political views.

For more than two decades, the Roadless Rule has prevailed over numerous court challenges and administrative and legislative attacks. The first Trump administration weakened the rule, and in October 2020 the administration removed roadless protections for over 9 million acres of pristine forest lands in the Tongass National Forest, threatening old-growth forest and southeast Alaska’s robust tourism and fishing economies. Under the Biden administration, the protections in the Tongass were restored, but they were then removed again by the second Trump administration.

In August 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a notice in the Federal Register indicating that the Trump Administration intends to start an environmental review process to rescind the rule. The notice started the clock on a three-week public comment period which ended on Sept. 19. Since that comment period ended, USDA has been updating its proposal and developing its accompanying draft environmental impact statement (EIS).

In April, the Trump administration enacted a sweeping rollback of environmental protections across nearly 60% of U.S. national forests, including about 26 million acres of previously protected Roadless areas. This policy shift was formalized through an emergency directive by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, following a presidential executive order aimed at expediting logging projects by streamlining permitting, removing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, and exempting affected forests from administrative objection processes that previously allowed for challenges by environmental groups, tribes, and local government.

Then, on August 18, the Trump Administration released its proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement, a significant step toward repealing the 2001 Roadless Rule. Yet the administration has allowed only 30 days for public comment, an inadequate timeframe for communities, Tribes, conservation organizations, and others to fully assess and respond to a proposal with potentially sweeping consequences for our national forests. For more than two decades, the Roadless Rule has protected over 58 million acres of National Forest System lands from new road construction and some of the most damaging forms of logging. The current proposed rollback threatens 44 million acres, the federal Roadless areas in every state except Colorado and Idaho that have enacted state specific Roadless area protections. These protections are particularly important in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the nation’s largest remaining temperate rainforest, where intact forestlands provide essential wildlife habitat, help communities adapt to a changing climate, and support local economies.

The Forest Service’s August notice provides information about how members of the public may submit comments on the proposal in writing during the short 30-day comment period, which ends Monday, September 21. According to the notice, comments may be provided electronically (the preferred method) through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, https://www.regulations.gov, by identifying docket number FS-2025-0001 or RIN 0596-AD66 and following the instructions for sending comments. Alternatively, hardcopy letters sent by mail must be submitted to the Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination, 201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108, Washington, DC 20250-1124.

The contrast between the original rulemaking and today’s rushed repeal effort is stark: the 2001 rule was shaped by more than 600 public meetings and an extensive public comment process, while the current administration has held no comparable public meetings to hear directly from the communities that could be affected. In the absence of meaningful federal engagement, communities in Oregon, Montana, North Carolina, and other states have been left to organize their own opportunities for public input. Americans who rely on these lands for clean water, recreation, wildlife, and their livelihoods deserve a genuine opportunity to participate in decisions that will shape the future of our national forests.

Congress should ensure these protections do not disappear with a change in administration. Last year, Sen. Cantwell, along with Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Representatives Andrea Salinas (D, OR-06) and Yassamin Ansari (D, AZ-03), introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act (H.R. 3930/S. 2042) to permanently codify the Roadless Rule.

By codifying the rule into law—including in the Tongass—the Roadless Area Conservation Act would uphold recreational access to public lands, preserve the habitats of 1,600 at-risk species, reduce the risk of wildfires, aid in the fight against climate change by preserving vast carbon sinks, and safeguard watersheds that provide clean drinking water for more than 60 million Americans in 39 states and more than 350 communities across the United States. The legislation would maintain the flexibility engrained in the Roadless Rule which allows for continued forest management and the construction of roads as needed to address fires, floods, or other catastrophic events, and other circumstances like the need to build new road connections between remote communities.

The Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025 would:

Protect, in perpetuity, 58.5 million acres of roadless national forest in 39 states;

Ensure the more than 240 million people living within 100 miles of a national forest or national grassland retain access to opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and backcountry skiing;

Safeguard watersheds in national forests and roadless areas that provide clean drinking water for over 60 million Americans;

Save taxpayers millions of dollars by limiting costly new road building, allow the Forest Service to focus on maintaining its existing 371,581-mile network of National Forest System roads, and reduce its multi-billion dollar backlog of deferred maintenance on its existing road system;

Maintain exemptions for hydropower development, public safety, and firefighting needs; and

Uphold the 9th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals decisions, as well as a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in support of the Roadless Rule.

The full text of the letter is below and HERE.

Dear Secretary Rollins and Chief Schultz,

As Members of Congress representing a broad range of communities, stakeholders, and outdoor interests, we write in strong support of the U.S. Forest Service’s Roadless Area Conservation Rule (“Roadless Rule”) and in firm opposition to the Department of Agriculture’s proposal for rescission. We urge the Department to halt this effort and instead focus on effective implementation of this longstanding and successful policy.

Since its adoption in 2001, the Roadless Rule has served as a cornerstone of public lands conservation, now protecting approximately 44 million acres of National Forest System lands across 37 states. These areas provide clean drinking water, critical wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and world-class recreation opportunities. Iconic landscapes such as the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and the George Washington National Forest in Virginia exemplify the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of these lands.

The Roadless Rule was developed through one of the most robust public processes in federal rulemaking history. The Forest Service received 1.6 million public comments - approximately 95 percent in support - and held over 600 public meetings nationwide. In contrast, the current rescission effort has lacked meaningful public engagement. The Department provided just 21 days for public comment on the Notice of Intent in 2025 and has yet to hold any public meetings. Despite these limitations, more than 600,000 comments were submitted, with over 99 percent opposing rescission. This overwhelming and bipartisan public support underscores the continued popularity and importance of the Roadless Rule. Unsurprisingly, at just 30 days, the ongoing comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and proposed rule is equally insufficient, and we encourage the USFS to extend the comment period to 120 days for a fair and transparent process.

Given the extraordinary public interest in the Roadless Rule and the significant consequences that its repeal would have for communities across the country, the Forest Service should also conduct a robust series of in-person public meetings before finalizing any rescission. Additionally, Tribes are entitled to the opportunity to engage in robust consultation, as the repeal of the Rule will have dramatic consequences on their way of life. When the Roadless Rule was originally developed, the aforementioned 600 public meetings ensured that affected communities, Tribes, local governments, industry, recreation interests, and conservation organizations had the opportunity to engage directly with the agency. The proposal to repeal the Rule warrants the same level of public engagement. Public meetings should be held in regions where National Forest System roadless areas are most affected, providing local communities with a meaningful opportunity to ask questions, provide testimony, and ensure the administrative record reflects the perspectives of those who will experience the greatest impacts. A transparent, accessible, and geographically representative public engagement process is essential to maintaining public confidence in the rulemaking process and ensuring the agency fully considers the consequences of such a consequential policy change.

The enduring support for the Roadless Rule is rooted in its clear and measurable benefits. Over the past 25 years, the rule has helped protect watersheds, biodiversity, and ecosystem integrity by limiting road construction and large-scale logging in undeveloped areas. Forest Service data show that watersheds within roadless areas are far more likely to be in “properly functioning” condition compared to those outside of them, which are more often classified as “at risk” or “impaired.”1

These healthy ecosystems support a wide array of wildlife. Roadless areas provide habitat for hundreds of species listed or proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act, including grizzly bears, lynx, and other sensitive species, and disproportionately support species of conservation concern. In addition, these areas play a vital role in climate resilience and carbon storage. For example, the Tongass National Forest alone stores over 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon and sequesters millions more annually.

Claims that the Roadless Rule impedes wildfire management are not supported by the evidence. The rule explicitly allows for wildfire prevention, suppression, and hazardous fuels reduction. In fact, nearly 2 million acres of roadless areas have undergone fuel treatments in recent years.2 Forest Service data also show that roadless areas account for a significant share of fuel treatment activities relative to their forest coverage. Research further indicates that wildfire risk is comparable inside and outside of roadless areas and that roads are not necessary to maintain forest health.

Moreover, scientific studies demonstrate that wildfire ignitions occur far more frequently in roaded areas due to human activity.3 By limiting road construction, the Roadless Rule helps reduce ignition risks from sources such as vehicles, campfires, and other human causes.

Finally, the economic benefits of the Roadless Rule are substantial. By avoiding the construction and maintenance of new roads, the rule saves taxpayers billions of dollars. The Forest Service already faces a road maintenance backlog of nearly $6 billion across its existing system.4 Expanding road networks into remote and often economically unviable areas would only increase these costs. At the same time, protected roadless areas support recreation, tourism, and outdoor economies, while safeguarding clean water and subsistence resources that communities rely on. When it comes to outdoor recreation, roadless areas encompass more than 25,000 miles of trails, 8,500 climbing routes, 1,000 miles of whitewater, and more than 10,000 miles of mountain biking trails across the country, all of which support a $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy. Additionally, hunters and anglers across the nation access these public lands where backcountry provides ample fishing and hunting. The Roadless Rule protects drinking water in 354 municipal watersheds, saving downstream communities millions of dollars in water filtration costs.5

After 25 years of successful implementation, the conclusion is clear: the Roadless Rule is effective, widely supported, and essential to responsible forest management. Rescinding it would undermine decades of progress and impose unnecessary environmental and fiscal costs.

1 https://www.wilderness.org/sites/default/files/media/file/Report-WatershedHealthinWildernessEtc_2012.pdf

2 https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2025/09/17/ex-forest-service-chiefs-warn-against-logging-ban-repeal-00569334

3 Aplet G. et al. “Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads.” Fire Ecology; Balch J.K. et al., “Human-started wildfires expand the fire niche across the United States.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (2017) 11(114): 2946–2951.

4 https://www.taxpayer.net/energy-natural-resources/comments-on-noi-to-repeal-the-roadless-rule/

5 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2001/01/12/01-726/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation

We respectfully urge the Department to end its unjustified rescission of the Roadless Rule.

Sincerely,",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-after-attending-unveiling-of-mariners-tribute-to-2001-statue,Cantwell Statement After Attending Unveiling of Mariners’ Tribute to 2001 Statue,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Statement After Attending Unveiling of Mariners’ Tribute to 2001 Statue

SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) attended a ceremony at T-Mobile Park for the opening of Legacy Plaza, which includes a Tribute to 2001 Statue commemorating the 25th anniversary of September 11th. The statue depicts Mariners players Mike Cameron and Mark McLemore raising an American flag after the team’s win and clinch of their division on Sept. 19, 2001, eight days after the terrorist attacks.

Sen. Cantwell released this statement:

”In the wake of the horrific 9/11 attacks, with our region still in shock, Mike Cameron, Mark McLemore and the 2001 Mariners created an iconic moment of healing and unity. The statue unveiled today depicts their unforgettable flag raising, honors the victims of 9/11, and will remind generations of baseball fans of the pervading sense of community that Americans felt in the aftermath of the attacks.”",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-on-pentagon-efforts-to-rob-nih-funding-for-its-own-use/,Senator Murray on Pentagon Efforts to Rob NIH Funding for Its Own Use,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Defense (DOD) inking an inter-agency agreement (IAA) with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which enables DOD to siphon billions of dollars away from NIH to support DOD initiatives instead of funding lifesaving medical research that Congress specifically set aside resources for.

“As if cancelling lifesaving medical research and clinical trials and firing cancer researchers en masse were not bad enough, the Trump administration is now trying to rob NIH of billions of dollars that Congress provided for medical research so that it can pad the Pentagon’s budget.

“This outrageous agreement must be terminated immediately, and we need Republicans in Congress to join us in using their power to ensure that happens. We cannot allow this administration to shred patients’ hopes of new, lifesaving cures and treatments so that President Trump and Secretary Hegseth can secretively fund their own priorities in defiance of Congress.”

The new agreement, which was not proactively shared with Congress, establishes a framework for DOD to potentially tap billions of dollars in funding that Congress provided specifically for NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in order to fund DOD initiatives instead. The arrangement could mean that a substantial portion of NIAID’s overall budget is not spent on NIAID programs, but Pentagon priorities, which should be considered through the deliberative annual appropriations process.

###",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cast-but-never-counted-cantwell-and-secretary-of-state-hobbs-say-trumps-usps-suppressing-wa-mail-in-voting-by-postmarking-or-delivering-ballots-after-election-day,"“Cast, But Never Counted”: Cantwell & Secretary of State Hobbs Say Trump’s USPS Suppressing WA Mail-In Voting by Postmarking or Delivering Ballots After Election Day",2026-09-02,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"“Cast, But Never Counted”: Cantwell & Secretary of State Hobbs Say Trump’s USPS Suppressing WA Mail-In Voting by Postmarking or Delivering Ballots After Election Day

New snapshot report shows rejected primary ballot rates more than doubled in 19 WA counties compared to 2024, and more than quadrupled in 2 counties; Cantwell: “Washingtonians need to know: The Post Office is taking your ballot as a piece of mail but not stamping it that day.”; Cantwell calls on Homeland Security Committee to bring in USPS leadership for questioning

SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs held a press conference in Seattle, together with Seattle King County NAACP President Hayward Evans and League of Women Voters Snohomish County President Brenda Mann Harrison, to warn Washington voters about Administration efforts to undermine their right to vote.

Sen. Cantwell and Secretary Hobbs released a new snapshot report showing that late-postmark rejection rates have more than doubled in 19 counties compared to the 2024 primaries – with rural counties worst affected -- following a new Trump Administration policy that can delay postmarking of mail-in ballots by several days.

According to the University of Washington’s April 2026 Vote-By-Mail Research Report Series, more than one-third of voters in the State of Washington returned their ballots through the mail and 95% of general election ballots arrived by Election Day between 2020 and 2024. Nationwide nearly 47 mail ballots were safely and securely cast and counted in the 2024 general election, rather than voting in person at a polling place. That included nearly 4 million Washingtonians.

“I’m calling on my colleagues in the United States Senate to do their oversight job and hold hearings as to why the President of the United States and the Postal Service is disenfranchising voters across the United States with policies that are leaving them with a ballot that was cast, but never counted,” Sen. Cantwell said. “That’s what Washingtonians need to know: The Post Office is taking your ballot as a piece of mail but not stamping it that day.”

“Please drop your ballot in a ballot box provided by the local county, if possible,” she continued. “If you can’t do that, and you’re in a rural community, mail your ballot as soon as you get it. Now, I find a little bit of irony here that the president may be disenfranchising his most stable voters in rural communities by taking the vote away. That is why my colleagues in the United States Senate, if they were going to do their constitutional oversight role instead of trying to promote the SAVE [America] Act, would be holding a hearing of the Homeland Security [and Governmental Affairs] Committee and bringing the U.S. Postal Service in.”

“The U.S. Postal Service is trying to do everything they can to ruin vote by mail in the State of Washington,” Secretary Hobbs said. “We are all used to putting our ballot in the mailbox, knowing that if you put it in there before 8 p.m. on election day, it would be counted. But instead, this postmaster general -- in coordination with the administration -- changes the rule on postmarks so that it’s done at the central processing facility. So what does that mean? That could mean days that your ballot is delayed.”

Video of the press conference is HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript is HERE. Images of charts displayed at the press conference are available HERE.

In December, the United States Postal Service finalized a rule that requires ballots to be postmarked at new regional processing and distribution centers, rather than at a community’s local post office. To compound the delay, under new policy, if your post office is over 50 miles from a distribution center, your mail will be transported to the distribution center only once a day, instead of twice. Depending on where the ballot is mailed from, that transfer can take days or even more than a week – meaning that voters who mail in their ballots on Election Day, or even several days earlier, run the risk of having their votes rejected for being “late.”

The result is significant voter disenfranchisement, especially in rural areas. The top five worst increases in ballot rejection rates between the 2024 and 2026 elections took place in:

Impacts have also been felt by Washington voters earlier this year. During the February 2026 special election, Snohomish County conducted a test of their mail service to assess the delivery times in their area. As part of the test, election staff deposited generic return ballot envelopes in USPS blue collection boxes at various points leading up to the election. They found that of the ballots mailed the morning of Election Day, less than half were postmarked in time to be counted.

Sen. Cantwell and Secretary Hobbs have together been ringing the alarm on the Trump Administration’s dangerous new policies – in February, Sen. Cantwell invited Secretary Hobbs to Washington, D.C., as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to draw attention to the administration’s election interference.

Sen. Cantwell remains a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections:

On August 5, she sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.

On July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections.

On July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional.

On July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders.

On June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington.

On June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.

On June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist. President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee. Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation.

On June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States.

On June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections.

On June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation.

On April 29, she was tapped by Minority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference.

On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.

On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.

On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.

On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.

On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.

Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.

On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters.

On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which the Senators warned could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot. The new snapshot report Sen. Cantwell and Sec. Hobbs released today shows the actual impact on voters in Washington state so far.

On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day.

Previous Article",1,2026-09-03T09:29:33Z,2026-09-03T09:31:32Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-bellingham-senator-murray-hears-how-trumps-trade-war-with-canada-and-war-in-iran-are-driving-up-costs-for-the-maritime-industry-murray-pushes-bill-to-end-trade-war-with-canada-continues/,"In Bellingham, Senator Murray Hears How Trump’s Trade War with Canada and War in Iran Are Driving Up Costs for the Maritime Industry; Murray Pushes Bill to End Trade War with Canada, Continues to Press for Votes to End War with Iran",2026-09-02,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “More fish—fewer tariffs and fewer wars.”

ICYMI: Murray Introduces Bill to End Trump’s Trade War with Canada & Lower Costs, Slams Trump’s Latest Tariffs as “Economic Arson”

Murray has been a longstanding champion of the maritime industry, consistently securing key federal funding increases under tough fiscal conditions; Murray also recently established the first-ever seafood liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Thanks to Trump’s war with Iran, national average diesel has climbed past $5 a gallon—up nearly $2 from a year ago—and fuel can account for as much as 40 percent of the operating costs of a fishing trip

***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***

Bellingham, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a maritime roundtable discussion in Bellingham with the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County, commercial fishermen, shellfish growers, maritime workforce leaders, and the Port of Bellingham to hear directly about how President Trump’s chaotic trade war, his war in Iran, and his deep cuts to federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service are raising costs and threatening jobs across Washington state’s working waterfronts.

“Our maritime industry and our ports power the economy in Washington state—our fish and shellfish travel far on their own, but our fishermen and our ports are the reason they’re famous worldwide,” said Senator Murray. “And this administration’s reckless and unpredictable tariffs have been nothing short of a disaster for them—driving up costs and making it impossible for any small business to plan. Let’s just acknowledge how Trump’s decision to pursue an all-out trade war with Canada—Washington state’s biggest trading partner and our country’s closest ally—is beyond stupid and counterproductive, fraying partnerships north of the border that have spanned lifetimes. Trump’s war in Iran has made fuel far more expensive for fleets already running on razor-thin margins. And that’s to say nothing of pushing federal workers out en masse and making severe cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service—clearly, Trump does not understand that our fishermen rely on a top-notch National Weather Service to do their work.”

“The most urgent thing we can do to bring costs down in a big way is put an end to this trade war and to the actual war against Iran—and Congress can do both,” continued Senator Murray. “How about instead of funding bombs in the Middle East we invest in our fisheries and habitat recovery here at home? Let me sum it up: more fish—fewer tariffs and fewer wars.”

Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs in the state tied to international commerce—and no community feels that more directly than Whatcom County, which sits at the Canadian border. In just one year, Trump’s tariff tax has cost the average family nearly $2,000, with hardworking Americans bearing 96% of the cost of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs. Still, Trump has been undeterred by the chaos and pain his trade war has wrought and continues to double down on the global stage.

Yesterday, Murray announced the End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would revoke and refund Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs and repeal the archaic authorities he has used to continue his trade war. This legislation would apply to Trump’s newest global tariffs of 12.5% and 50% tariffs on Canada.

At the same time, Trump’s war in Iran and the resulting disruption at the Strait of Hormuz have sent fuel costs soaring for Washington state’s fishing fleets and maritime businesses. National average diesel has climbed past $5 a gallon—up nearly $2 from a year ago—and fuel can account for as much as 40 percent of the operating costs of a fishing trip, pushing captains up and down the coast to cut days at sea or tie up their boats altogether.

Joining Senator Murray at the roundtable discussion were: Dan Tucker, Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County; Sierra Oliver, Program Director of the NW Maritime Apprenticeship Program with the Working Waterfront Foundation; Steve Seymour, Owner and CEO of Drayton Harbor Oyster Company; Ron Wille, President and COO of All American Marine; Jamie Wurtz, commercial fisherman and owner of Wurtz Fisheries; and Mike Hogan, Public Affairs Administrator at the Port of Bellingham.

“Senator Murray is a tremendous champion for Washington’s working waterfronts,” said Port of Bellingham Public Affairs Administrator Mike Hogan. “Over the past two years, Senator Murray has helped secure over $40 million in federal grants to rebuild Whatcom County’s maritime infrastructure and create new family-wage jobs.”

“Maritime sectors worldwide are underway with the largest shift in technology since the switch from sail to steam,” said Dan Tucker, Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County. “Whatcom County and Washington state need steady regulation and policy, protection for American shipbuilding and crews through the Jones Act, federal investment in business and workforce development, and careful consideration of our international partners in order to provide career-track, retirement-potential opportunities to the next generation that will build tomorrow’s blue economy.”

“First the price of fish is of greatest concern, if the markets are not buying wild sustainable caught fish at a healthy price our business is unsustainable and crew and captains alike cannot make a living,” said Jamie Wurtz, commercial fisherman and owner of Wurtz Fisheries. “Fuel costs have the second biggest impact on small fishing operations. These can normally be the largest expense of any fishing season with this last year’s price of agricultural- off road diesel fuel increasing 22%. For example, last year in WA state fuel rose from $3.59 a gallon to $5.00 a gallon and in Alaska it was even higher, going from $4.68 a gallon to $6.10. That translates to being the largest expense in our operation after the cost of financing a boat. This increase impacts our ability to be profitable. All fishermen need to see some stability in the markets for the price of seafood as well as the price of fuel.”

“Whatcom County businesses are ready to grow, but need investment in industrial waterfront infrastructure, clearer and more predictable environmental regulations, and faster, more accessible workforce-training incentives. These changes would unlock business expansion, create good-paying jobs, and expand workforce development opportunities. Limited infrastructure restricts our ability to create the volume of work and training opportunities needed to bring more women and other underrepresented workers into the marine trades,” said Patrick Schjelderup, co-owner and CEO of Top to Bottom Marine, Inc.

Senator Murray has consistently gone to bat for Washington state’s fishermen and maritime workforce in the federal funding bills she helps to write as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, securing important funding increases for programs at NOAA that support aquaculture and fisheries. Murray also secured funding to create and establish the first-ever seafood industry liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. President Trump’s FY27 budget request proposes serious cuts that would hit the people in Whatcom County’s maritime community directly—including completely eliminating funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) and NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Murray has made clear she plans to rip up President Trump’s budget and write a new one.

Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war from the very start and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade, while calling on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war and take back Congress’s constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Senator Murray has held events in every corner of Washington state to hear directly from constituents, businesses, and workers about how Trump’s tariffs are harming them—including in Tacoma, Yakima, Vancouver, Seattle, Skagit County, and Blaine, just across the border from Canada. Last fall, she held a roundtable with small business owners in Vancouver and slammed Trump for the cost of his tariffs. Last December, she responded to a Joint Economic Committee report showing Trump’s tariffs on Canada have caused a steep decline in Canadian tourism that is harming border communities in Washington state. She also grilled U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing over how the trade war with Canada is hurting Washington state businesses and consumers. Murray has been outspoken in her opposition to Trump’s pointless and counterproductive hostilities toward Canada at every step.

Senator Murray has also repeatedly voted to end President Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran, including voting for war powers resolutions to terminate hostilities absent a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force from Congress, and has demanded answers from the administration on behalf of Washington state constituents who do not want to be dragged into another forever war.

###",1,2026-09-03T09:29:33Z,2026-09-03T09:31:32Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/with-costs-skyrocketing-cantwell-and-colleagues-move-to-end-trumps-tariff-taxes-and-trade-wars,"With Costs Skyrocketing, Cantwell & Colleagues Move To End Trump’s Tariff Taxes and Trade Wars",2026-09-01,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"With Costs Skyrocketing, Cantwell & Colleagues Move To End Trump’s Tariff Taxes and Trade Wars

Trump’s 50% tariff on Canadian goods disproportionately harms WA businesses & customers - last year, WA imported $15.2B in Canadian goods

EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined her colleagues in introducing legislation that would revoke President Donald Trump’s newest global tariffs and 50% tariffs on Canada, as well as curtail President Trump’s ability to continue waging his unilateral trade war.

“It’s time to stop taxing Americans at the border and provide working families relief from President Trump’s destructive tariffs. Repealing the outdated trade laws this Administration is abusing is the best way to end these senseless trade wars before they cause irreparable damage to our economy and alliances,” Sen. Cantwell said.

Since President Trump started his latest trade war, American families have paid the price. In just one year, Trump’s tariff tax cost the average family nearly $2,000, with hardworking Americans bearing 96% of the cost of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs. A report released last week by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation found that executive tariffs have cost the State of Washington over $7 billion since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, equivalent to $2,257 per Washington household, the 15th-highest total nationwide.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led the introduction of the End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would:

Revoke and refund Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs, and

Repeal the archaic authorities he has used to continue his trade war.

This legislation would apply to Trump’s newest global tariffs of 12.5% and 50% Canadian tariffs.

In addition to Sens. Cantwell and Schumer, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

According to a June report by the Seattle-based Washington Council on International Trade, Washington state imported $15.2 billion in Canadian goods from April 2025 to March 2026. Washington state businesses shipped $7.3 billion in goods to Canada.

Sen. Cantwell has been a steadfast champion of opening new markets for American manufacturers overseas, and of defending American businesses from the Trump Administration’s damaging tariffs.

Immediately following President Trump’s April 2, 2025, ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, Senators Cantwell and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. The Trade Review Act of 2025, modeled after the War Powers Resolution of 1973, would reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress.",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-port-townsend-murray-tours-jefferson-healthcare-and-reiterates-need-to-repeal-gop-health-care-cuts-expand-health-care-access/,"In Port Townsend, Murray Tours Jefferson Healthcare and Reiterates Need to Repeal GOP Health Care Cuts, Expand Health Care Access",2026-09-01,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***

Port Townsend, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), toured Jefferson Healthcare and discussed the new challenges health care providers are facing over a year after Republicans passed the largest health care cuts in history in their Big Ugly Bill. Throughout the tour, Senator Murray heard from providers about the impact of the Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and their failure to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits—causing massive premium hikes for families in Washington state.

The Republican reconciliation bill, which was signed into law in July 2025, cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA over the next 10 years and will make health care more expensive and harder to access. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health insurance for roughly 15 million Americans nationwide.

“Republicans passed the largest cuts to health care in history and have singlehandedly created a national health care crisis. Meanwhile, providers are left to wonder how they will keep their staff paid and their doors open,” said Senator Murray. “Providers are doing incredible work, but they’re being asked to do a more with a whole lot less. If that weren’t damaging enough, Republicans refused to extend the health care tax credits—which millions of people relied on to afford health coverage. The fallout from that has been devastating. Families saw their premiums double, triple, or even worse. When families in Jefferson County can’t afford coverage, they don’t get less sick—they just end up in emergency rooms where hospitals eat the cost and everyone else foots the bill. Congress needs to repeal Trump’s cuts to health care—getting there won’t be easy, but we must fight hard and make sure all Americans understand the harm these cuts are doing.”

ABOUT TRUMP’S MEDICAID CUTS:

Nationwide, the Republican health care cuts represent a more than $400 billion hit to America’s hospitals—with one estimate finding that over 170 rural hospitals will likely be forced to close or scale back their services, which will force more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency room visits, and face longer wait times. Washington state is one of the states most at-risk, with 22 hospitals at-risk of closing or reducing services. An estimated 477,000 health workers will lose their jobs as a result of the Republican cuts to Medicaid. Senator Murray has consistently advocated for rural health care access across the state, hosting numerous events to emphasize the importance of investment into rural communities.

Hospitals in Washington state could lose at least $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year under the One Big Beautiful Act (OBBBA)—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut services, or close their doors entirely. Overall, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade. In 2024, Washington had an uninsured rate of 4.8 percent—the lowest in the country—but the Republican bill is expected to balloon that number into the double digits.

In Washington state, nearly 2 million people—roughly 1 in 5—are enrolled in Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program. Washington’s 4th Congressional District has the highest Medicaid enrollment in Washington state, with nearly 300,000 people—38 percent of all residents—reliant on Apple Health, including 70 percent of all children in the state.

ABOUT GOP REFUSAL TO EXTEND ACA TAX CREDITS:

Senator Murray forced the issue of the ACA tax credits at every opportunity before Republicans ultimately refused to take any action, speaking out nonstop about the urgent need to save health care and calling on Republicans to come to the negotiating table to work out a bipartisan deal to extend the ACA tax credits. She took to the Senate floor in November 2025 with her Democratic colleagues to call for a clean one-year extension of the ACA tax credits, and held numerous virtual press conferences with Washingtonians, as well as residents of neighboring states Idaho and Montana, about the exploding health care premiums that Americans would see due to the expiration of the tax credits. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray led legislation supported by the Democratic caucus that would have addressed the health care crisis during the government shutdown last fall. Senator Murray has also cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation over the past year—the Health Care Affordability Act and the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act—that would make the ACA tax credits permanent.

As then-chair of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Murray played a critical role in passing the ACA enhanced premium tax credits into law in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extending them in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-sequim-senator-murray-affirms-commitment-to-protect-public-lands-invest-in-forest-service-and-national-parks-murray-reiterates-strong-opposition-to-repeal-of-roadless-rule-and-continues-fight-to/,"In Sequim, Senator Murray Affirms Commitment to Protect Public Lands, Invest in Forest Service and National Parks; Murray Reiterates Strong Opposition to Repeal of Roadless Rule and Continues Fight to Pass Wild Olympics Bill",2026-09-01,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Senator Murray’s Wild Olympics Bill Would Protect Olympic Peninsula Public Lands & Salmon Streams Against Trump Administration Threats

ICYMI: Senator Murray’s Wild Olympics Bill Advances Through Key Senate Hearing on Wave of New Sportsmen Endorsements Calling for Permanent Protection of Wild Olympics

Photos of Wild Olympics available for use HERE

***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL OF EVENT HERE***

Sequim, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion with local elected officials, environmental advocates, sportsmen, shellfish farmers, and a former Superintendent of Olympic National Park to talk about the Trump administration’s attacks on the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and how they are threatening Washington state’s economy, clean water, salmon, and public lands on the Olympic Peninsula. The Trump administration has pushed out thousands of USFS staff, frozen federal funding, may shutter USFS research stations in Wenatchee and Seattle, threatened to sell off public land and build in America’s national parks, and moved to roll back the roadless rule.

The roadless rule currently protects over two million acres of pristine national forest backcountry lands in Washington State, including some of the most critical headwaters and salmon streams in the Olympic National Forest. The same ancient rainforest headwaters and upstream salmon habitat and rivers on public land that Senator Murray’s Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act would permanently protect. The Wild Olympics bill has a broad coalition of 800 endorsing local Tribes, businesses, local elected officials, faith leaders, conservation, and outdoor recreation groups, and over 40 leading sportsmen organizations fighting together to pass it in Congress. Murray has been outspoken in her strong opposition to the repeal of the roadless rule.

“Here on the Peninsula we all know that the Olympic National Park and National Forest support thousands of jobs in recreation and timber, keep our watersheds healthy, and protect our communities from wildfire. But this administration doesn’t seem to care. From denying climate change to gutting the Forest Service and National Parks—they’re putting not only the livelihoods and culture of this community in jeopardy but its safety as well. This administration has seriously weakened the Forest Service’s ability to do its job by pushing out thousands of critical staff, blocking funding for crucial programs, and chaotically changing rules and procedures on a dime,” said Senator Murray. “I am fighting to reverse these cuts to our parks and our forests, pass my Wild Olympics bill, and codify the Roadless Rule. And while I am committed to protecting funding for the Forest Service and our National Parks—it’s important to have conversations today about what will be needed to rebuild and strengthen our Forest Service and National Parks in the long-term. President Trump will not have the final word here—I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to keep public lands in public hands, and protect the natural resources and environment that make Washington state the greatest place to live in America.”

Senator Murray heard from key local voices about the impact the Trump Administration’s staffing cuts and attacks on public lands are having on the Olympic Peninsula. They said the rollback of key administrative safeguards are threatening ancient forests, salmon streams, sources of clean water vital to the shellfish industry, and drinking water to local communities, and they urged her to do everything she can to pass the Wild Olympics bill before it’s too late for public lands and salmon.

David Morris, Former Olympic National Park Superintendent (Sequim): “By way of introduction, I spent 25 rewarding years managing national parks in several western states, including as superintendent of Olympic National Park from 1994 to 2002. During this time the administrations had varying priorities. Policies, including budgets and staffing levels vacillated but generally stayed within margins that allowed for managing our national parks according to our assigned mission. This has changed dramatically in the last 2 years. I’ve never seen a time when so few people have and continue destroying the pillars that have guided the park service for generations. This has sacrificed and continues to jeopardize every aspect of the what the NPS provides for current and future visitors for their safety and enjoyment including cutting permanent staff by 24%, ignoring basic maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and operational needs. Funding and support have been cut for critical environmental and scientific issues. National parks bring crucial and positive economic impacts to local communities. The clock is ticking. I venture to say that some of the now ignored operational and maintenance needs, disastrous staffing losses, and critically, a recognition of environmental values and scientific studies are disastrous and shameful. Some of these needs, and others, can be addressed fairly quickly if/when resources are available. Others, especially efforts to correct and reverse ongoing environmental damage and canceled scientific studies will take longer if ever. But we have no choice other than giving it our best effort.”

Amy Howard, Mayor of Port Townsend (Port Townsend): “Staffing and funding cuts at our federal land agencies have made it harder to keep trails and recreational infrastructure open and safe for the hikers and paddlers and hunters who come here or live here, and for the local businesses that depend on them. The proposal that concerns me most as mayor of Port Townsend is the U.S. Forest Service’s effort to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. For 25 years, this rule has kept new roads out of the last unroaded stretches of the Olympic National Forest, protecting old growth, wildlife habitat and clean water. The Quilcene Roadless Area is the source of drinking water for about 16,000 area residents and businesses for Port Townsend. Because that watershed has stayed undeveloped and unroaded, the water arrives clean enough that it needs very little treatment before it reaches our taps. The city has worked with the Forest Service for over 95 years to protect that source, and the Roadless Rule has backstopped that work for the last 25. That is why I’m one of the more than 800 tribes, elected officials and local stakeholders who have endorsed the Wild Olympics legislation now in Congress, which would give most of the roadless areas in the Olympic National Forest, including our drinking water source, permanent legislative protection instead of the administrative protection we have now, which is clearly fragile.”

Bill Taylor, Vice President of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics legislation will help protect our state’s shellfish industry, including hundreds of shell fishing jobs in Hood Canal alone – and many more in related industries like processing, shipping, and sales. It protects the rivers and streams vital to the health of our hatcheries and to the health and restoration of Puget Sound. Our oyster beds depend on the clean, cold, silt-free water that drains off Olympic National Forest into Hood Canal. Protecting these watersheds allows our industry to grow, expand and continue to benefit the economy and ecology of Washington State.”

Ashley Nichole Lewis, Bad Ash Outdoors (Taholah), a spokesperson for Sportsmen For Wild Olympics, and Member of the Quinault Indian Nation: “Wild Olympics protects the Olympic Peninsula’s ancient forests, free-flowing rivers and salmon streams for the future. It will protect & enhance fishing and hunting access without closing any roads, but it also permanently protects some of the last healthy upstream salmon and steelhead habitat left on the peninsula. That’s why Sportsmen For Wild Olympics just launched a new effort to fight USDA’s plan to log roadless headwaters on Olympic National Forest with a map of the salmon streams at risk that also shows how the Wild Olympics Act would protect them. The map tells Congress & the Administration: protect the Olympic Peninsula’s backcountry headwaters & salmon streams on public lands—don’t privatize or develop them. Just like what they did to the Boundary Waters, rescinding the Roadless Rule is yet another attempt to give away our public lands to private special interests—at the expense of salmon, clean water, and future generations. The map shows how the Wild Olympics proposal would protect key areas like South Quinault Ridge & Moonlight Dome, which form the headwaters of the Humptulips River, a top trophy fishing river in Washington State, and other core ancient forest headwaters & rivers vital for hunting & fishing on the Peninsula —areas the Administration now plans to open for logging by rescinding the Roadless Rule.”

Sportsmen For Wild Olympics also keeps a running tally of sportsmen outlets detailing the avalanche of threats to public lands from the administration and congress.

Tim McNulty, Olympic Park Advocates and Co-Founder of the Wild Olympics Campaign (Quilcene): “The reason we first began the Wild Olympics Campaign was to give permanent, statutory Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River protections to the last healthy intact salmon habitat in the upper parts of the watersheds on Olympic National Forest. There have been incredible Tribal, private and public efforts and resources poured in to restoring the degraded habitat downstream, but the healthy intact habitat upstream still lacks permanent protection. The Roadless Rule repeal would open these areas up to development. Senator Murray’s Wild Olympics Act would permanently protect them against threats like these for or future.”

Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Campaign (Quilcene): “We are so grateful for Senator Murray and Representative Randall’s leadership at this critical time for our public lands. The local momentum for the Wild Olympics Act has never been stronger and the need for its protections for our ancient forests & salmon streams has never been greater.”

As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in the Interior and Environment appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which Senator Murray negotiated and helped pass into law, Murray worked to reject the Trump administration’s attempts to decimate America’s cherished public lands, and delivered critical investments to our National Parks and forests, in Washington state and across the country. In FY26, she secured $6.13 billion for the U.S. Forest Service, with separate additional funding for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve. The bill rejected the steep $1.4 billion cut to the Forest Service’s non-fire budget proposed by President Trump and provides funding for the Forest Service to improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts on federal lands. The FY26 bill also fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund and continues to support the increased pay for federal firefighters enacted into law last year. In FY26, Senator Murray also secured $3.27 billion for the National Park Service, including $2.87 billion for the operation of the National Park System—$1.15 billion higher than the level requested by Trump. The bill provides the resources to sustain FY24 staffing levels and provides the funding necessary to support a full complement of seasonal staff during FY26. Senator Murray continues to push back against Trump’s FY27 budget request, to protect our public lands.

Senator Murray has been a leading voice raising the alarm on how the Trump administration’s funding freezes, punishing cuts to the workforce, and mass reorganization at the U.S. Forest Service and other key agencies are seriously undermining wildfire preparedness and response in Washington state. Earlier this year, Senator Murray fought back against Trump’s proposed cuts to key programs and reorganization at USDA that could threaten resources for wildland firefighting, and pressed USFS Chief Schultz for more information on reports noting National Forest Trails were understaffed following widespread firings. Last year in a Senate hearing, Senator Murray pressed Schultz on how the mass layoffs and funding freezes were putting wildfire preparedness in jeopardy. Senator Murray also joined forces with Senator Merkley and wildfire officials to lay out how the Trump administration’s cuts and layoffs are threatening wildfire preparedness across the Pacific Northwest. Last year, Senator Murray also released a report on how the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Park Service hurt Washington state and threaten wildfire response in the parks.

A fact sheet on the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is available HERE.

###",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-introduces-bill-to-end-trumps-trade-war-with-canada-lower-costs-slams-trumps-latest-tariffs-as-economic-arson/,"Murray Introduces Bill to End Trump’s Trade War with Canada & Lower Costs, Slams Trump’s Latest Tariffs as “Economic Arson”",2026-09-01,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Seattle, WA – After President Trump continued to ignore skyrocketing costs and hit American families with a new round of tariff taxes, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in introducing legislation that would revoke Trump’s newest global tariffs and 50% tariffs on Canada, and curtail Trump’s ability to continue waging his unilateral trade war.

Since Trump has started his latest trade war, American families have paid the price. In just one year, Trump’s tariff tax cost the average family nearly $2,000, with hardworking Americans bearing 96% of the cost of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs. Still, Trump has been undeterred by the chaos and pain his trade war has wrought and continues to double down on the global stage.

Today, Murray and Schumer introduced the End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would revoke and refund Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs and repeal the archaic authorities he has used to continue his trade war. This legislation would apply to Trump’s newest global tariffs of 12.5% and 50% tariffs on Canada.

“Trump’s erratic and senseless trade war is nothing short of economic arson—no business can plan around Trump’s unpredictable tariffs, American credibility is shot, and costs are up,” said Senator Murray. “While Republicans are enabling Trump’s economic sabotage, Democrats are fighting to put an end to these reckless tariffs. That’s why we’re introducing this legislation to block and refund Trump’s tariffs so we can focus on growing the economy for everyone and making life affordable again.”

“While inflation rages, families struggle to pay their bills, and small businesses close, Trump – detached from reality – continues his bluster on the global stage, doubling down on a chaotic trade war that has meant only pain for American families, farmers, and manufacturers,” said Leader Schumer. “Republicans won’t stand up to Trump’s nonsense and Americans are crying out for relief. That’s why I am introducing legislation that would end Trump’s costly tariff taxes.”

The legislation is also co-sponsored by Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

Senator Murray has fought Trump’s tariff taxes at every turn alongside her colleagues, with Senate Democrats forcing multiple successful votes to terminate Trump’s previous tariffs on Canada, Brazil, and other major trading partners, and supporting the litigation that led to the Supreme Court striking down Trump’s prior tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Senator Murray has been outspoken about the harm Trump’s tariffs are causing in Washington state—one of the most trade-dependent states in the country; Murray has held numerous events in every corner of the state to hear from businesses, farmers, and border communities about the effects of Trump’s trade war.

Bill text is available here.

###",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-on-house-passage-of-cr/,Senator Murray on House Passage of CR,2026-09-01,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on House passage of the Senate-passed continuing resolution (CR) that keeps the government funded through December 11.

“It’s a good thing that Congress has averted a shutdown that no one wants. Now, the president just needs to sign the bill.

“We have a lot of work ahead in the coming months to negotiate spending bills that invest in families instead of President Trump’s war budget, and I will be pushing at every step of the way to invest in making life more affordable and to rein in the corrupt abuses of this administration.”

More information on the CR, which the Senate passed on August 8, is available HERE.

###",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-new-letter-murray-colleagues-demand-nih-director-restore-lifesaving-pediatric-research/,"In New Letter, Murray, Colleagues Demand NIH Director Restore Lifesaving Pediatric Research",2026-08-28,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***LETTER HERE***

ICYMI: Senator Murray Presses NIH Director on Trump’s Proposal to Cut Medical Research Funding to Pay for $1.5 Trillion War Budget

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led her colleagues in sending a letter to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya demanding restoration of a promising clinical trial to help children that is ending because of the Trump administration’s budget cuts for contracts and extreme delays in Notices of Funding Opportunities impacting pediatric research, specifically the NIH’s Pediatric Trials Network (PTN). As a direct result of this administration’s actions the PTN is ending the Pediatric Opportunistic Pharmacokinetic Study (POPS), which focuses on determining the right dose of dozens of medicines commonly used in children. The abrupt end to this trial means that children and their families who have already enrolled and donated blood samples for this scientific effort will not see the trial’s goal achieved.

“We write with great concern regarding the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) budget cuts for contracts and extreme delays in Notices of Funding Opportunities and their impact on pediatric research, specifically the NIH’s Pediatric Trials Network (PTN). We recently learned that, as part of these actions, the PTN is ending its promising clinical trial, the Pediatric Opportunistic Pharmacokinetic Study (POPS), which focuses on determining the right dose of dozens of medicines commonly used in children,” write the senators. “Ending the POPS study will stop enrollment in 25 states and the testing of several dozen drugs in children: including premature infants, critically ill children, and obese children. Ending this study will also mean that children and their families who have already enrolled and donated blood samples for this important scientific effort will not see the trial’s goal achieved.”

“You cannot claim to be making American children healthier while shutting down the research that would do exactly that. We demand that you reverse this reckless decision immediately and explain your decision making to Congress and the families of the children who rely on this research,”

In the letter, the senators slam the Trump administration for this wasteful and unnecessary move. “Cancelling this research doesn’t save a dime, in fact it wastes millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Congress established the BPCA and appropriated the funding for this research. Now the Trump administration is forcing it to shut down, and throwing years of data and children’s blood down the drain. Clinical trials aren’t light switches – you can’t turn this research on and off, and now lifesaving research for our kids is gone.”

The lawmakers also call out Director Bhattacharya for his hypocrisy—because in May, during the FY 2027 NIH Budget Hearing before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, he vowed to protect these sorts of trials. They note: “When asked if you were aware that last year NIH’s PTN received only part of its funding, you replied that you ‘were absolutely committed to making sure that we do have opportunities for children across the country to participate in clinical trials.’ But your actions are ripping away opportunities for children to participate in clinical trials and scientists’ ability to learn from trials that could benefit all children. Your actions are squandering the investments previously made by NIH to secure data and specimens in a highly productive trial; and wasting the contributions of children and families participating in the POPS study.”

In addition to Senator Murray, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Adam B. Schiff (D-CA).

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Director Bhattacharya:

We write with great concern regarding the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) budget cuts for contracts and extreme delays in Notices of Funding Opportunities and their impact on pediatric research, specifically the NIH’s Pediatric Trials Network (PTN). We recently learned that, as part of these actions, the PTN is ending its promising clinical trial, the Pediatric Opportunistic Pharmacokinetic Study (POPS), which focuses on determining the right dose of dozens of medicines commonly used in children. Ending the POPS study will stop enrollment in 25 states and the testing of several dozen drugs in children: including premature infants, critically ill children, and obese children. Ending this study will also mean that children and their families who have already enrolled and donated blood samples for this important scientific effort will not see the trial’s goal achieved. We urge NIH to reinstate the POPS study to prevent the irreplaceable loss of benefit of these precious blood samples from our most vulnerable populations.

The PTN was authorized by Congress in the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) (P.L. 107-109), bipartisan legislation that authorized $25 million per year for trials of off-patent medicines and devices used in children. Since then, the PTN has developed into an NIH-funded consortium of over 100 clinical research sites across the United States dedicated to conducting studies on the safety, efficacy, and dosing of drugs and medical devices for children. It aims to improve pediatric medication labeling and reduce off-label prescribing in children and provides critical data on how medications act across developmental stages of childhood and adolescence. Currently, the infrastructure for the BPCA trials is supported by contracts. Thus, reductions in contract funding pose barriers to the BPCA implementation. Due to an arbitrary new rule concocted by the Trump administration, the “Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Cost Efficiency Initiative,” created in response to Executive Order 14222, that institutes an agency-wide maximum contract spending cap for fiscal years (FY) 2025 and 2026, the BPCA trial funding was cut to substantially less than what has been authorized by Congress.

POPS provides infrastructure to support pediatric research at 33 sites in 25 states including Washington, New Jersey, and California. Until its recent cancellation, the study was investigating 60 medicines and had enrolled over 2,000 children. Due to its abrupt, unplanned termination, there are drugs for which the PTN will not be able to provide appropriate dosing information for one or more subgroups of children. Stopping this trial will diminish the value of irreplaceable blood samples donated by children and will prevent our ability to learn the safe dose of medicines routinely used to treat American children.

Cancelling this research doesn’t save a dime, in fact it wastes millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Congress established the BPCA and appropriated the funding for this research. Now the Trump administration is forcing it to shut down, and throwing years of data and children’s blood down the drain. Clinical trials aren’t light switches – you can’t turn this research on and off, and now lifesaving research for our kids is gone.

The National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) previously announced it was planning to support a unified pediatric research consortium. However, that potential effort was discussed nearly a year ago at the NICHD’s Advisory Council. To date, NIH has not released a Notice of Funding Opportunity, meaning that it will likely be years before awards are made and children are enrolled in approved trials.On top of the years it will take to get a unified pediatric research consortium up and running, the PTN was informed that there will be further cuts to the network in FY 2026 because NICHD was directed to reduce the amount of money they spend via contracts in compliance with the administration’s Cost Efficiency Initiative rule.

This is not the first time cuts to the PTN has been brought to your attention. In May, during the FY 2027 Budget Hearing before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray asked you about this very issue. When asked if you were aware that last year NIH’s PTN received only part of its funding, you replied that you “were absolutely committed to making sure that we do have opportunities for children across the country to participate in clinical trials.” But your actions are ripping away opportunities for children to participate in clinical trials and scientists’ ability to learn from trials that could benefit all children. Your actions are squandering the investments previously made by NIH to secure data and specimens in a highly productive trial; and wasting the contributions of children and families participating in the POPS study.

This pediatric trial didn’t have to end prematurely. It is just one example of a direct impact of the arbitrary decisions the Trump administration has made that are hurting our most vulnerable population – children. The contracts that support BPCA infrastructure received 40% less last year (FY 2025) than was received in 2024, and researchers were told by NIH that this year’s funding (FY 2026) will be even less. Senator Murray warned you in May that “researchers at Seattle Children’s were going to have stop their work investigating how pain medications could be safely used to help some of our sickest children as they face surgeries and hospitalization.” Yet, here we are, in the exact place we feared we would be just a few months ago.

We urge you to do whatever is necessary to ensure full funding for the NIH’s BPCA infrastructure for the PTN so the important work of the POPS trial and other vital research can move forward. This is not about a budget line—this is about keeping our kids safe and healthy. You cannot claim to be making American children healthier while shutting down the research that would do exactly that. We demand that you reverse this reckless decision immediately and explain your decision making to Congress and the families of the children who rely on this research.

###",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-statement-in-response-to-chemical-safety-board-update-on-nippon-dynawave-implosion-in-longview/,Senator Murray Statement in Response to Chemical Safety Board Update on Nippon Dynawave Implosion in Longview,2026-08-28,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement in response to the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) publishing an investigation update on the disaster at Nippon Dynawave in Longview.

“Three months ago, Longview endured an unthinkable tragedy and suffered enormous loss. This community deserves answers and the release of today’s investigation update is an important first step towards understanding exactly what happened so we can ensure that there is accountability and that a tragedy like this can never happen again. The Chemical Safety Board’s update revealed that Nippon Dynawave knew that the walls of the chemical tank that failed were dangerously thin. The investigation is ongoing, and I am appreciative of the important work that the CSB is doing to get the clarity we need. We know this will take time—but one thing is apparent: this community deserves answers and accountability. Every worker has the right to come home safely at the end of the day. I will continue to follow this investigation closely, and I will be there every step of the way to support this community.”",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-spokane-murray-meets-with-first-responders-to-discuss-wildfire-recovery-efforts-meets-impacted-family-at-their-property-affirms-she-will-fight-to-deliver-federal-resources-to-support-recovery/,"In Spokane, Murray Meets with First Responders to Discuss Wildfire Recovery Efforts; Meets Impacted Family at Their Property; Affirms She Will Fight to Deliver Federal Resources to Support Recovery",2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “I will make sure Spokane’s recovery is a priority at every opportunity. Whatever it takes—for as long as it takes.”

ICYMI: Senator Murray Vows to Get Spokane and WA Federal Resources for Wildfire Response and Recovery

***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***

Spokane, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited families, first responders, and community leaders in Spokane to hear about the ongoing wildfire debris clean up and recovery efforts, and witness firsthand the current state of local communities that have been hit hard by the devastating Spokane Complex Fires.

Melinda and Brent Howard invited Senator Murray to visit their neighborhood to see the destruction from the Old Trails wildfire. The Howard family lost their home in the wildfire and their neighborhood was one of the hardest hit in the community.

“Washington state is no stranger to wildfires—but this has been one of the most destructive wildfires our state has seen. I want every family in Spokane, and those across the state who are still battling wildfires, to know I am with you, today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes to rebuild,” said Senator Murray. These fires may have destroyed homes and so many families lost a lifetime of memories, but Spokane’s spirit was never broken. The Spokane community rallied together and took care of each other—and I had the opportunity to see that firsthand. Firefighters, law enforcement, health care workers, and volunteers mobilized, stepping up to help one another. The VA staff were also critical and got Mann-Grandstaff evacuated, continued to ensure veterans had the care they needed, and stepped up to get it reopen as soon as possible—even as many were affected by the fires themselves. So, with my deepest gratitude, thank you, to everyone who has helped battle these fires and keep the community safe, and thank you as we all continue working together to rebuild and recover.”

Senator Murray continued, “The fires may be contained but the fight does not stop. The people of Spokane need action and deserve to know their government has their back. I have been hard at work in DC ensuring Washington state received an expedited Emergency Declaration so communities could get resources faster. Rebuilding homes, rebuilding businesses, it will take a long time, and it will not be easy. But as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I want the people of Eastern Washington to know they have a voice in the United States Senate who will speak up for Spokane, and I will make sure Spokane’s recovery is a priority at every opportunity. Whatever it takes—for as long as it takes.”

“We lost everything in the fire, as did many in our community. We are so grateful for the amazing response from firefighters, first responders, and the greater Spokane community, including the rapid formation of the Disaster Assistance Center. The outpouring of support has been nothing short of incredible. We have a long road ahead of us with many unknowns. Continued support from local, state, and federal agencies will be critical in the months and years to come,” said the Howard Family.

While in Spokane, Senator Murray held a briefing with first responders and local leaders to hear about the response and recovery efforts for the Spokane Complex Fires. Senator Murray is committed to supporting the wildfire recovery efforts and will ensure resources for Spokane are a top priority in federal funding bills.

“Federal assistance is critical to our ability to respond to the aftermath of these devastating fires. Senator Murray will be a key partner in that effort, and I am grateful for her leadership and commitment to Spokane as we navigate the road to recovery,” said Lisa Brown, Mayor of Spokane.

“I am grateful to Senator Murray for coming to meet with the Spokane Fire Department and see firsthand the areas impacted by these devasting fires. She has helped bring federal partners to the table, which will ensure local families, businesses, and neighborhoods have the resources they need to rebuild and come back stronger,” said Tom Williams, Spokane Fire Chief.

Senator Murray also toured CHAS Health, including their new Learning Institute and their mobile medical unit, and met with health care providers who helped families evacuated due to the wildfires. Senator Murray secured $3 million in Congressional Direct Spending (CDS) for the CHAS Learning Institute in FY22 to help create a health care training facility to expand community access to health care apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training for students in medical, dental, and pharmacy programs.

“When these historic fires hit the Spokane community, CHAS Health was well positioned to provide support. From the Red Cross Shelter to the Disaster Assistance Center, our employees quickly stepped up in assisting with medical care, prescription refills, providing essential needs, and other resources throughout the early recovery effort. We thank Senator Murray for her continued advocacy and support for the individuals, families, and communities impacted by the fires,” said Aaron Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of CHAS Health.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in the Interior and Environment appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which Senator Murray negotiated and helped pass into law, Murray worked to include essential investments in wildfire preparedness and suppression. In FY26, she secured $6.13 billion for the U.S. Forest Service, with separate additional funding for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve. The bill rejected the steep $1.4 billion cut to the Forest Service’s non-fire budget proposed by President Trump and provides funding for the Forest Service to improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts on federal lands. The FY26 bill also fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund and continues to support the increased pay for federal firefighters enacted into law last year. Senator Murray continues to push back against Trump’s FY27 budget request, to protect our public lands.

###",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/amid-attacks-by-israeli-settlers-in-west-bank-cantwell-and-colleagues-urge-netanyahu-to-stop-the-violence,"Amid Attacks by Israeli Settlers in West Bank, Cantwell & Colleagues Urge Netanyahu to Stop the Violence",2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Amid Attacks by Israeli Settlers in West Bank, Cantwell & Colleagues Urge Netanyahu to Stop the Violence

In September 2024, UW grad Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot to death while she was peacefully protesting in the West Bank

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined 44 Senate colleagues in a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to put an end to increasing violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

“Incidents of fatal violence by settlers have reportedly already surpassed 2025 levels and continue to increase,” wrote the Senators. “The last few weeks alone saw a significant surge in violence on both sides, resulting in a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques. We urge you to take measures to prevent and intercede in this violence, establish a credible mechanism to investigate violations of law, and to make clear that the Government of Israel will not tolerate violence by its people, just as it does not tolerate violence against its people.”

The Senators noted that U.S. citizens and their families have been subject to the increasing violence.

On September 6, 2024, University of Washington graduate Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was shot to death while she was peacefully protesting in the West Bank.

Later that month, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for the White House and State Department to order an independent investigation into Eygi’s shooting death.

In July 2025, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate Democrats in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for an investigation into the death of Palestinian-American Saifullah Kamel Musallet in the West Bank earlier that month, as well as updates into the investigations of other deaths in Gaza, including Eygi’s.

In September 2025, Sen. Cantwell joined a bicameral letter to Sec. Rubio demanding answers from the U.S. State Department about two violent attacks on American citizens in the West Bank.

In October 2025, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate Democrats in a letter to President Trump supporting his efforts to oppose the annexation of the West Bank by Israel.

The full text of today’s letter is HERE and below.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

We write in shared concern and opposition to the growing levels of violence in the West Bank. Many of us have previously expressed to President Trump that continued settlement expansion and fighting in the West Bank will harm Israel’s long-term security and the prospects for lasting peace, prosperity, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Incidents of fatal violence by settlers have reportedly already surpassed 2025 levels and continue to increase. The last few weeks alone saw a significant surge in violence on both sides, resulting in a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques. We urge you to take measures to prevent and intercede in this violence, establish a credible mechanism to investigate violations of law, and to make clear that the Government of Israel will not tolerate violence by its people, just as it does not tolerate violence against its people.

We write particularly on behalf of American citizens who have been killed or threatened in such violence. Many of us have heard first-hand from their families and other constituents who have themselves been threatened without cause by settlers. We have engaged the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and your embassy in Washington to ensure their protection and appreciate measures taken on their behalf, but a more significant response from your government is clearly needed. We ask for your personal and direct engagement and intervention in order to protect our constituents and their families.

President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio have expressed their opposition to all violence in the West Bank and actions aimed at annexation, but those concerns have gone unaddressed. Now, we urge you to take the following actions:

Issue clear directives to the Israeli Police and Israeli Defense Forces to prevent and intervene in harassment, threats, and actual use of violence, regardless of the perpetrators.

Ensure that all those responsible for harassment, threats, and violence against Palestinians, including Palestinian-Americans, are held accountable through a transparent and credible process. This includes completing investigations into and ensuring accountability for the deaths of nine American citizens who have been killed by settlers or security forces in the West Bank since 2022.

Stop approving additional settlements and stop allowing the construction of, and take steps to remove, illegal outposts in the West Bank.

Like you, the safety and security of our constituents is of paramount importance. We urge your government to ensure that Americans in the Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank are able to enjoy the security and protection of property to which they are entitled. We also hope to see the conditions improved so that Israelis and Palestinians may one day live in peace with each other without the fear of terrorism or lawless violence.

###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/in-new-letter-murray-and-senate-democrats-slam-the-trump-administrations-anti-women-agenda-and-threats-to-abortion-reproductive-care/,"In New Letter, Murray and Senate Democrats Slam the Trump Administration’s Anti-Women Agenda and Threats to Abortion, Reproductive Care",2026-08-25,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***LETTER HERE***

ICYMI: AtSpotlight Forum on Dobbs Anniversary, Murray Highlights How Republicans’ Efforts to Rip Away Reproductive Health Care Has Harmed Women & Families

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led her colleagues in sending a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing outrage over the Trump administration’s efforts to ban abortion nationwide and limit access to reproductive health care for women across the country. The senators called out this administration’s harmful restrictions on mifepristone as well as their moves to threaten access to essential preventative care, contraceptives, and abortion care.

“The decades-long Republican attacks on reproductive health, rights, and justice have culminated in a nation where women today have less autonomy over their bodies and their medical care than their grandmothers did,” writes Senator Murray. “And with women already suffering and dying as a result of your policies, you are doubling down with an even more aggressive and dangerous anti-women agenda.”

In the letter, Senator Murray calls out the Trump Administration’s “pro-family” claims, highlighting their hypocrisy. “Despite proclaiming to be a “pro-family” administration, the Trump administration has orchestrated a coordinated attempt to limit access to reproductive health care and move closer to a national abortion ban by whatever means necessary. From partnering with Congressional Republicans to defund clinics that provide preventive care like annual physicals and cervical cancer exams, because they also provide abortion care; terminating women’s health research at the National Institutes of Health; withholding millions in already awarded and appropriated Title X funding, the only federal stream solely dedicated to family planning; to terminating more than 50 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grants, a program that has shown great success in lowering the teen birth rate; this administration has stopped at nothing to strip access to providers, basic services, and health information.”

Senator Murray continues by outlining the administration’s ongoing attacks on every possible aspect of reproductive health care, including: spreading misinformation, politicizing federal funding and grants, attempting to restrict access to mifepristone, and implementing regulatory strategies that grossly violate women’s privacy and autonomy.

“Women are less safe, less free, and less able to see a doctor today because of the choices this administration has made. Senate Democrats will keep fighting in every way possible to protect every woman’s right to the care they need and the freedom to make their own decisions about their own body and their own future,” Senator Murray concludes.

In addition to Senator Murray, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We write with outrage over the numerous actions taken by the Trump administration to threaten and limit access to reproductive health care for women and girls across the country, including essential preventive care, contraceptives, and abortion care. The decades-long Republican attacks on reproductive health, rights, and justice have culminated in a nation where women today have less autonomy over their bodies and their medical care than their grandmothers did. And with women already suffering and dying as a result of your policies, you are doubling down with an even more aggressive and dangerous anti-women agenda.

The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade and removed the constitutional right to an abortion has had life-threatening consequences for women across America, especially in states with abortion bans. We know that Republicans’ ultimate goal is to ban all abortions nationwide. Currently, women in 13 states live under total abortion bans and those in 28 other states live under gestational bans, some as early as six weeks—often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. These bans create a system in which women can’t get the health care they need, requiring them to travel across state lines when abortion care via telehealth is unavailable, and in some circumstances forcing them to carry a pregnancy to term. In too many devastating cases, these bans have forced women to wait until their lives are at risk before they can receive adequate care. A 2025 report released by the Gender Policy Equity Institute showed that women living in states that banned abortion were nearly two times as likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or soon after giving birth, compared to women living in states where abortion is legal and accessible.

Despite proclaiming to be a “pro-family” administration, the Trump administration has orchestrated a coordinated attempt to limit access to reproductive health care and move closer to a national abortion ban by whatever means necessary. From partnering with Congressional Republicans to defund clinics that provide preventive care like annual physicals and cervical cancer exams, because they also provide abortion care; terminating women’s health research at the National Institutes of Health; withholding millions in already awarded and appropriated Title X funding, the only federal stream solely dedicated to family planning; to terminating more than 50 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grants, a program that has shown great success in lowering the teen birth rate; this administration has stopped at nothing to strip access to providers, basic services, and health information. Instead, the Trump administration has promoted, through moms.gov, “crisis pregnancy centers” that spread misinformation and employ deceptive practices to further an anti-abortion agenda. People cannot make informed decisions about their bodies if they do not have medically accurate information to begin with, or access to providers who can provide that education. Furthermore, the recently proposed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulation on federal financial assistance will politicize the entire grants process, undermining federal agencies’ ability to carry out the programs enacted by Congress and significantly hampering the grantees’ work on programs and services related to women’s and reproductive health. The dismantling and politicization of reproductive health care programs is a thinly veiled attempt at ensuring politicians have even more control over women’s bodies.

The administration has also systematically attacked mifepristone, one of the medications commonly used for abortion care. Mifepristone is safe and effective, has been used for decades by over 7.5 million people since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, and is part of the two-drug regimen used in more than 60% of abortions in the U.S. each year. In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would conduct, through the FDA, “its own review of the evidence” on the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone, despite the overwhelming evidence already proving this. This exercise seeks to disregard the vast safety evidence of mifepristone and further politicize the medication as part of your attempts to limit abortion access nationwide. The Department of Justice has repeatedly cited the FDA’s baseless “review” in ongoing litigation brought by anti-abortion extremists in an attempt to gut access to mifepristone, including in a brief filed at the Fifth Circuit just last month. In November 2025, all Democratic Senators sent a letter to you and then-Commissioner Makary demonstrating our concern over this review and requesting additional information. We have yet to receive a response.

Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration often pretend these restrictions to reproductive health care are designed to give power back to states. However, the Trump administration continues to undermine this argument and attack states that do protect access to reproductive health care. Most recently, the then-Acting Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche stated on a private call that the Trump administration’s anti-abortion efforts are “taking longer than we want” and promised that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is working hand in hand with HHS, the FDA, the White House, and President Trump’s team to get permanent solutions. And in Blanche’s July confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he doubled down on restricting abortion, committing DOJ’s resources to an effort clearly aimed at further limiting access to mifepristone. In March 2026, the Trump administration misused the Weldon Amendment, a harmful refusal of care law, to launch an investigation into 13 states with laws that require state-regulated insurance plans to cover abortion care. In April, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), at the request of the Republican Speaker of the House, House Majority Leadership, and other Members of Congress, sent interview requests to a number of states that require abortion coverage in their Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace Plans. If the administration’s goal is to make abortion care a state issue, the federal government should not be interfering and investigating states with lawful abortion protections.

On July 3, the Trump administration released its 2026 Unified Agenda and annual Regulatory Plan. This agenda includes regulatory actions that seek to entrench “fetal personhood,” the idea that fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses should receive full rights and legal protections. Granting “fetal personhood” could have enormous consequences, and could ultimately lead to criminal charges and conviction of pregnant and postpartum women for seeking necessary health care.4 The agenda also includes a regulatory action that may roll back access to abortions for unaccompanied immigrant children in detention, a policy that the first Trump administration tried to implement in 2017.5 After legal proceedings, the 2017 policy was eventually abandoned and replaced with a new policy that prohibited the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) staff from interfering with unaccompanied pregnant minors’ access to abortion.

The attacks on reproductive health care don’t stop there. Just last month, on July 7, the Department of Justice asked the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow any employer to opt out of the ACA’s requirement that insurance plans include coverage of the full range of birth control without additional cost, a provision that has helped millions of people to use contraceptives more consistently and effectively, furthering their health and wellbeing. The FDA has also newly imposed a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) on two birth control products, adding new burdensome certification, reporting, and dispensing requirements. Of note, the use of REMS is extremely rare; of the over 20,000 FDA-approved drugs, there are only 73 drugs that have a REMS. This administration has imposed REMS on these products under the guise of ensuring the benefits of the device outweigh its risk of complications, however the agency has failed to answer detailed questions about the research that informed its actions. We believe that, just as politicians shouldn’t be able to make decisions about women’s bodies, neither should their employers. Decisions about birth control, pregnancy, and abortion should be made between a patient and their provider.

If this administration was truly committed to helping families, President Trump would work to lower the cost of living and make health care and child care more affordable and accessible. Instead, the President has stated on the record that we must prioritize “fighting wars” and that we simply cannot afford to address these issues. In fact, in the year and a half they’ve been in charge, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have made the largest cut to Medicaid in our nation’s history. This action directly impacts reproductive health care access for women, as Medicaid pays for more than half of the births in our country and has already led hospitals to close their doors and cut services.

From the moment Donald Trump returned to office, this administration has waged a relentless, coordinated assault on women’s health and the freedom to make their own medical decisions. Stripping away the emergency-room protections that guarantee women can get life-saving care, moving to restrict access to safe and effective medication like mifepristone, gutting the maternal health programs that keep moms and babies safe, and so much else—your policies constitute serious attacks on women’s health that are not rooted in safety or science, but would simply advance an extreme ideological agenda that is wildly out of touch with America’s pro-choice majority.

Women are less safe, less free, and less able to see a doctor today because of the choices this administration has made. Senate Democrats will keep fighting in every way possible to protect every woman’s right to the care they need and the freedom to make their own decisions about their own body and their own future.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-26T05:33:32Z,2026-08-26T05:34:56Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-scotus-decision-enabling-trump-admin-to-restrict-mail-in-ballots,Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision Enabling Trump Admin to Restrict Mail-In Ballots,2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision Enabling Trump Admin to Restrict Mail-In Ballots

EDMONDS, WA – Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump could proceed to restrict mail-in voting, allowing implementation of an executive order despite rulings of lower courts finding the president’s order unconstitutional. The executive order would enable the United States Postal Service (USPS) and other agencies to have a role in determining whether voters receive ballots or a ballot will be counted.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) gave the following statement:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision gets the Trump Administration one step closer to implementing its voter suppression order and forcing states to hand over personal voter data to the federal government. This is wrong. The Constitution clearly says the States should administer elections. The federal government should not weaponize the US Postal Service to decide who will receive a mail-in ballot and whose vote will be counted. The Administration must not be allowed to take the right of Washingtonians to vote by mail or interfere with our free and fair elections.”

Sen. Cantwell has been a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections:

On August 5, she sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.

On July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections.

On July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional.

On July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders.

On June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington.

On June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.

On June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist. President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee. Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation.

On June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States.

On June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections.

On June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation.

On April 29, she was tapped by Minority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference.

On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.

On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.

On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.

On Feb. 24, Sen. Cantwell invited Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to draw attention to the issue.

On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.

On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.

Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.

On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters.

On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot.

On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day.

Previous Article",1,2026-08-25T05:31:37Z,2026-08-25T05:33:09Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/as-uss-lincoln-heads-home-murray-coons-call-for-immediate-independent-investigation-of-extended-deployments-unacceptable-quality-of-life-issues-on-aircraft-carriers/,"As USS Lincoln Heads Home—Murray, Coons Call for Immediate Independent Investigation of Extended Deployments & Unacceptable Quality of Life Issues on Aircraft Carriers",2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Lawmakers seek answers on glaring quality of life and operational issues aboard not only the USS Lincoln—but the USS Ford and USS Benfold, which recently suffered a dayslong power outage

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA),Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao calling for the Department of Defense (DOD) to immediately open an independent strategic review of the extended deployments of the USS Ford and USS Lincoln, as well as the USS Benfold’s four-day power loss.

“We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the recent extended deployments of the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, and the USS Benfold’s recent undisclosed power loss, and what it means for our sailors, Marines, and their families, as well as for the Navy’s overall military readiness,” write Murray and Coons. “Given the serious quality of life and operational concerns that have been documented and the Department’s inability—or refusal—to provide the congressional defense committees with full and accurate information, we request that the Navy initiate an immediate independent strategic review of these deployments, and brief Congress on its findings.”

The lawmakers note that a variety of serious quality of life issues have been documented aboard these aircraft carriers, and servicemembers and their families deserve better: “This administration has tried to downplay or paper over these reports, but the fact is our servicemembers and their families have reported alarming concerns that deserve redress and accountability.”

Murray and Coons call on DOD to immediately conduct a review of these issues and to provide, in the meantime, responses to a series of questions about the extended deployments by September 1, 2026.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Hegseth and Acting Secretary Cao:

We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the recent extended deployments of the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, and the USS Benfold’s recent undisclosed power loss, and what it means for our sailors, Marines, and their families, as well as for the Navy’s overall military readiness. Given the serious quality of life and operational concerns that have been documented and the Department’s inability—or refusal—to provide the congressional defense committees with full and accurate information, we request that the Navy initiate an immediate independent strategic review of these deployments, and brief Congress on its findings.

While the reporting that the Lincoln is now on its way home is welcome news, we still have many unanswered questions about the quality of life issues reported on these ships. This administration has tried to downplay or paper over these reports, but the fact is our servicemembers and their families have reported alarming concerns that deserve redress and accountability. Our military family members with loved ones serving on these ships deserve honest answers, and the Pentagon’s denials to date are an insult to the service of these sailors and Marines.

These firsthand accounts from the Ford, Lincoln, and Benfold have included mental health and morale concerns, supply issues for basic necessities such as food, clean water and hygiene items, air conditioning, and cleanliness and sewage issues in bathrooms. There have also been reports of long lines at the mess halls and ship stores and disrupted and lost mail service. After working long shifts on duty during combat operations, our sailors and Marines should not have to worry about basic day-to-day functions, whether they’ll have a full meal, or be able to communicate with their family members.

It also appears that the Navy was inadequately prepared for predictable risks associated with the Iran war, and we are deeply concerned about the implications for future operations or management of a peer conflict. Among these concerns is the availability of replacement carrier groups across the combatant commands and the disruption of the Navy’s supply chain in the Middle East. We are also concerned about the future unbudgeted maintenance costs for the Ford and Lincoln and the length of time required to complete these repairs, which have not yet been outlined to Congress despite our requests.

We insist you immediately direct an independent strategic review of the extended deployments of the Ford and Lincoln, and the Benfold’s four-day power loss. This review should be conducted by senior civilian executives and former military officers. It should examine readiness issues relating to operations, manning, quality of life, including mental health, and culture on the ships as well as communications with the crews’ families. The review should provide recommendations in these areas to improve future extended deployments for sailors and Marines serving on carriers and all other Department of the Navy vessels.

As you begin this investigation, please also provide responses to the following questions:

Will the Lincoln make a port call along its voyage home, allowing sailors and Marines to enjoy critical relief from intense combat operations?

When is the next town hall and virtual meeting scheduled for families of the sailors and Marines serving on the Lincoln? Will these outreach meetings continue on a regular basis until the carrier arrives home?

What homecoming support resources have been provided to the sailors and Marines on the Ford and their families since returning home? Will the same or additional resources be provided to the sailors and Marines on the Lincoln and their families?

What mental health and sexual assault prevention and response resources are available to the sailors and Marines on the Ford and Lincoln?

When will the congressional defense committees receive the final command investigation report from the extensive laundry fire on the Ford, which destroyed berthing quarters?

What actions has the Navy taken to address and prevent future power issues on the Benfold?

What steps is the Navy taking to prevent similar quality of life issues on the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington and other ships currently deployed in the Middle East and globally?

What were the Navy’s operational and contingency plans for deploying the Ford first to the Caribbean for Operation Southern Spear and then immediately to the Middle East?

What were the Navy’s contingency plans for supply chain disruption and being forced to remain at sea rather than docked at an ally’s port?

What is the maintenance schedule for the Ford and Lincoln? What are the costs associated with these repairs?

What is the Navy’s contingency plan to meet force requirements, including during any potential conflict, while two carriers are undergoing unplanned maintenance?

We request a written response to these questions and establishment of an independent strategic review by September 1, 2026. Thank you for your prompt attention to these important issues.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-25T05:31:37Z,2026-08-25T05:33:09Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/6-wa-shipyards-win-shipyard-infrastructure-grants,6 WA Shipyards Win Shipyard Infrastructure Grants,2026-08-20,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"6 WA Shipyards Win Shipyard Infrastructure Grants

Shipyards in Bremerton, Everett, Mount Vernon, Port Angeles, & Seattle receive Small Shipyard Grant Program awards totaling $5.2M

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced that six shipyards in the State of Washington have received FY26 Small Shipyard Grant Awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.

The grants include:

Safe Boats International LLC (Bremerton) received $321,474 to launch an aluminum welding and fabrication training program, including 17 welding machines, eight welding booths, an air filtration system, and training tools like clamps and hoists.

Everett Ship Repair LLC (Everett) received $456,216 for electrical upgrades to support a new 35,000-ton floating drydock, along with training for shipyard staff on production processes. Sen. Cantwell wrote a letter of support for the project.

Rozema's Boat Works, Inc. (Mount Vernon) received $938,176 for metal fabrication tools including a MultiCam CNC router table, a 230-ton Cincinnati CNC press brake, and a mechanical shear.

Arrow Launch Service, Inc. (Port Angeles) received $750,000 for a 75-ton travelift — a machine used to lift boats out of the water for repair or storage.

BRIX Marine Inc. (Port Angeles) received $1,259,190 for four 10-ton remote-controlled overhead cranes, including the hoists and tracks they run on.

Delta Marine Industries, Inc. (Seattle) received $1,508,597 for a 620-ton travelift — a heavy-duty lift for large vessels. Sen. Cantwell wrote a letter of support for the project.

In total, the grants amount to $5,233,563.

The Small Shipyard Grant Program generates incentives for small shipyards to modernize and repair facilities as well as make capital improvements to upgrade equipment and processes that make them more efficient and competitive. The grants fund a variety of projects including infrastructure improvements, equipment upgrades, repair and reconfiguration. Grants may also be used to support employee training programs to promote technical skills, increasing workforce efficiency and productivity.

Sen. Cantwell has championed the Small Shipyard Grant Program for nearly a decade. In addition to annual efforts to increase funding for the program each year, as Commerce Committee Chair she led the 2022 MARAD Reauthorization, which authorized $30 million, and then championed a 50 percent increase in authorized funding in the FY2024 NDAA.",1,2026-08-21T05:30:57Z,2026-08-21T05:32:22Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/new-report-shows-health-care-premiums-doubled-for-over-200000-washingtonians-thanks-to-trump-and-republicans-health-care-cuts/,"New Report Shows Health Care Premiums Doubled for Over 200,000 Washingtonians Thanks to Trump and Republicans’ Health Care Cuts",2026-08-20,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today—over a year after Republicans passed the largest health care cut in history in their Big Ugly Bill—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after a new report found Trump and Republican’s $1 trillion cuts in health care, and refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, have caused premiums to double for over 200,000 Washingtonians.

“We are over a year past Republicans passing the single largest cut to health care in our country’s history, and it has been nearly a year since Republicans blocked Democratic efforts to extend the ACA tax credits. Republicans have created a national health care crisis in America, causing costs to skyrocket and clinics to struggle keeping their doors open,” said Senator Murray. “Trump and Republicans would rather give trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and endlessly fund Trump’s war with Iran than help working Americans afford their doctor appointments and prescriptions. Republicans chose to put billionaires and foreign wars ahead of health care for the American people—but the people can have the last word using their voice and their vote.”

A new report has detailed how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)—which cut over $1 trillion from health care to fund tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires—has caused 50,545 Washingtonians to lose their Medicaid, CHIP, or ACA coverage they relied on to receive health care. Republicans also refused to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, which caused premiums to double for 226,813 people across Washington state. A family of four in Washington state who makes $130,000 a year saw their average annual premium rise by $12,392—costing them a total of $23,442 this year.

Hospitals and clinics in Washington state are facing a $160 million loss in funding, a 5.6% spike in uncompensated care, and are expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion over the next decade due to Republicans’ health care cuts. So far 37 hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes in Washington state are at-risk, have announced cuts to services, are closing, or have closed, including:

AT-RISK: Astria Sunnyside Hospital, Coulee Medical Center, Dayton General Hospital, Forks Community Hospital, Klickitat Valley Health, Lake Chelan Hospital – Labor & Delivery Ward, Mason General Hospital, Mid-Valley Hospital, Odessa Memorial Hospital, Othello Community Hospital, Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington & North Idaho – Spokane, Prosser Memorial Health, Samaritan Hospital, Summit Pacific Medical Center, Three Rivers Hospital, Toppenish Community Hospital

CUTS ANNOUNCED: East Adams Rural Healthcare – Ritzville Hospital, Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, PeaceHealth, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Providence Swedish, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

CLOSED: DominiCare (St. Joseph’s Hospital), Legacy Salmon Creek Pain Clinic, Legacy-GoHealth – Camas, Legacy-GoHealth – Cascade Park, Legacy-GoHealth – Salmon Creek, Outpatient Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinic (Providence Medical Park), Overlake Medical Center – Lake Hills urgent care clinic, Planned Parenthood – Port Angeles Health Center, Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinic, St. Michael Medical Center Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic, Swedish Weight Loss Outpatient Clinic, The Spokane Allergy & Asthma Clinic, ZoomCare Super Bellevue – Emergency Care

ABOUT TRUMP’S MEDICAID CUTS:

Nationwide, the Republican health care cuts represent a more than $400 billion hit to America’s hospitals—with one estimate finding that over 170 rural hospitals will likely be forced to close or scale back their services, which will force more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency room visits, and face longer wait times. Washington state is one of the states most at-risk, with 22 hospitals at-risk of closing or reducing services. An estimated 477,000 health workers will lose their jobs as a result of the Republican cuts to Medicaid. Senator Murray has consistently advocated for rural health care access across the state, hosting numerous events to emphasize the importance of investment into rural communities.

Hospitals in Washington state could lose at least $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year under OBBBA—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut services, or close their doors entirely. Overall, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade. In 2024, Washington had an uninsured rate of 4.8 percent—the lowest in the country—but the Republican bill is expected to balloon that number into the double digits.

In Washington state, nearly 2 million people—roughly 1 in 5—are enrolled in Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program. Washington’s 4th Congressional District has the highest Medicaid enrollment in Washington state, with nearly 300,000 people—38 percent of all residents—reliant on Apple Health, including 70 percent of all children in the state.

ABOUT GOP REFUSAL TO EXTEND ACA TAX CREDITS:

Senator Murray forced the issue of the ACA tax credits at every opportunity before Republicans ultimately refused to take any action, speaking out nonstop about the urgent need to save health care and calling on Republicans to come to the negotiating table to work out a bipartisan deal to extend the ACA tax credits. She took to the Senate floor in November 2025 with her Democratic colleagues to call for a clean one-year extension of the ACA tax credits, and held numerous virtual press conferences with Washingtonians, as well as residents of neighboring states Idaho and Montana, about the exploding health care premiums that Americans would see due to the expiration of the tax credits. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray led legislation supported by the Democratic caucus that would have addressed the health care crisis during the government shutdown last fall. Senator Murray has also cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation over the past year—the Health Care Affordability Act and the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act—that would make the ACA tax credits permanent.

As then-chair of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Murray played a critical role in passing the ACA enhanced premium tax credits into law in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extending them in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

###",1,2026-08-21T05:30:57Z,2026-08-21T05:32:22Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-to-trump-administration-dont-repeal-critical-protection-for-last-remaining-wild-forests,Cantwell to Trump Administration: Don’t Repeal Critical Protection for Last Remaining Wild Forests,2026-08-19,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell to Trump Administration: Don’t Repeal Critical Protection for Last Remaining Wild Forests

For over 25 years, the Roadless Rule has blocked logging and development in pristine national forest land, including over 2 million acres in WA; Data suggests wildfires are more likely to start near roads

EDMONDS, WA – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, called on the Trump administration to reverse course and abandon plans to repeal the U.S. Forest Service’s Roadless Rule. For a quarter century, the Roadless Rule has shielded 58.5 million acres of the most pristine and treasured areas within the National Forest System from roadbuilding and logging, including over 2 million acres in Washington state.

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), opened public comment on its Roadless Rule repeal – a step towards eliminating vital safeguards for America’s public lands.

“At a moment when climate change is intensifying wildfire risks, this administration is moving to strip protections from some of America’s last remaining wild forests,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Roadless areas safeguard clean-water sources, sustain critical wildlife habitat, and support outdoor recreation that communities across the country depend on. Congress should pass the Roadless Area Conservation Act to permanently preserve the benefits these public lands provide our nation and future generations.”

New research published this year shows that wildfire ignitions are more likely near roads, and that new roads in formerly roadless areas could increase wildfire risks.

Sen. Cantwell has repeatedly introduced legislation to codify the Roadless Rule into law, including as early as 2001. Sen. Cantwell was also a vociferous and persistent critic of the Trump administration’s elimination of roadless protections for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

In June 2026, Sen. Cantwell reminded her colleagues that keeping the Roadless Rule isn’t just good conservation policy, but it’s good fiscal policy, too.

In September 2025, Sen. Cantwell called on the USDA to delay its repeal of the Roadless Rule and consider additional input, leading a letter with 55 Democratic colleagues to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and USFS Chief Tom Schultz.

In June 2025, Sen. Cantwell announced a renewed push to enshrine the USFS’s Roadless Rule protections into law. The Roadless Area Conservation Act would codify the 2001 Roadless Rule, which was developed by the USFS during the Clinton Administration and finalized after several years of deliberation and 600 public meetings in local communities nationwide.

The Roadless Rule enjoys strong public support, as evidenced by the overwhelming majority of 2.5 million comments submitted on the Roadless Forest Protection Rule – more than 95% – were in support of protecting roadless areas. A March 2019 poll by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that three out of four respondents said they supported keeping roadless forest protections, while only 16% opposed it. That level of support changed little between respondents living in rural or non-rural areas and across party affiliation and political views.

For more than two decades, the Roadless Rule has prevailed over numerous court challenges and administrative and legislative attacks. The first Trump administration weakened the rule, and in October 2020 the administration removed roadless protections for over 9 million acres of pristine forest lands in the Tongass National Forest, threatening old-growth forest and southeast Alaska’s robust tourism and fishing economies. Under the Biden administration, the protections in the Tongass were restored but then removed again by the second Trump administration.

In April 2026, the Trump administration enacted a sweeping rollback of environmental protections across nearly 60% of U.S. national forests, including about 26 million acres of previously protected Roadless areas. This policy shift was formalized through an emergency directive by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, following a presidential executive order aimed at expediting logging projects by streamlining permitting, removing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, and exempting affected forests from administrative objection processes that previously allowed for challenges by environmental groups, tribes, and local government.",1,2026-08-21T05:30:57Z,2026-08-21T05:32:22Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-joins-25-colleagues-in-push-to-epa-to-drop-effort-to-weaken-health-protections-for-millions-of-americans/,Senator Murray Joins 25 Colleagues in Push to EPA to Drop Effort to Weaken Health Protections for Millions of Americans,2026-08-18,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***LETTER HERE***

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined 25 of her Democratic colleagues in demanding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdraw its proposal to roll back drinking water protections—which, if finalized, would remove federal public health limits on the amount of certain PFAS compounds in our drinking water.

The Senators emphasize in a new letter to the EPA that removing these health limits will expose Americans to unsafe levels of chemicals that have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression problems, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.

“Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established,” the Senators wrote.

Despite the administration touting their ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) agenda, if enacted, EPA’s proposal would rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS and delay compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031 – putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.

“As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse,” the Senators concluded.

In addition to Senator Murray, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Edward Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Administrator Zeldin:

We write in strong opposition to EPA’s proposal to rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the Hazard Index mixtures, while also delaying compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031. These actions would reverse the first-ever national drinking water protections for six of the most dangerous and well-studied PFAS chemicals, despite overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating that there is no safe level of exposure to many of these chemicals. Furthermore, there is a strong case to be made that this proposal contravenes the Safe Drinking Water Act’s anti-backsliding provision.

The agency’s proposal is inconsistent with both the scientific record and EPA’s own prior findings. The 2024 drinking water standards followed years of scientific review, public input, and economic analysis. EPA concluded that the standards would protect up to 105 million people from exposure to toxic PFAS in drinking water, prevent thousands of premature deaths, reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses, and generate billions of dollars in public health benefits.

PFAS contamination is one of the most widespread public health concerns facing our nation. Nearly every American has PFAS in their blood, and millions of people continue to rely on drinking water contaminated with these persistent chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.

EPA has repeatedly stated that protecting Americans from PFAS is a top priority. Yet these proposed rollbacks move in the opposite direction. In addressing revisions to drinking water regulations, the Safe Drinking Water Act itself states that “each revision shall maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons.” Rather than strengthening protections, the proposal eliminates enforceable standards for four PFAS entirely and delays protections for the two most prevalent PFAS. Communities living with contamination should not be forced to wait additional years for clean drinking water while polluters and regulated entities receive regulatory relief.

Your agency has suggested that regulating only PFOA and PFOS is sufficient because these chemicals are often found alongside other PFAS. However, EPA’s own scientific record demonstrates otherwise. Other PFAS occur independently, contribute to cumulative health risks, and warrant their own enforceable protections. Removing standards for these contaminants will leave significant gaps in public health protections and create unnecessary uncertainty for water systems and states that have already begun compliance planning.

Moreover, many utilities and states have already invested substantial resources to comply with the 2024 standards using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and other federal assistance. Weakening the standards now undermines those investments, creates regulatory uncertainty, and penalizes communities that have acted responsibly to protect public health.

Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established.

We therefore urge EPA to withdraw its proposal to rescind the 2024 drinking water standards for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the Hazard Index mixtures, reject the proposed delay for the PFOA and PFOS standards, and fully implement the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations as finalized.

As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse. Thank you for your consideration.

###",1,2026-08-19T05:29:02Z,2026-08-19T05:30:24Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-senate-democrats-demand-accountability-from-hegseth-after-reports-of-crisis-aboard-uss-abraham-lincoln/,"Murray, Senate Democrats Demand Accountability from Hegseth After Reports of Crisis Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln",2026-08-17,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***LETTER HERE***

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA),Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined all thirteen members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) minority and the Democratic leader of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding answers about deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, following reports that the aircraft carrier’s crew has endured food and water shortages, broken plumbing, and mental health crises severe enough that multiple sailors reportedly attempted to go overboard during its record-setting deployment. The Lincoln has been at sea for more than 250 days, including over 200 consecutive days without a port call, the longest continuous deployment at sea for a U.S. aircraft carrier in the modern era.

The Senators pressed Secretary Hegseth on his Department’s failure to provide a clear timeline for the crew’s return and condemned his public dismissal of the reports as “completely misrepresented,” as well as President Trump’s remarks suggesting the Lincoln had not been deployed “nearly long enough.” The Senators demanded detailed answers on mental health and medical resources aboard the ship, the state of good order and discipline, hygiene and food conditions, the full extent of the reported man-overboard incident, and support being provided to military families, along with a formal request for a bipartisan congressional delegation to visit the ship.

In addition to Senator Murray, the letter was signed by the following SASC members: Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senator Angus King (I-ME), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, also joined.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

We write regarding the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and mounting evidence that conditions aboard the carrier have deteriorated to the point that the safety and wellbeing of its crew could be compromised. These are deeply troubling reports, and the American people deserve honest answers.

The USS Lincoln departed San Diego on November 21, 2025. The ship has now been deployed for more than 250 days, including over 200 consecutive days without a port call, setting a modern-day record for continuous time at sea for a U.S. aircraft carrier. Family members of the sailors and Marines serving aboard have received urgent messages describing conditions that should alarm you, and everyone serving in a position of leadership at the Pentagon, to include concerns about exhaustion, food and water shortages, and mental health crises serious enough that multiple sailors reportedly attempted to go overboard.

In response to these reports, you publicly stated that the conditions aboard the carrier have been “completely misrepresented.” Even more galling, when asked by reporters about the conditions on the Lincoln, President Trump dismissed the concerns of the families and stated that the Lincoln had not been deployed “nearly long enough.”

Our sailors and Marines signed up to serve and to be treated with respect. They did not sign up to be kept at sea indefinitely with no announced return date and, by multiple accounts, without reliable food, hot water, or working plumbing. That is not how we treat the men and women we ask to carry out this mission.

This situation was preventable, and the conditions aboard the Lincoln are nearly identical to the issues faced by the USS Ford when it conducted an extended deployment that ended earlier this year. The USS Lincoln was redirected to the Middle East as the war with Iran began and has remained there as that war has dragged on with no clear endpoint. This is a symptom of poor planning by both you and the President and exacerbated by the deeply unsound decision to start a war with Iran. Open-ended deployments driven by an open-ended war have real consequences for our servicemembers, and we are seeing those consequences now.

Recent press reports indicate that the USS George Washington will be deployed to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. While that is welcome news, the Department’s mismanagement of carrier deployments also means that the U.S. will not have an aircraft carrier in the Pacific for the foreseeable future. However, ensuring the USS Lincoln returns to port takes precedence, and it is incumbent on the Department to inform Congress, and the families, on the plan and timeline to get the crew home. Denial and defensiveness are not acceptable responses. Congress and these families need accountability.

Given the seriousness of these reports, we request written answers to the following:

What is the current timeline for the USS Lincoln’s relief and return to homeport, and what specific operational requirements are driving continued extensions of this deployment?

Was the crew informed that the deployment could be extended indefinitely? Have any members of the crew been changed out since the beginning of this deployment, and if so, how many?

Has there been any degradation in the operational capability of the USS Lincoln or her airwing?

What mental health resources are being provided to the crew?

Have there been any suicides aboard the ship during this deployment? How many instances of detected suicidal ideation or attempted self-harm, including attempts to go overboard, has the Department recorded?

What other medical resources are available aboard the ship, and are resources sufficient to meet the crew’s needs given the length of this deployment?

What chaplain resources are available to the crew, and have they been adequate to the scale of need aboard the ship?

What is the current state of good order and discipline aboard the USS Lincoln?

What is the hygiene and healthy food situation on board, including the status of reported plumbing failures, water contamination, and food shortages?

What is the extent of illness or injury aboard the ship, including full details of the reported man-overboard incident and any other similar incidents?

What is the state of the families of the sailors and Marines aboard the USS Lincoln? What resources are being provided to them, and are they being kept informed on a regular basis about the status of the deployment and their loved ones’ wellbeing?

Will the Department authorize a bipartisan congressional delegation to visit the Lincoln to conduct firsthand oversight of conditions aboard the ship?

As the Secretary of Defense, you are accountable to the men and women who serve our nation. It is time for you to demonstrate leadership, rather than peddle excuses. The servicemembers we send into harm’s way deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-18T05:27:41Z,2026-08-18T05:29:06Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-secures-nearly-30-million-for-ferries-in-wa-murray-made-wa-ferries-eligible-for-rural-ferry-grants-for-first-time-ever/,Senator Murray Secures Nearly $30 Million for Ferries in WA; Murray Made WA Ferries Eligible for Rural Ferry Grants for First Time Ever,2026-08-17,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray authored and passed new language into law to make Washington state eligible for rural ferry grants for the first time ever

Murray leads efforts to fund federal support for urban and rural ferry funding streams

Murray has supported both the Passenger Ferry Grant Program and Rural Ferry Grant Program since both were established

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $22.1 million for King County Metro Transit, and $7.2 million for Washington State Ferries. The funding will support expanding a passenger-only ferry facility in Seattle and operations of rural ferry routes from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands, and Port Townsend to Coupeville. The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Passenger Ferry and Rural Ferry Grant Programs.

“Like so many in Washington state, ferries are a part of my commute, so I know firsthand just how important they are so we can get around to work, a doctor’s appointment, or anywhere else we need to go,” said Senator Murray. “This funding will help make sure ferries are running on time, getting the necessary upgrades, and serving passengers for years to come. We actually use ferries in Washington state not just for tourism, but in our daily lives—so as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee I wrote our funding bills in a way to make sure they work for and benefit Washington state. Now, for the first time ever, Washington state is receiving funding from the rural ferry grant program—and I’ll be working to keep building on this progress.”

“We are grateful for Senator Murray’s strong advocacy for Washinton State Ferries. The $7 million Essential Rural Ferry Operating Assistance will support vital operations to ferry-dependent communities in the San Juan Islands. We thank Senator Murray for championing WSF’s access to rural funding to support service that is so critical to Washingtonians,” said Governor Bob Ferguson.

“King County’s natural beauty and unique geography are part of what make this region such an incredible place to call home. Thanks to Senator Murray, we have secured funding that will help us invest in the infrastructure that keeps our region moving, giving us the potential to expand transit options in West Seattle and Vashon Island,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “This funding means we are a step closer to expanding transportation options in West Seattle and continuing reliable and safe access for Vashon residents getting to school, medical appointments, work, or a day of shopping downtown.”

“Passenger-only ferry service has become an important route for people in both King and Kitsap Counties,” said Metro General Manager Michelle Allison. “This grant doubles the docks available for vessels, which ultimately supports more frequent service that will encourage people to leave their cars at home and ride into Seattle via the Salish Sea. Thank you, Senator Murray, for securing the funding that will help transform this proposal into reality.”

“In Anacortes, the ferries are how our neighbors get to work, how families get to medical appointments, and how the San Juan Islands stay connected to the rest of Washington. I grew up watching both of my parents work at the Anacortes ferry terminal, and I know the pride the crews take in keeping these boats running and how much our community depends on them showing up, run after run. Senator Murray understands that our ferries are part of daily life here, not just our tourism season, and so she changed federal law so Washington routes could finally compete for rural ferry funding. Anacortes is grateful to her for delivering this investment in our terminal, our routes, and the people who rely on them,” said Ryan Walters, Mayor of Anacortes.

In the FY26 transportation funding bill, Senator Murray secured $25 million for the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, which is $5 million above last year’s funding level. Washington State Ferries has successfully competed for funding through this program before.

Senator Murray also secured $20 million for the Rural Ferry Grant Program, and—importantly—authored new language in the funding bill she negotiated to ensure Washington State Ferries can compete for this funding and applied this new language to prior fiscal year funding that remained available for rural ferry grants.

The Rural Ferry Grant Program was recently established as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation Murray helped pass as then-Assistant Democratic Leader.

###",1,2026-08-19T05:29:02Z,2026-08-19T05:30:24Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/new-dhs-deploys-freshly-acquired-jets-to-shuttle-trump-officials-including-kash-patel-tom-homan-around-in-luxury/,NEW: DHS Deploys Freshly Acquired Jets to Shuttle Trump Officials—including Kash Patel & Tom Homan—Around in Luxury,2026-08-13,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray and Murphy Blast Wasteful Spending, Demand Answers

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA),Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin blasting DHS’ acquisition of 12 new planes—including 5 new luxury jets—and its plans to use those aircraft to ferry Trump administration officials around.

They also sent the letter to the DHS Inspector General, noting that the acquisition and use of the planes merits investigation by his office.

“It has come to our attention that the Department of Homeland Security is effectively running an in-house private jet service for Trump administration officials with a slew of new luxury jets and other airplanes it has acquired and begun providing to officials over the last year,” Murray and Murphy write to Mullin. “This includes providing jet services not only for DHS officials like yourself, but also for White House Border Czar Tom Homan, other administration officials, members of the first family, and even the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel.”

The lawmakers blasted the wasteful use of funds and noted that the acquisitions of the planes is almost certainly unlawful, as well: “The Department’s purchase of these airplanes to shuttle administration officials around the globe demonstrates a remarkable disregard for American taxpayers who work hard and expect government officials to responsibly manage their tax dollars, not burn them on extravagant luxury jets. These acquisitions also raise serious legal concerns, as Congress has not provided the necessary legal authorization for DHS to purchase these planes, much less run a private jet service for government executives.”

Murray and Murphy write that Republicans in Congress have delivered over a quarter of a trillion dollars to DHS through two partisan reconciliation bills, but note that: “instead of using the staggering amount of funding provided to DHS to actually improve the lives of Americans by requiring basic compliance with the Fourth Amendment, acquiring and deploying body-worn cameras to every law enforcement officer in the field, mandating minimum officer identification, or properly training new hires, this administration has lit taxpayer dollars on fire by acquiring new and unnecessary planes to jet Trump officials around in extreme luxury.”

They ask for basic information about the acquisitions and plans for the planes and conclude by urging Secretary Mullin to sell the planes and work with Congress to steer the funds to more important priorities: “[W]e hope that you will sell off these unnecessary luxury jets and airplanes acquired by DHS and return the funding to American taxpayers. We would be happy to work with you and our colleagues in Congress to return those dollars to the Treasury and put them to better use making sure Americans can afford health care, rent, and groceries.”

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Markwayne Mullin

Secretary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE

Washington, D.C. 20528

Secretary Mullin,

It has come to our attention that the Department of Homeland Security (“Department” or “DHS”) is effectively running an in-house private jet service for Trump administration officials with a slew of new luxury jets and other airplanes it has acquired and begun providing to officials over the last year. This includes providing jet services not only for DHS officials like yourself, but also for White House Border Czar Tom Homan, other administration officials, members of the first family, and even the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel. In total, DHS has acquired 12 new aircraft, including 5 extravagant new luxury jets, using funds provided in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). These jets were acquired and provided for officials’ use, even though no authorization was ever provided by Congress to buy any airplanes, much less to support executive travel.[1]

The Department’s purchase of these airplanes to shuttle administration officials around the globe demonstrates a remarkable disregard for American taxpayers who work hard and expect government officials to responsibly manage their tax dollars, not burn them on extravagant luxury jets. These acquisitions also raise serious legal concerns, as Congress has not provided the necessary legal authorization for DHS to purchase these planes, much less run a private jet service for government executives.[2]

Over the last year, Republicans in Congress have, on a party-line basis, delivered the Department a remarkable windfall totaling over a quarter of a trillion dollars outside of the annual appropriations process. Republicans first approved $190 billion for DHS in the OBBBA last summer. Then, after refusing to enact basic reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol following rampant abuses, including the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, they voted to deliver DHS another $70 billion in funding this summer,[3] which was largely earmarked for ICE and Border Patrol and came with no strings attached.

But instead of using the staggering amount of funding provided to DHS to actually improve the lives of Americans by requiring basic compliance with the Fourth Amendment, acquiring and deploying body-worn cameras to every law enforcement officer in the field, mandating minimum officer identification, or properly training new hires, this administration has lit taxpayer dollars on fire by acquiring new and unnecessary planes to jet Trump officials around in extreme luxury that the vast majority of Americans will never experience.

For example, in the midst of last fall’s government shutdown, your predecessor spent nearly $200 million of OBBBA funds provided for the Coast Guard to acquire:

Two Gulfstream 700 luxury business jets, a model Gulfstream describes as “the pinnacle of business aviation excellence,” which boasts “the most spacious cabin in the industry.”[4] The jets were acquired despite the fact that DHS already owns two Gulfstream jets to support executive travel and despite the fact that DHS had never raised the need for any additional jets in any of its annual budget requests. The Department stole money that should have been used to support modernization of the Coast Guard’s fleet, meet operational needs, and improve military readiness to instead purchase two new luxury jets to shuttle the DHS Secretary and Deputy Secretary around the globe.

DHS also spent OBBBA funds provided for ICE to acquire 10 additional aircraft. To justify the purchases, DHS previously claimed they would all be used to support removal operations in some way.[5] Now, it says these planes are being used for the following purposes:

Two Gulfstream G650 luxury business jets, ultra-long-range aircraft that seat up to 15 passengers. One of the G650s has already been leased to the FBI for 12 months to support Director Patel’s travel—despite the fact that the FBI already has its own jets to support the Director’s travel. The other G650 is currently being retrofitted for deployment to support Border Czar Homan and undisclosed DHS officials’ travel, according to the Department.

One Boeing 737-8 MAX business jet, a modified ultra-luxury jet that DHS acquired fully equipped with a bedroom and other luxury amenities like a shower, kitchen, bar, and flatscreen TVs—amenities that even Air Force Two lacks. Despite these features, DHS claimed the jet would “serve dual missions—both as ICE deportation flights and for cabinet level travel.”[6] Now, DHS has informed us the bedroom is being removed, and the plane will remain in ICE’s ownership but be loaned to the Department of Defense (DOD) to fly undisclosed cabinet-level officials. It has also been reported the jet will be used to fly the First Lady around.[7]

Seven Boeing 737s, a commercial aircraft that can seat upwards of 200 passengers. DHS claims four of these aircraft will be used to support Congressional Delegations (CODELs) but has not provided information on why it is necessary or a permissible use of funds for DHS to purchase these aircraft. DHS states three of the aircraft will soon support ICE deportation flights. Top former DHS officials and industry experts have noted that these acquisitions waste tax dollars,[8] and we remain alarmed by how ICE may use these planes to support the administration’s lawless immigration enforcement campaign. One aviation industry executive said that: “It’s hard to see this as anything but a waste of public money.”[9]

The American people deserve a full accounting of this gross misuse of their tax dollars, and Congress needs more information to conduct sorely-needed oversight and to appropriately craft this coming year’s funding bill for the Department. The misuse of these funds also merits investigation by DHS’s Inspector General, and we have copied him on this letter to make him aware of our concerns.

Instead of extending tax credits to lower Americans’ health care costs or investing to help families afford child care and housing, Republicans in Congress chose to make historic cuts to health care and nutrition assistance in order to cut taxes for the ultra-rich and provide DHS with more money for immigration enforcement than the budget of nearly every military in the world. We fought Republicans’ backward legislation to supercharge DHS’s budget, but we believe every lawmaker should at minimum agree that Americans’ tax dollars should not be wasted on lavish new jets to shuttle DHS officials, the FBI director, and an undisclosed number of other Trump officials and family members around the globe in extraordinary comfort.

DHS has repeatedly noted that as Secretary you are focused on being “the best possible steward of taxpayer dollars.”[10] Accordingly, we ask that you furnish the information requested below, and we hope that you will sell off these unnecessary luxury jets and airplanes acquired by DHS and return the funding to American taxpayers. We would be happy to work with you and our colleagues in Congress to return those dollars to the Treasury and put them to better use making sure Americans can afford health care, rent, and groceries.

Please provide the following by August 26, 2026:

Contract details for the purchase of each plane;

Contracts for any/all retrofitting and missionization of each plane;

Cost analysis for the operations and maintenance of each plane for the life cycle of the plane;

Flight logs to date, including the names and titles of passengers, origination, destination, and purpose of travel;

A copy of the lease agreement with the FBI for the G650 jet;

A copy of the loan agreement with DOD for the Boeing 737-8 MAX business jet; and

The legal justifications for the purchase, operation, and maintenance, as well as planned uses, of these aircraft.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-14T06:13:05Z,2026-08-14T06:14:08Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-gov-ferguson-yakima-leaders-to-celebrate-affordable-housing-complex-grand-opening,"Cantwell Joins Gov. Ferguson, Yakima Leaders To Celebrate Affordable Housing Complex Grand Opening",2026-08-12,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins Gov. Ferguson, Yakima Leaders To Celebrate Affordable Housing Complex Grand Opening

Casa De La Mora offers 73 units for low-income households, people with disabilities, and young adults exiting foster care; Project financing included $15.67 million in equity generated by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program that Cantwell has long-championed to increase the supply of affordable homes

YAKIMA, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, Yakima elected officials, and leaders from Catholic Charities for the grand opening of Casa De La Mora, a 73-unit affordable complex that will house people with disabilities, young adults exiting homelessness or foster care, and low-income households.

“This is changing lives,” Sen. Cantwell said. “It is the transformative element that might get somebody from just existing to thriving again.”

“Washington is standing out as a national leader in youth and youth-adult homelessness, and Casa de la Mora will be a brilliant example of that. From 2016 to 2023, Washington State saw 40 percent reduction in youth and youth-adult homelessness,” she continued.

“But despite these advancements, we've seen 14,000 young people remain unstably housed or homeless, which makes this development project so much more important. It's going to show that real solutions exist in the community, and that those solutions not only help these young people, but they help our economy by creating a workforce and stability for them and their families.”

The event included a press conference, followed by a tour of the Casa De La Mora units and site. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks are HERE; a transcript is HERE; and photos are HERE.

The $32 million project was financed in part using $15.67 million in equity generated from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). The LIHTC program is administered by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) and provides federal tax credits to private developers and investors to build and fix up affordable rental housing for low-income residents.",1,2026-08-13T06:17:16Z,2026-08-13T06:18:13Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-interior-sec-burgum-in-spokane-for-fire-briefing,Cantwell Joins Interior Sec. Burgum in Spokane For Fire Briefing,2026-08-12,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins Interior Sec. Burgum in Spokane For Fire Briefing

SPOKANE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum at a briefing about response to and recovery from the fires that devastated the Spokane community earlier this month.

“At today’s briefing with Sec. Burgum, U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy, and local fire chiefs, we discussed the next steps in responding to the fires and collecting information for a federal disaster declaration,” Sen. Cantwell said.

“We also learned that this situation could have been a lot worse. We should be thankful for that, and we should be thankful for California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 and the firefighters who have continued to respond after the incident.

“There was a lot of discussion about technology and how we need to invest in it more so we can have even faster responses.

“Lahaina, Palisades, and now Spokane. We're seeing these big urban events that can do so much damage in a short period of time. Today we discussed what policies need to change and the practices we need to improve to be better prepared.”

On Sunday, August 2, the day after the fires broke out, Sen. Cantwell visited county and city command centers in Spokane and took part in a press briefing about the devastating fires there.

On Tuesday, August 4, Sen. Cantwell called for improved wildfire preparedness in a U.S. Senate roundtable with Chief Bob Roper of the Western Chiefs Fire Association and other experts. “We just have to move faster,” said Sen. Cantwell. “My heart goes out to the people of Washington who are dealing with this across our state, particularly in Spokane, and in the Lake Chelan area as well.”

In September 2025, Sen. Cantwell’s Fire Ready Nation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act would formally establish a permanent Fire Weather Services program within NOAA and authorize funding for new technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and impact wildfires.

A background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.",1,2026-08-13T06:17:16Z,2026-08-13T06:18:13Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-joins-senate-colleagues-in-demanding-state-department-process-student-visas-without-delays/,Murray Joins Senate Colleagues in Demanding State Department Process Student Visas Without Delays,2026-08-12,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined 29 of her Senate colleagues in expressing concern about the unavailability of student and exchange visitor visa appointments in time for the start of the academic year and demanding answers regarding delays in processing of these applications at U.S. embassies and consulates.

“We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness,” wrote the Senators. “Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students’ visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies.”

The Senators highlighted the vital contributions international students make to universities and communities nationwide, including expanding opportunities for American students, generating economic activity, strengthening the U.S. workforce, and building international partnerships.

“International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students,” continued the Senators. “International students also improve our national security by fostering global relationships, cross cultural understanding, and long-lasting diplomatic ties. These benefits are at risk if visa processing delays persist.”

The Senators urged the State Department to ensure the timely review and processing of student and exchange visitor visas, extend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicants, provide sufficient staffing for visa processing, and improve transparency and engagement with stakeholders. The Senators also requested an explanation within 30 days about the causes of the delays and the measures being implemented to ensure student and exchange visitor visa applications are processed in a timely manner moving forward.

In addition to Senator Murray, the letter was signed by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Rubio,

We write to express our concerns regarding the ongoing unavailability of visa appointments during the peak visa application season for students and scholars seeking to enter the U.S. in time for the start of classes and the academic year. We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness. Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students’ visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies.

These challenges come at a time when major academic institutions need skilled, international talent to begin their semesters. Without a fix, the repercussions will be felt across the academic and skilled-technical talent pipeline.

International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students. For every additional international undergraduate enrolled at a U.S. public university, two additional in-state freshman students can enroll. Most international students pay out-of state tuition, injecting vital revenue into our colleges and universities and helping keep costs down for domestic students. International students also improve our national security by fostering global relationships, cross cultural understanding, and long-lasting diplomatic ties. These benefits are at risk if visa processing delays persist.

The case-by-case nature of availability for access to expedited appointments or National Interest Exception requests is neither efficient nor sustainable. Instead of diverting already limited personnel resources, the State Department should ensure that its consular sections restore priority to interview, adjudicate, and process student visas in time for the upcoming school year.

In addition to the above, we urge the State Department to extend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicants; ensure adequate staffing for timely visa vetting and processing; and meaningfully engage with stakeholders to promote greater transparency.

International students bolster the American workforce, drive innovation, and better position our country to maintain its competitive edge. Therefore, we request a written response answering these questions within 30 days:

What resources has the Department devoted to processing the backlogs and streamlining processing of F, J, and M visas?

Have consular process priorities changed since the spring and summer of 2025? What visa interview categories are currently prioritized by the Bureau of Consular Affairs and where do student visas fall within that list? Provide the list of visa interview prioritization.

What guidance has been sent to embassies and consulates regarding prioritization or deprioritization of student and exchange visitor visa processing? Provide a copy of all guidance regarding the prioritizing or deprioritizing of student and exchange visitor visas since August 2025 until the present day.

How are interview slots being allocated at embassies and consulates and where do student and exchange visitor visa appointments fit within that allocation?

How often are consular post websites and the main State Department website updated for relevant and current information regarding current U.S. consulate operations including visa appointment availability and approximate processing times?

When will you resume publicly posting monthly, accurate visa issuance data by category?

Will the Department commit to implementing regular, ongoing outreach and collaboration with stakeholders and relevant agencies about the student and exchange visitor visa process and ensure the timely processing of F, J, and M visas?

How do you ensure that embassies and consulates are accurately and timely informed of any regulatory or policy changes regarding student and exchange visitor visas?

What are the average processing times for F, M, and J visas at the top five locations processing these visas from September 2025 to date, disaggregated by month?

Last year, the Department of State announced new vetting, including online presence vetting, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classification.

What resources has the Department of State devoted to these new vetting procedures?

In developing these new vetting procedures, what steps has your Department taken to ensure our national security interests of welcoming bona fide international students in our communities can still be achieved through timely processing of F, J, and M visas.

How many applications have been refused pursuant to the new enhanced vetting procedures? Please disaggregate these numbers by the basis for refusal.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-13T06:17:16Z,2026-08-13T06:18:13Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-wyden-warnock-and-senate-democrats-call-to-stop-red-tape-requirements-in-medicaid/,"Murray, Wyden, Warnock, and Senate Democrats Call to Stop Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid",2026-08-11,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Full Senate Democratic Caucus Calls for Withdrawal of CMS Rule Imposing Strict Requirements on Americans Trying to Get and Keep Medicaid Coverage

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), joined Senators Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee (D-OR), and Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and all 47 members of Senate Democratic caucus in a call for the Trump administration to withdraw a rule to implement work reporting requirements for Medicaid that will take effect at the beginning of 2027.

“We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans,” the senators wrote. “States are not prepared to implement the agency’s onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.”

In the letter sent to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, the senators make clear that attempts to implement these requirements will result in high costs and harm to eligible people.

The letter also emphasized that the Trump administration’s definition of medical frailty far exceeds what is outlined in the law itself and creates additional onerous barriers for both patients and states that will result in sick Americans falling through the cracks.

Red tape requirements are an attempt to suffocate the Medicaid program and deny health care to the Americans who count on it. Senate Democrats continue to support the full repeal of Republicans’ disastrous Medicaid cuts and stand united in calling on the Trump administration to withdraw this harmful rule.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Administrator Oz,

We write to urge you to withdraw the Administration’s interim final rule (IFR) implementing the Medicaid work reporting requirements passed by Congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump last year in H.R. 1. These policies will not increase employment and will instead lead to millions of Americans needlessly losing their health coverage. We support full repeal of all of H.R. 1’s Medicaid cuts. In the absence of Congressional action, CMS must delay implementation. States are not prepared to implement the agency’s onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.

This rule transforms Medicaid from a health care program into a bureaucratic maze that will fail eligible Americans. It will strip coverage not because people are not already working or refuse to work, but because they cannot navigate a complex web of forms, passwords, and deadlines. Implementing ineffective, exclusionary work reporting requirements will create costly administrative barriers and deny Americans access to health care, resulting in poorer health, higher mortality, and reduced financial security. This rule does little to mitigate anticipated harms and makes exceptionally cruel and arbitrary choices with regard to medical frailty, significantly subverting the Congressional intent of this particular exemption.

Nearly all adults with Medicaid (92%) are already working, going to school, caregiving, or have a disability. Moreover, an extensive body of evidence demonstrates that work reporting requirements do not promote employment but rather increase medical debt, delay care and contribute to poorer health outcomes. In its assessment of H.R. 1, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected an estimated 5.3 million enrollees will lose coverage by 2034, not accounting for the IFR’s even more stringent and burdensome requirements concerning the medical frailty exception. This evidence was not considered in the drafting of the IFR.

Similarly, the IFR fails to acknowledge or account for states’ ineffectual and costly experiences implementing work reporting requirements. When Arkansas implemented similar requirements, 18,000 people lost coverage in just five months. They didn’t lose their Medicaid coverage because they suddenly found jobs with health benefits; they lost it because they didn’t have internet access, never received the notices, or couldn’t log into a glitchy state website. Michigan was poised to implement these work reporting requirements but paused the programs when they received astronomical coverage loss projections of 80,000 enrollees (33 percent of participants). In Georgia, the state spent $91,000,000 in taxpayer dollars to build a “work requirement” tracking system that often experienced technical failures. This translates to $13,000 per enrollee in administrative costs – almost five times higher than total spending on health care benefits for enrollees. Further, a recent study looking at these requirements in Georgia added to the body of evidence that they do not increase employment.

CMS’ Onerous Definition of Medical Frailty Subverts Congressional Intent

H.R. 1 includes explicit exemptions for individuals who are determined to be medically frail, including those with disabling mental disorders, substance use disorders, disabilities, or complex medical conditions. In including these exemptions, the statute provided protections for some of the most vulnerable Americans, while preserving states’ flexibility to determine how medical frailty should be defined and operationalized. However, the IFR impermissibly adds extrastatutory restrictions and requirements to this statutory exemption, limiting it to individuals whose disability or condition significantly impairs their ability to comply with the work reporting requirement.

By attempting to rewrite the standard from the existence of a condition to its demonstrated impact on an individual’s ability to work, the IFR establishes a much narrower pathway to the exemption than H.R. 1 permits.

CMS asserts authority for this expansion through the statutory phrase “as defined by the Secretary,” but a limited delegation to define specific conditions is not authority to override the categorical structure Congress enacted. This is legal overreach, not a policy choice. And this legal overreach, if maintained, will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans, states, and health care providers.

States will face significant challenges operationalizing this narrower definition of medical frailty, and individuals will face challenges showing they meet the definition. The new standard will force the Medicaid program to take on completely novel responsibilities that are more akin to workers’ compensation than health insurance. States will not be able to rely on automation nor implement the law in a way that protects individuals with health needs, likely needing to revamp information technology (IT) systems; add new eligibility staff and call center support; modify applications, renewal forms, and educational materials; and train health care providers on how to assess and document whether someone’s condition “significantly impairs” their ability to work, a task that will be brand new to many providers.

The IFR forces vulnerable Americans to quite literally prove they are “sick enough” to deserve health care. In practice, a person in the middle of a mental health crisis or a course of cancer treatment, or someone managing severe substance use disorder, will be forced to secure explicit provider attestations linking their illness to their capacity to work. If they cannot jump through this hoop, the penalty is severe: they are cut off from the very medical care they need to survive.

Unfair Medical Frailty Verification Requirements Burden Sick Patients and Providers

In addition to the limitations imposed by the medical frailty definition put forth by this rule, the verification and self-attestation requirements impose infeasible expectations on individuals. Beginning in 2028, the rule directs states to implement a stricter documentation verification regime that will drive up administrative costs, overwhelm already-stretched eligibility staff, and push people off coverage. The verification requirements in 2027 compared with 2028 function as a bait-and-switch: to the extent that implementation looks potentially manageable in the first year, then procedural barriers and coverage losses spike when the documentation default kicks in. In particular, the rule holds people who should qualify for the medical frailty exemption to a higher standard of evidence than for all other eligibility requirements or exemptions/exclusions (e.g., caregiving, being a veteran, or being incarcerated), requiring significant documentation that goes well beyond self-attestation starting in 2028.

Year-Round Paperwork Requirements Will Exacerbate Coverage Loss

There is a long-standing requirement for states to process an application within 45-days as a patient protection, so people are not waiting for their coverage to kick in. The IFR creates a new exception to this timeliness standard, effectively permitting states to process applications on longer timeframes. In providing this exception to states, CMS is acknowledging that states are unlikely to meet the standard patient protection because of increased paperwork burdens, an implicit recognition of the harm to come. This exception is even more harmful to beneficiaries when combined with the H.R. 1 policy that requires states to reverify eligibility for individuals in the expansion group and comprehensive 1115 waivers every six months, in addition to the fact that the law provides States the option to conduct more frequent verifications of compliance with the work reporting requirement. CMS acknowledges that the IFR creates a nearly impossible timing problem and offers no solution while barreling on with ill-advised and devastating policies. By combining the six-month eligibility renewal requirement with ongoing work-reporting checks, this rule ensures that families are never not in the process of signing up for health care, effectively setting a structural trap. The red tape gauntlet Americans will have to contend with to maintain health insurance coverage will be constant. A family will barely finish submitting documents for one review cycle before the state triggers the next, creating hurdles that are particularly burdensome for hourly workers with volatile schedules, single parents, and individuals with fluctuating health conditions.

The Rule Requires State and Local Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for Costly System Upgrades

The IFR creates even more administrative barriers and paperwork hurdles for individuals attempting to enroll in or keep their Medicaid coverage than the statute permits. This manifests in both more costly and onerous technology requirements for states as well as unnecessary hoops for individuals to jump through. In H.R. 1, Congressional Republicans provided a total of $200 million for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in FY 2026 to support the system upgrades they will need to comply with the law. However, in the IFR, CMS itself estimates that each state will spend approximately $15 million on systems changes, totaling nearly $700 million for the 44 states that are required to implement these changes, nearly four times the amount provided to states in the law. Recent reporting shows that state estimates of the costs to implement these requirements are significantly higher; North Carolina, for example, expects it will need to spend an estimated $31.2 million annually to enforce these requirements. While CMS announced in January 2026 that the agency secured deep discounts for states on implementation costs, no details have been released about these arrangements. As the price tag of Medicaid work reporting requirements continues to rise, every dollar spent by states to implement this new red tape is a dollar that could have instead been used to provide health care to vulnerable Americans. We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans. This rule does not strengthen Medicaid; it dismantles it, turning a program designed to protect vulnerable Americans into a system that systematically denies them care.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-12T06:18:38Z,2026-08-12T06:20:33Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senators-to-rfk-jr-why-was-a-trump-aligned-firm-with-no-immigration-experience-considered-for-no-bid-contract-to-represent-unaccompanied-children/,Senators to RFK Jr.: Why Was a Trump-Aligned Firm With No Immigration Experience Considered for No-Bid Contract to Represent Unaccompanied Children?,2026-08-11,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding he explain why the Trump administration planned to award a no-bid contract to a Trump-aligned law firm with no apparent immigration law experience, allowing them to represent unaccompanied children who are in the care and custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).

“Given the political connections between the firm’s senior leadership and the Trump administration, we have concerns about why you sidestepped the competitive bidding process to select this firm to provide legal services for children who are in ORR care and custody, and demand transparency into whether all federal procurement processes were followed,” the senators wrote. “Children deserve competent representation by attorneys who practice at the intersection of child welfare and federal immigration law, but Americans also deserve to know why their federal dollars are being doled out to Trump’s friends and allies.”

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through ORR, has an obligation to ensure that unaccompanied children are provided competent legal aid as they navigate the immigration process. Despite this, Secretary Kennedy has cut legal service funding for 26,000 unaccompanied children, proposing to shift funding to the Trump-aligned Burke Law Group, despite the firm’s lack of experience protecting the rights of immigrant children.

“The firm appears to have little relevant experience with the legal and practical challenges that children face, raising serious concerns about the firm’s ability to provide not just representation but adequate, zealous representation,” the senators added. “Within hours of the notice in the Federal Register, the firm appears to have updated their website to include content about immigrant youth that didn’t exist on the website the previous day. At best, this is concerning, and at worst, it is a part of a coordinated scheme to paper over the firm’s lack of experience.”

Burke Law Group’s inexperience in the area of the law they would be contracted to perform could result in serious harm for the nearly 2,000 children in ORR’s care. The firm itself employs 26 people in total, adding an additional concern about the firm’s capacity to provide adequate legal representation to innocent children, let alone its competency to do so. Instead, the only clear outcome of this contracting award is that another Trump-aligned business will receive millions from the Trump administration.

In the letter, the senators demanded that Secretary Kennedy provide transparency as to why the Burke Law Group was considered for this contract and details about the firm’s plans to provide legal assistance to unaccompanied children.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Secretary Kennedy,

We are alarmed by the recent news that the Trump administration intends to award $150 million to a Houston law firm with close ties to President Trump and no apparent expertise in immigration law, to provide legal representation to unaccompanied children. Given the political connections between the firm’s senior leadership and the Trump administration, we have concerns about why you sidestepped the competitive bidding process to select this firm to provide legal services for children who are in the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s care and custody, and demand transparency into whether all federal procurement processes were followed. Children deserve competent representation by attorneys who practice at the intersection of child welfare and federal immigration law, but Americans also deserve to know why their federal dollars are being doled out to Trump’s friends and allies.

Most Americans agree children should not be forced to navigate the complex immigration process without adequate counsel, and Congress has enacted several provisions and funded counsel for these children for many years. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), to “ensure, to the greatest extent practicable . . . that all unaccompanied alien children . . . have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings or matters and protect them from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking.” Recently, ORR moved to withhold funding from over 100 legal services providers that had provided counsel to children for decades, which essentially cut off all funding for representation of approximately 26,000 unaccompanied children currently navigating the immigration court process.

Yet, seemingly overnight, ORR bypassed the competitive bidding process entirely, awarding the Burke Law Group (“the firm”) a one-year single-source cooperative agreement. We are awaiting final details, but the new agreement appears to cover around 1,800 children currently in ORR custody.

The firm appears to have little relevant experience with the legal and practical challenges that children face, raising serious concerns about the firm’s ability to provide not just representation but adequate, zealous representation. Within hours of the notice in the Federal Register, the firm appears to have updated their website to include content about immigrant youth that didn’t exist on the website the previous day. At best, this is concerning, and at worst, it is a part of a coordinated scheme to paper over the firm’s lack of experience. Furthermore, the firm’s senior leadership has political ties to the Trump administration. One of the founders of the firm was a Trump appointee – to an agency with no involvement in either child welfare or immigration law – and still another founding partner now serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has a questionable connection to harms perpetuated against detainees at immigration detention centers.

Consistent with the TVPRA, Congress has funded, and ORR administered, robust legal services to unaccompanied children under past Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Counsel for children should have at a bare minimum, experience and knowledge of the complex laws, policies, and dynamics of the intersection of immigration and child welfare law. Beyond the professional duty of legal competence, there is long-standing concern about adequate representation by qualified counsel for this vulnerable population, which is why Congress authorized and funded the program originally. HHS has yet to clarify how a 26-person Houston-based law firm will be able to adequately satisfy the TVPRA’s mandate to provide representation for unaccompanied children in ORR’s care and custody.

For these reasons and our deep concern regarding the treatment and protection of unaccompanied children, we call for an independent, timely, transparent, and public investigation at both the state12 and federal level into this award, with the full cooperation of ORR and HHS.

We request the following information and responses to questions by August 25, 2026.

Please provide:

Names of all legal services providers considered for this cooperative agreement. Please include the type of provider (e.g., law firm, nonprofit) and their qualifications.

A copy of the firm’s application for the award.

A copy of the cooperative agreement and justification for single-source funding.

All communications between employees of the firm and agency personnel at ORR and HHS.

Copies of the merits determination for this agreement and the compliance justification for why the agreement is in line with the grants policy agreement.

Questions:

Nothing in this agreement discusses how children who were already represented will be supported by the firm or how such children will be transferred to attorneys of the firm.

What is the firm’s plan to ensure adequate continuity, experience, and knowledge in taking these cases, including its anticipated case-per-attorney ratio?

What, if any, subcontractors will the firm employ or plan to employ to handle the workload?

Describe the firm’s coordination, if any, with the supplemental cooperative agreement awardee, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

There are currently only two attorneys at the firm listed as having any immigration experience. How is the cooperative agreement expected to ensure proper legal representation of approximately 1,800 children in ORR custody?

Will firm attorneys be required to convey a represented child’s sensitive personal information, or information of the represented child’s family members or prospective sponsors, to ORR or DHS without specific and credible reason to believe such information-sharing is in the best interest of the represented child?

Please explain what the firm is expected to share with ORR or HHS, including who will have access to such information, the cadence by which that information will be shared, and the purpose of such information-sharing.

Please also explain how the firm will be in compliance with ABA Model Rule 1.6 and Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct 1.05 and 1.06, involving a client’s informed consent.

How will this firm be handling ‘Know Your Rights’ presentations and legal consultations? How will they be providing these services to children not in Texas? Please clarify whether these services will be provided in-person or virtually.

Sincerely,",1,2026-08-13T06:17:16Z,2026-08-13T06:18:13Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-and-colleagues-call-on-administration-to-delay-red-tape-requirements-in-medicaid,Cantwell & Colleagues Call on Administration to Delay Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid,2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell & Colleagues Call on Administration to Delay Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid

Full Senate Democratic caucus calls for withdrawal of CMS rule imposing onerous and subjective work requirements on vulnerable Americans trying to get & keep Medicaid coverage; Senators: “Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined all 47 members of the Senate Democratic caucus in calling on the Trump administration to withdraw a rule to implement work reporting requirements for Medicaid that will take effect at the beginning of 2027.

“We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans,” the senators wrote. “States are not prepared to implement the agency's onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.”

In the letter sent to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, the senators make clear that attempts to implement these requirements will result in high costs and harm to eligible people. In Georgia’s first year using work reporting requirements, the state spent five times as much on administrative costs as on health care benefits for enrollees.

The letter also emphasized that the Trump administration’s definition of medical frailty far exceeds what is outlined in the law itself, and creates additional onerous barriers for both patients and states that will result in sick Americans falling through the cracks.

KFF also noted this week that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that “the 2025 reconciliation law will increase the number of people who are uninsured in 2034 by 10 million” people, with more than half the increase in the uninsured population – more than 5.3 million people – coming from the Medicaid work requirements.

Red tape requirements are an attempt to suffocate the Medicaid program and deny health care to the Americans who count on it. Senate Democrats continue to support the full repeal of Republicans’ disastrous Medicaid cuts, and stand united in calling on the Trump administration to withdraw this harmful rule.

The letter was led by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Full text of the letter is HERE and below.

###

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Department of Health and Human Services

7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244

RE: CMS-2454-IFC

Dear Administrator Oz,

We write to urge you to withdraw the Administration’s interim final rule (IFR) implementing the Medicaid work reporting requirements passed by Congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump last year in H.R. 1. These policies will not increase employment and will instead lead to millions of Americans needlessly losing their health coverage. We support full repeal of all of H.R. 1’s Medicaid cuts. In the absence of Congressional action, CMS must delay implementation. States are not prepared to implement the agency's onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.

This rule transforms Medicaid from a health care program into a bureaucratic maze that will fail eligible Americans. It will strip coverage not because people are not already working or refuse to work, but because they cannot navigate a complex web of forms, passwords, and deadlines. Implementing ineffective, exclusionary work reporting requirements will create costly administrative barriers and deny Americans access to health care, resulting in poorer health, higher mortality, and reduced financial security. This rule does little to mitigate anticipated harms and makes exceptionally cruel and arbitrary choices with regard to medical frailty, significantly subverting the Congressional intent of this particular exemption.

Nearly all adults with Medicaid (92%) are already working, going to school, caregiving, or have a disability. Moreover, an extensive body of evidence demonstrates that work reporting requirements do not promote employment but rather increase medical debt, delay care and contribute to poorer health outcomes. In its assessment of H.R. 1, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected an estimated 5.3 million enrollees will lose coverage by 2034, not accounting for the IFR’s even more stringent and burdensome requirements concerning the medical frailty exception. This evidence was not considered in the drafting of the IFR.

Similarly, the IFR fails to acknowledge or account for states’ ineffectual and costly experiences implementing work reporting requirements. When Arkansas implemented similar requirements, 18,000 people lost coverage in just five months. They didn't lose their Medicaid coverage because they suddenly found jobs with health benefits; they lost it because they didn't have internet access, never received the notices, or couldn't log into a glitchy state website. Michigan was poised to implement these work reporting requirements but paused the programs when they received astronomical coverage loss projections of 80,000 enrollees (33 percent of participants). In Georgia, the state spent $91,000,000 in taxpayer dollars to build a “work requirement” tracking system that often experienced technical failures. This translates to $13,000 per enrollee in administrative costs – almost five times higher than total spending on health care benefits for enrollees. Further, a recent study looking at these requirements in Georgia added to the body of evidence that they do not increase employment.

CMS’ Onerous Definition of Medical Frailty Subverts Congressional Intent

H.R. 1 includes explicit exemptions for individuals who are determined to be medically frail, including those with disabling mental disorders, substance use disorders, disabilities, or complex medical conditions. In including these exemptions, the statute provided protections for some of the most vulnerable Americans, while preserving states' flexibility to determine how medical frailty should be defined and operationalized. However, the IFR impermissibly adds extrastatutory restrictions and requirements to this statutory exemption, limiting it to individuals whose disability or condition significantly impairs their ability to comply with the work reporting requirement. By attempting to rewrite the standard from the existence of a condition to its demonstrated impact on an individual's ability to work, the IFR establishes a much narrower pathway to the exemption than H.R. 1 permits.

CMS asserts authority for this expansion through the statutory phrase “as defined by the Secretary,” but a limited delegation to define specific conditions is not authority to override the categorical structure Congress enacted. This is legal overreach, not a policy choice. And this legal overreach, if maintained, will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans, states, and health care providers.

States will face significant challenges operationalizing this narrower definition of medical frailty, and individuals will face challenges showing they meet the definition. The new standard will force the Medicaid program to take on completely novel responsibilities that are more akin to workers’ compensation than health insurance. States will not be able to rely on automation nor implement the law in a way that protects individuals with health needs, likely needing to revamp information technology (IT) systems; add new eligibility staff and call center support; modify applications, renewal forms, and educational materials; and train health care providers on how to assess and document whether someone’s condition “significantly impairs” their ability to work, a task that will be brand new to many providers.

The IFR forces vulnerable Americans to quite literally prove they are ""sick enough"" to deserve health care. In practice, a person in the middle of a mental health crisis or a course of cancer treatment, or someone managing severe substance use disorder, will be forced to secure explicit provider attestations linking their illness to their capacity to work. If they cannot jump through this hoop, the penalty is severe: they are cut off from the very medical care they need to survive.

Unfair Medical Frailty Verification Requirements Burden Sick Patients and Providers

In addition to the limitations imposed by the medical frailty definition put forth by this rule, the verification and self-attestation requirements impose infeasible expectations on individuals. Beginning in 2028, the rule directs states to implement a stricter documentation verification regime that will drive up administrative costs, overwhelm already-stretched eligibility staff, and push people off coverage. The verification requirements in 2027 compared with 2028 function as a bait-and-switch: to the extent that implementation looks potentially manageable in the first year, then procedural barriers and coverage losses spike when the documentation default kicks in. In particular, the rule holds people who should qualify for the medical frailty exemption to a higher standard of evidence than for all other eligibility requirements or exemptions/exclusions (e.g., caregiving, being a veteran, or being incarcerated), requiring significant documentation that goes well beyond self-attestation starting in 2028.

Year-Round Paperwork Requirements Will Exacerbate Coverage Loss

There is a long-standing requirement for states to process an application within 45-days as a patient protection, so people are not waiting for their coverage to kick in. The IFR creates a new exception to this timeliness standard, effectively permitting states to process applications on longer timeframes. In providing this exception to states, CMS is acknowledging that states are unlikely to meet the standard patient protection because of increased paperwork burdens, an implicit recognition of the harm to come. This exception is even more harmful to beneficiaries when combined with the H.R. 1 policy that requires states to reverify eligibility for individuals in the expansion group and comprehensive 1115 waivers every six months, in addition to the fact that the law provides States the option to conduct more frequent verifications of compliance with the work reporting requirement.

CMS acknowledges that the IFR creates a nearly impossible timing problem and offers no solution while barreling on with ill-advised and devastating policies. By combining the six month eligibility renewal requirement with ongoing work-reporting checks, this rule ensures that families are never not in the process of signing up for health care, effectively setting a structural trap. The red tape gauntlet Americans will have to contend with to maintain health insurance coverage will be constant. A family will barely finish submitting documents for one review cycle before the state triggers the next, creating hurdles that are particularly burdensome for hourly workers with volatile schedules, single parents, and individuals with fluctuating health conditions.

The Rule Requires State and Local Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for Costly System Upgrades

The IFR creates even more administrative barriers and paperwork hurdles for individuals attempting to enroll in or keep their Medicaid coverage than the statute permits. This manifests in both more costly and onerous technology requirements for states as well as unnecessary hoops for individuals to jump through.

In H.R. 1, Congressional Republicans provided a total of $200 million for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in FY 2026 to support the system upgrades they will need to comply with the law. However, in the IFR, CMS itself estimates that each state will spend approximately $15 million on systems changes, totaling nearly $700 million for the 44 states that are required to implement these changes, nearly four times the amount provided to states in the law. Recent reporting shows that state estimates of the costs to implement these requirements are significantly higher; North Carolina, for example, expects it will need to spend an estimated $31.2 million annually to enforce these requirements. While CMS announced in January 2026 that the agency secured deep discounts for states on implementation costs, no details have been released about these arrangements. As the price tag of Medicaid work reporting requirements continues to rise, every dollar spent by states to implement this new red tape is a dollar that could have instead been use to provide health care to vulnerable Americans.

We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans. This rule does not strengthen Medicaid; it dismantles it, turning a program designed to protect vulnerable Americans into a system that systematically denies them care.

Sincerely,",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-bill-to-restore-quinault-indian-nation-lands-advances-to-full-senate,Cantwell Bill to Restore Quinault Indian Nation Lands Advances to Full Senate,2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Bill to Restore Quinault Indian Nation Lands Advances to Full Senate

The Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act protects 72 acres Tribe’s benefit, preserves old growth forest

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs voted to advance U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act. The bill introduced by Sen. Cantwell, who serves as a senior member of the committee, would restore Tribal stewardship over 72 acres, allowing the Quinault Nation to create a living museum and utilize the land for cultural purposes.

Sen. Cantwell introduced the Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act in April 2025, along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Emily Randall (D, WA-06). The bill would transfer 72 acres to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to be held in trust for the benefit of the Tribe.

“Returning 72 acres of the Quinault Indian Nation’s original reservation will restore the Tribe’s ancestral lands and help preserve one of the area’s last remnants of old growth forest as a living museum for future generations,” Sen. Cantwell said after introducing the bill.

The land was originally part of the Quinault Reservation. With the passage of the Dawes Act in 1867, the Quinault Reservation was broken up into 80-acre allotments, many given to individual tribal members. As private interests quickly moved in to buy up the allotments, including Allotment 1157, reservation land was lost to the Tribe.

Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act:

This bill would transfer 72 acres from the U.S. Forest Service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be held in trust for the Quinault Indian Nation.

The 72 acres, known as Allotment 1157, was originally part of the Quinault reservation that was established by the Treaty of Olympia of 1856.

After the passage of the Dawes Act of 1887, the Quinault Indian Reservation was separated into individual allotments and in 1928, Allotment 1157 was given away through a Trust Deed signed by President Calvin Coolidge.

The Allotment was eventually sold to a timber company and was purchased by the U.S. Forest Service in 1996 for conservation.

Allotment 1157 is one of the last remnants of old growth forest, particularly old growth cedar, that were a significant part of the Quinault’s reservation.

The Quinault Nation plans to utilize this land as a living museum for educational purposes, where students and college interns will learn how to preserve other historical places. Trees and downed wood on this land will be utilized for cultural purposes as has been done in the past.

The bill is supported by Jefferson and Grays Harbor counties, the Hoh Tribe, and the Quileute Tribe. Written letters of support are available HERE.

Quinault Indian National President Guy Capoeman released the following statement when the bill was first introduced: “The forced breakup of our reservation erased one of the foundations of our way of life, our view that the land and waters of our homeland were for communal use by all. The Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act will help right a historic wrong. This legislation helps fulfill the promise the United States government made to the Quinault Nation that the lands set aside for the Quinault Indian Reservation will always belong to the Quinault Nation. We thank Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Congresswoman Emily Randall for introducing this important legislation and for her leadership in Congress.”

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-colleagues-condemn-illegal-irs-ice-data-sharing,"Cantwell, Colleagues Condemn Illegal IRS-ICE Data Sharing",2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell, Colleagues Condemn Illegal IRS-ICE Data Sharing

Amicus brief urges Appeals Court to protect taxpayer privacy against ICE and IRS Overreach

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined nine Senators and 74 U.S. Representatives in submitting an amicus brief supporting the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts in its suit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Last year, the IRS entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing ICE officers to ask the IRS for sensitive information about tax-paying undocumented immigrants. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the agreement from continuing, citing violation of taxpayer privacy laws. The Trump Administration has appealed that decision, and Sen. Cantwell and colleagues are urging the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold the district judge’s decision.

In the last year alone, ICE requested over 1.2 million records from the IRS, and the IRS provided addresses for more than 47,000 individuals to ICE., according to a report by the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

“The data sharing at issue in this case by the [IRS] and [ICE] violates the express terms of the statute and ignores its history,” the lawmakers began. “Congress previously rejected legislative proposals to alter section 6103 and allow the use of return information for immigration enforcement purposes. Instead, Congress and the IRS for decades have done the opposite: promoting voluntary compliance by immigrant taxpayers by protecting their information to ensure tax revenues keep pace with economic activity.”

“The data sharing here was illegal and threatens federal revenue, adversely affecting all taxpayers,” the lawmakers continued. “It would also compromise taxpayer privacy and raise the possibility of grave consequences for individuals misidentified by ICE, chill participation in the tax system, impact our constituents, and destroy public trust.”

“The IRS’s address sharing policy therefore violates the statute, improperly displaces Congress’s legislative judgments, undermines the confidentiality of taxpayer information and taxpayer reliance, and threatens the national fisc,” the lawmakers concluded. “The district court’s preliminary injunction preserves Congress’s unambiguous command that taxpayer information remain confidential unless and until an agency lawfully satisfies the conditions set forth by Congress and longstanding IRS policy and we urge it be upheld.”

In addition to Sen. Cantwell, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and 74 U.S. Representatives joined in submitting the brief.",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-senate-democrats-in-demanding-trump-administration-stop-illegal-voter-roll-purges-before-election-day,Cantwell Joins Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day,2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day

Federal law Cantwell cosponsored protects voter rolls from mass purges close in time to an election

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With midterm elections now 89 days away, and early voting in some states beginning in just 44 days, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a member of Senate Democrats’ task force on election interference, today joined 27 of her Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.

In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the senators reminded the Trump Administration to adhere to the law and refrain from supporting, assisting, or coercing states into conducting mass voter purges prior to the November midterm elections.

The Trump Administration has demanded voter information from all 50 states, losing 20 lawsuits and counting in the process, and a separate court has barred it from misusing federal databases in illegal attempts to remove voters from state voter rolls. In July, President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin escalated these attacks as part of their ongoing efforts to force states to purge voters ahead of the November general election in a presidential speech and subsequent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference. The senators’ letter copies the chief election officers for all 50 states to send a strong signal that Congress is paying close attention to these existing protections in federal law.

“We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90 day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA),” wrote the senators. “Under the NVRA, election officials are supposed to complete any program for ‘systematically’ removing ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be (and in many cases have been) removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities.”

As a freshman Member of the House, then-Rep. Cantwell was an original cosponsor of the NVRA – which was written and led by Washington state’s late Rep. Al Swift (D-WA, 02) – and voting to pass it was among her very first votes in Congress. The senators warned that federal courts have ruled against attempted voter purges that fail to comply with the NVRA’s “quiet period” by attempting mass voter purges.

“In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the ‘quiet period,’ including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters,” continued the senators. “Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.”

The senators reiterated that use of the DHS’ modified SAVE program, already blocked by federal courts for bulk voter list analysis purposes, would be considered illegal activity in the next 90 days, and condemned Mullin’s continued push to advance the program. They also urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to abandon any efforts to obtain state voter rolls, highlighting the agency has lost every federal court case so far.

“We must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings,” wrote the senators. “The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls.”

The senators requested the agencies provide confirmation that they will comply with the NVRA by August 7 to prevent any voter suppression prior to Election Day.

In addition to Sen. Cantwell, the letter was led by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Sen. Cantwell has been a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections:

On July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections.

On July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional.

On July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders.

On June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington.

On June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.

On June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist. President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee. Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation.

On June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States.

On June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections.

On June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation.

On April 29, she was tapped by Majority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference.

On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.

On April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.

On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.

On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.

On Feb. 24, Sen. Cantwell invited Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to draw attention to the issue.

On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.

On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.

Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.

On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters.

On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot.

On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day.

Today’s full letter is available here and below:

Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Secretary Mullin:

The 2026 general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, less than 90 days away. We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90-day “quiet period” mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

This long-standing prohibition includes providing states with any incomplete and unverifiable voter roll analysis conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) SAVE program, the use of which has also been enjoined by a D.C. federal district court. Relatedly, in light of this prohibition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) should drop its ongoing litigation to compel states to provide access to their voter registration lists and acquiesce to unlawful federal list maintenance. While we have previously expressed our concern about these tactics, we remind you of the settled law protecting voters in the lead up to an election and urge you to cease these efforts immediately.

Under the NVRA, election officials are required to complete any systematic removal of ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be — and in many cases have been —erroneously removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities. In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the “quiet period,” including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters. Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.

Over the last year, the demonstrated inaccuracies of DHS’s modified SAVE program have been proven to result in the removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls prior to the “quiet period.” On June 22, 2026, following several months of litigation in League of Women Voters v. Department of Homeland Security, a D.C. federal district court set aside and vacated the 2025 modified SAVE program, finding it was “contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, in excess of statutory authority, and without observance of procedure required by law.” The court ordered DHS to undo the newly established bulk upload feature and dismantle its connection to sensitive Social Security Administration data. Given this ruling, Secretary Mullin’s continued promotion of the SAVE program for voter list maintenance purposes during a July 17, 2026, press conference was inappropriate, as were his unsupported claims that multiple states have significant noncitizen voter registrations. Even more alarmingly, DHS is attempting to condition Homeland Security Grant Program funds that protect Americans from disasters and terrorist attacks on use of the SAVE program. Therefore, we must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the “quiet period” are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings.

The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls. The Trump Administration has done nothing to address concerns that this is all in service of an effort to create a nationwide voter file to be shared across the Executive Branch — and possibly with other unauthorized, partisan actors. At an absolute minimum, DOJ must abstain from any unlawful attempts to pressure states into conducting large-scale voter purges during the 90-day “quiet period.”

Please confirm your agencies will comply with the NVRA, and any relevant court orders, no later than August 7, 2026. Any continued actions that may directly or indirectly coerce or assist states in conducting sweeping voter purges that violate federal law and infringe on Americans’ right to vote are unacceptable.

Sincerely,",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-slams-trumps-latest-attack-on-head-start-calls-on-teachers-and-parents-to-protect-the-program/,"Senator Murray Slams Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Calls on Teachers and Parents to Protect the Program",2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray, a former preschool teacher and the Senate’s leading advocate for child care, secured $12.35 billion for Head Start in the FY26 funding bill she negotiated

Murray has sounded the alarm on Trump’s leaked memo to gut Head Start and Trump’s illegal impoundment of Head Start funds

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services that guts Head Start by shredding basic standards that keep kids safe and advance their education. The rule removes most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for math and literacy curriculums, class sizes, medical screenings, home visits and more.

“Whether it was his leaked memo to eliminate Head Start, his illegal impoundments, or his decimation of the Office of Head Start—President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start and affordable child care in America. After Congress and the nation forcefully rejected Trump’s efforts to destroy Head Start, this administration now wants to quietly gut Head Start by eliminating the basic health and safety standards our kids rely on—well I refuse to stay silent about this travesty.

“For millions of families, Head Start is the first place anyone will check their child’s hearing, vision, or teeth—ignoring the health and safety of these kids today will just cost us more tomorrow. There’s a reason Head Start tells providers how many toddlers one adult can supervise—it’s how many kids any one teacher can actually keep safe on a busy day. This proposed rule also gives programs across the country a green light to slam the door shut on any kid with a disability they decide is too difficult or too much work to take care of. None of this helps families—much of it could lead to catastrophe.

“This rule is not final—every parent and teacher can speak up and speak out to save Head Start. I want parents to weigh in, and I want teachers to weigh in—because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them. I will press administration officials when they come before Congress, I will sound the alarm as loudly as possible, I will carry this fight in every negotiation I walk into—and I will keep at it until we protect Head Start.”

Head Start currently serves over 750,000 kids nationwide, and the program has served more than 40 million children and their families nationwide since its inception in 1965. There are over 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide and these centers are particularly important in serving rural communities with fewer options for care.

Throughout his second term, President Trump has gutted the offices that keep Head Start centers and child care programs across the country running. Since taking office, the Trump administration has fired 40 to 50% of the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. In April of 2025, Trump continued to hollow out HHS, by shuttering five of the 10 regional offices for both Office of Child Care and Office of Head Start, which served 22 states and five territories. President Trump also illegally impounded funding provided by Congress for Head Start programs across America, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). In response, Senator Murray raised alarm bells and she led her colleagues in demanding that the funds get moving.

Notably, a leaked memo indicated that the Trump administration—in keeping with Project 2025—would push to completely eliminate Head Start as a part of its FY26 budget request. Ultimately, strong public outcry and backlash prevented the Trump administration from including the elimination of Head Start in its budget request.

In April, President Trump said “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care… We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care… It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.”

Last year, HHS took steps to attack immigrant children and their families by issuing a notice reinterpreting longstanding guidance under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to reinterpret Head Start as a federal public benefit subject to immigration restrictions. The guidance, currently tied up in litigation and stalled from being enforced, threw programs and families into chaos, sparking confusion and driving many families to keep their kids at home out of fear of discrimination or immigration enforcement.

HHS has also proposed changes to the Head Start Program that would roll back regulations targeted at increasing salaries for the Head Start workforce—one of the top barriers to recruitment and retention leading to fewer children being served.

In the face of Trump’s calls to cut investments in state early childhood education programs and repeated attacks on the program, Democrats have consistently defended resources for child care and early childhood education. In March of this year, Senator Murray led her colleagues and established a new working group as the latest major push in Democrats’ fight to lower costs and deliver child care for every American family. The Child Care for America working group will bring Democratic members of Congress together to coordinate broad support for landmark child care legislation.

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senators-murray-lujan-and-advocates-sound-the-alarm-on-trumps-latest-attack-on-head-start-vow-to-save-head-start/,"Senators Murray, Luján, and Advocates Sound the Alarm on Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Vow to Save Head Start",2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Senator Murray Slam’s Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Calls on Teachers and Parents to Protect the Program

*** WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, DOWNLOAD HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), held a virtual press conference with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and advocates in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services that guts Head Start by shredding basic standards that keep kids safe and advance their education. The rule removes most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for math and literacy curriculums, class sizes, medical screenings, home visits and more.

Joining the press call were Joel Ryan, Executive Director of the Washington State Association of Head Start; Dr. Ruth Friedman, former Director of the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children and Families at HHS; and Lori Pittman, a parent from Washington state a Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations Advisor for Early Learning K-12, and Postsecondary at Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD), and a co-founder of the Washington State Parent Ambassador Program, a statewide initiative supporting parent leadership and advocacy.

“Your child’s safety should not depend on their zip code. That has been the entire point of Head Start since 1965. If they wanted to serve more kids, they could ask Congress for more funding. I’d write that bill this afternoon. Instead, they’re saying they might be able to serve more children by promising each child less. Nobody should pretend this came out of nowhere. President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start,” said Senator Murray. “This rule is not final. There is a public comment period. I want parents to weigh in. I want teachers to weigh in. Because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them. And on my end: I will press administration officials when they come before Congress. I will sound the alarm as loudly as I possibly can. I will carry this fight into every negotiation I walk into. And Congress just funded Head Start at an increase, on a bipartisan basis, so let me be clear: Congress funds Head Start to be Head Start. Trump is coming after America’s kids. That is so unacceptable. This isn’t partisan. This is a program red and blue states rely on. Parents, teachers, and communities across America need to speak up and speak out—together we will beat this rule and save Head Start.”

“I know the value of Head Start, it got me to the U.S. Senate,” said Senator Luján, one of only two U.S. Senators who attended Head Start. “Since President Trump took office, he and his administration have made it harder and harder for young children to get an early education. Now, he is moving forward with a proposed rule to gut Head Start and strip basic education, health, and safety standards our kids rely on. That is why I joined Senator Murray and advocates today and will continue to fight to protect Head Start.”

Head Start currently serves over 750,000 kids nationwide, and the program has served more than 40 million children and their families nationwide since its inception in 1965. There are over 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide and these centers are particularly important in serving rural communities with fewer options for care.

Throughout his second term, President Trump has gutted the offices that keep Head Start centers and child care programs across the country running. Since taking office, the Trump administration has fired 40 to 50% of the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. In April of 2025, Trump continued to hollow out HHS, by shuttering five of the 10 regional offices for both Office of Child Care and Office of Head Start, which served 22 states and five territories. President Trump also illegally impounded funding provided by Congress for Head Start programs across America, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). In response, Senator Murray raised alarm bells and she led her colleagues in demanding that the funds get moving.

Notably, a leaked memo indicated that the Trump administration—in keeping with Project 2025—would push to completely eliminate Head Start as a part of its FY26 budget request. Ultimately, strong public outcry and backlash prevented the Trump administration from including the elimination of Head Start in its budget request.

In April, President Trump said “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care… We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care… It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.”

Last year, HHS took steps to attack immigrant children and their families by issuing a notice reinterpreting longstanding guidance under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to reinterpret Head Start as a federal public benefit subject to immigration restrictions. The guidance, currently tied up in litigation and stalled from being enforced, threw programs and families into chaos, sparking confusion and driving many families to keep their kids at home out of fear of discrimination or immigration enforcement.

HHS has also proposed changes to the Head Start Program that would roll back regulations targeted at increasing salaries for the Head Start workforce—one of the top barriers to recruitment and retention leading to fewer children being served.

In the face of Trump’s calls to cut investments in state early childhood education programs and repeated attacks on the program, Democrats have consistently defended resources for child care and early childhood education. In March of this year, Senator Murray led her colleagues and established a new working group as the latest major push in Democrats’ fight to lower costs and deliver child care for every American family. The Child Care for America working group will bring Democratic members of Congress together to coordinate broad support for landmark child care legislation.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“You know, this morning, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed shredding the rule book that has protected kids in Head Start for sixty years—133 pages of standards, gutted. And I want to be really concrete about what is in those pages that they are throwing away.

“It’s duration requirements—meaning, is the program actually open while parents are working? It’s professional development requirements to make sure that our teachers are equipped to keep our kids safe—that’s everything from instruction on our kids social-emotional development, and training to recognize and report child abuse. It is watering down quality standards for families that want home-based and family-care—like safety requirements: are there play areas? Is there space for food prep? Are the bathrooms up to standard?

“It’s class sizes—because there’s a reason Head Start tells providers how many toddlers one adult can supervise. It’s how many kids any one teacher can actually keep safe on a busy day. It’s the medical screenings—for countless families, Head Start is the first place anyone will ever check their child’s hearing, or vision, or teeth. Ignoring these kids’ health today, costs us more tomorrow. It’s eliminating protections that keep a kid with a disability safe from harmful practices like restraint, or seclusion and expulsion—that’s just not something any of us should accept.

“And there is one more piece that really doesn’t make sense: this rule forces English-only instruction. There are American children who have different language needs. Denying children instruction in their first language—that’s backwards, and it doesn’t help anyone. Now, the administration has given this rule a very nice name: Reducing Federal Burden.

“So, let’s look at what they actually list as burdens: background checks for the adults who are alone in a room with your four-year-old; safety standards for the buses that drive your toddler to school; vision and hearing screenings for your kids. That is not red tape. That’s all important stuff to keep our kids safe and healthy! They want to hand all of it to the states—and if you live in a state that never writes those rules, too bad.

“Your child’s safety should not depend on their zip code. That has been the entire point of Head Start since 1965. If they wanted to serve more kids, they could ask Congress for more funding. I would write that bill this afternoon. Instead, they’re saying they might be able to serve more children by promising each child less.

“Nobody should pretend this came out of nowhere. President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start. He illegally impounded Head Start funding that Congress passed into law—in violation of the Impoundment Control Act—and centers couldn’t make payroll until we raised the alarm and forced the money out the door.

“He fired 40 to 50 percent of the staff at the Office of Head Start and the Office of Child Care. He shut down five of the ten regional offices—which served 22 states and five territories—overnight.

“One of those offices was in Seattle. It served every Head Start program in Washington state—15,000 kids. In the Yakima Valley, a provider waiting on funding that never showed up had to lay off 72 employees and shutter a dozen classrooms, that served 400 kids. Now eventually that money came, but only after the layoffs. In Walla Walla, a program that has served kids for decades is warning it may not survive.

“Funding delays and uncertainty continue to persist. And let’s not forget, a leaked memo showed that Trump planned to eliminate Head Start altogether—straight out of Project 2025—until public outcry forced him to back down.

“He rolled back the rule raising pay for our Head Start teachers. His HHS tried to rewrite thirty years of guidance to turn Head Start into an immigration checkpoint—that one is stalled in court, but it already drove scared families to keep their kids home.

“If anyone doubts me, listen to the President’s own words. He said, ‘Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care…We’re fighting wars.’

“I taught preschool. I got into politics because politicians decided a preschool program wasn’t worth saving—one of them told me a mom in tennis shoes couldn’t make a difference. So here’s what happens now. This rule is not final. There is a public comment period. So, I want parents to weigh in. I want teachers to weigh in. Because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them.

“And on my end: I will press administration officials when they come before Congress. I’ll sound the alarm as loudly as I possibly can, and I will carry this fight into every negotiation I walk into. And Congress just funded Head Start at an increase, on a bipartisan basis, so let me be clear: Congress funds Head Start to be a Head Start.

“Trump is coming after America’s kids. That is unacceptable. This is not partisan. This is a program red and blue states rely on.

“Parents, teachers, and communities across America need to speak up and speak out—together we will beat this rule and save Head Start.”

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-thanks-firefighters-calls-for-continued-federal-support-after-pnw-wildfires-briefing-from-cabinet-secretaries,"Cantwell Thanks Firefighters, Calls for Continued Federal Support After PNW Wildfires Briefing from Cabinet Secretaries",2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Thanks Firefighters, Calls for Continued Federal Support After PNW Wildfires Briefing from Cabinet Secretaries

Sen. Cantwell: “The Northwest will continue to benefit from air assets, and I hope that more of them can be deployed.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, received a briefing on Pacific Northwest wildfires from Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, U.S. Wildland Fire Service Director Brian Fennessy, and U.S. Forest Service officials. After the briefing, Sen. Cantwell released the following statement.

“Today Interior Sec. Burgum, Agriculture Sec. Rollins, DOI Wildland Fire Service Director Brian Fennessy, and USFS officials briefed Senators on keeping assets in the Northwest as we are at a Preparedness Level 5, an extreme wildfire designation. We are still at the highest risk in the nation and appreciate being the highest resourced,” said Sen. Cantwell.

“The Northwest will continue to benefit from air assets, and I hope that more of them can be deployed throughout the region, as smoke allows, to help Spokane, Okanogan and all Northeast Washington counties, the Spokane and Colville Tribes, and especially Chelan area communities impacted by the Little Giant Fire,” Sen. Cantwell continued. “Thank you to all the firefighters and first responders who are helping us fight these historic Northwest fires.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell called for improved wildfire preparedness in a U.S. Senate roundtable with Chief Bob Roper of the Western Chiefs Fire Association and other experts. “We just have to move faster,” said Sen. Cantwell. “My heart goes out to the people of Washington who are dealing with this across our state, particularly in Spokane, and in the Lake Chelan area as well.”

On Sunday, Sen. Cantwell visited county and city command centers in Spokane and took part in a press briefing about the devastating fires there.

In September 2025, Sen. Cantwell’s Fire Ready Nation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act would formally establish a permanent Fire Weather Services program within NOAA and authorize funding for new technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and impact wildfires.",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-lankford-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-increase-funding-opportunities-for-tribal-nations-neighboring-military-installations/,"Murray, Lankford, Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Funding Opportunities for Tribal Nations Neighboring Military Installations",2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced new legislation to make Tribal governments eligible to apply for grants under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). Currently, Tribal governments are ineligible to apply for funding under DCIP’s grant authority, despite their role in supporting military installations and defense communities nationwide.

“From Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fairchild Air Force Base and everywhere in between Tribal Nations—like Yakama, Suquamish, and many more—do critical work to support military installations in Washington state and throughout the country,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why this legislation is an important step to expand eligibility to DCIP grants. Tribes play a key role in our military readiness—they should be eligible for these funds just like any other community would be.”

“Oklahoma is home to 39 Tribal Nations, and many of them live and work alongside the men and women who serve at our military installations. When a Tribe is doing work that benefits a military base or post, whether that is roads, utilities, or emergency response, the Tribe should have the same opportunity to apply for federal infrastructure grants as any other local government. This bill is a simple, common-sense fix that recognizes the role Tribes already play in our military readiness,” said Senator Lankford.

Historically, DCIP provides grants to state and local governments for off-base infrastructure that supports military installations. These investments strengthen military readiness and benefit servicemembers and their families by improving transportation, schools, utilities, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure.

Tribal Nations who neighbor military bases are often already doing this work to support critical infrastructure projects that support military communities. This bill would amend the current language to include Tribal governments as eligible, “state and local,” entities to apply for DCIP grants. Reps. Emily Randall (D-WA-06) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) lead companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The full bill text is available HERE.

###",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-makes-it-clear-a-vote-for-todd-blanche-is-a-vote-to-ban-abortion-in-all-fifty-states/,Senator Murray Makes it Clear: A Vote for Todd Blanche is A Vote to Ban Abortion in All Fifty States,2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him. His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ‘permanent in every single state.’ Every. Single. State.”

Murray: “This isn’t just a confirmation vote anymore—it’s a roll-call vote on which Senators endorse banning abortion in all 50 states from the federal level. I’m voting NO.”

ICYMI: At Hearing with Acting AG Blanche, Senator Murray Blasts Outrageous Creation of $1.8 Billion MAGA Slush Fund, Presses for Apology to Epstein Victims

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Murray condemned Blanche for his disqualifying track record and outright corruption. Murray also sounded the alarm on Blanche’s recent comments made during a private call where Blanche says he will work to make the Dobbs decision “permanent in every single state.”

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“M. President, I was never going to come out here and support Todd Blanche for a long list of reasons. I believe he is one of the most corrupt Justice Department officials in our country’s history, for one. He was Trump’s former personal lawyer—and it seems that he never quit!

“The only difference now is that the taxpayers are signing his checks instead of Trump. He was the one who negotiated a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off violent insurrectionists, and who cut a backroom deal to give the President and his entire corrupt family immunity from IRS investigations.

“Not to forget, Todd Blanche is the guy who botched the Epstein files so badly that survivors had their names and faces exposed, while the names of alleged abusers were hidden. This is a man, who wouldn’t meet with survivors until Senators put him under a tremendous amount of public pressure. And when the meeting eventually got on the books, survivors made it crystal clear that Blanche didn’t listen to them. He was more interested in checking a box than hearing their stories or bringing them justice.

“All of that is of course absolutely unacceptable and disqualifying. But I come here today to sound the alarm on some of the most disturbing comments I have ever heard from our nation’s top law enforcement official. M. President, I guess Todd Blanche thought no one was listening.

“Because on a private call with anti-abortion activists Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him.

“His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ‘permanent in every single state.’ Every. Single. State. Not just Texas or Idaho. He wants to ban abortion in Washington state. California. New York. In every state.

“He told them, ‘We will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent.’ Victory over what, exactly? Victory over women who just want to make their own health care decisions? Victory over patients in states where abortion is legal?

“Where voters have said, over and over, at the ballot box: keep your hands off our rights.

“Now, a DOJ spokesperson tried to clean up Blanche’s words. Saying he was only focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 states—as if that’s somehow better.

“Well, I’m here to say I believe the tape. I believe Todd Blanche’s own words.

“So let’s be crystal clear about what this vote is. A vote to confirm Todd Blanche is a vote to endorse his fight to ban abortion in all fifty states. Whatever happened to this is states’ decision? So every Republican who votes yes is voting for exactly that—his words, not mine. And any Republican who votes to confirm him will own that. In every state. In every election.

“So, M. President, this isn’t just a confirmation vote anymore—it’s a roll-call vote on which Senators endorse banning abortion in all 50 states from the federal level. I’m voting no.”

###",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/amid-devastating-wildfires-cantwell-calls-for-better-wildfire-preparedness-in-roundtable-with-fire-chief-other-experts,"Amid Devastating Wildfires, Cantwell Calls for Better Wildfire Preparedness in Roundtable with Fire Chief, Other Experts",2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Amid Devastating Wildfires, Cantwell Calls for Better Wildfire Preparedness in Roundtable with Fire Chief, Other Experts

Cantwell at Senate roundtable forum on extreme weather: “We just have to move faster”; Bob Roper, Western Fire Chiefs Association: “Fires don't respect jurisdictional lines.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With 16 large, active wildfires burning in Central and Eastern Washington, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke today about wildfire preparedness at a Senate extreme weather roundtable.

“My heart goes out to the people of Washington who are dealing with this across our state, particularly in Spokane, and in the Lake Chelan area as well,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Between Washington and Oregon, we've hit a record for the amount of acreage that has been burning.”

“Technology can play a big role,” continued Sen. Cantwell. “We have to show people that the connection between the information that we can get, and then the actual action plan that we can put into place, that's where that's where the gaps are.”

Bob Roper, former fire chief of the Ventura County Fire District and current Senior Policy Advisor for the Western Chiefs Fire Association, said in response: “We have found that across the country … that we don't have good data standards. We're not sharing data widely, and that there's not an orchestrated plan on what to do with the data and intelligence.”

Added Roper: “The fires don't respect jurisdictional lines. We need to make sure that federal, state, tribal, and public and private are all working collectively together as far as one entity.”

On Sunday, Sen. Cantwell visited county and city command centers in Spokane and took part in a press briefing about the devastating fires there.

In September 2025, Sen. Cantwell’s Fire Ready Nation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act would formally establish a permanent Fire Weather Services program within NOAA and authorize funding for new technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and impact wildfires.

A background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-calls-out-critical-gaps-in-fatal-accident-data-involving-large-trucks-and-buses,Cantwell Calls Out Critical Gaps in Fatal Accident Data Involving Large Trucks and Buses,2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Calls Out Critical Gaps in Fatal Accident Data Involving Large Trucks and Buses

ProPublica/WBUR investigation found FMCSA undercounting bus and large truck crashes, injuries, and fatalities; FMCSA enforcement actions against carriers down 65% under Trump; FMCSA data may be missing crashes in WA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Edward Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek Barrs requesting information on the agency’s tracking of large truck and bus crashes following a ProPublica/WBUR investigative report that crash data is not being properly received and recorded. This lack of accurate data makes it difficult for FMCSA to appropriately sanction companies that put the public at risk.

“According to the most recent data available, nearly 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks and buses in 2024,” wrote the Senators. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) uses information from these crashes to identify specific truck and bus companies for targeted enforcement, which can range from a warning letter to being placed out-of-service. On June 8, 2026, ProPublica and WBUR reported their investigation found that FMCSA is missing critical crash data for a company that operates school buses, making it impossible for the agency to accurately identify and target high-risk motor carriers like these.”

The ProPublica/WBUR investigation centered on an April 2025 school bus accident in Boston that killed a kindergartner after he was dropped off on the wrong side of the street. The driver was hired and trained by transnational bus company Transdev, and the investigation found that 42 fatal crashes involving Transdev over the past 10 years were missing from FMCSA records. ProPublica and WBUR also found that FMCSA’s own instructions to law enforcement about the attribution of a crash to a particular company was left to the discretion of the individual police officer, directly contributing to highly variable and unreliable records.

“This raises serious concerns that FMCSA may be undercounting crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses, and thus jeopardizing its mission to reduce such incidents and protect the safety of Americans,” continued the Senators.

FMCSA data includes two recent fatal crashes involving large buses in Washington state:

October 2024 in Tacoma: 32-year-old woman Brittanee Parker was run over by a school bus full of elementary-school children. The driver drove off. Harlow’s School Bus Service, a privately-owned interstate carrier that works in five states, operates the service. The driver had four previous driving violations in King County and had a Commercial Driver’s License at the time, but they had previously been cited for speeding and driving without insurance.

July 2024 in Lacey: An Intercity Transit bus and a car collided in a roundabout. While initial articles reported only injuries, the final FMCSA data recorded a fatality at this crash.

The Senators requested information on crashes that may not be in FMCSA’s database, including those involving Transdev.

In addition to the impacts of the lack of good data, the Senators also highlighted the overall lack of enforcement actions taken under the Trump Administration.

“More broadly, FMCSA enforcement actions have declined since President Trump took office,” they wrote. “According to its own data, FMCSA completed approximately 1,400 enforcement cases against motor carriers in 2025, compared to nearly 4,000 in 2024—a 65 percent decrease.”

The text of today’s letter can be found below and HERE.

Dear Administrator Barrs,

According to the most recent data available, nearly 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks and buses in 2024, including 67 in the state of Washington and 20 in the state of Massachusetts. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) uses information from these crashes to identify specific truck and bus companies for targeted enforcement, which can range from a warning letter to being placed out-of-service.

On June 8, 2026, ProPublica and WBUR reported their investigation found that FMCSA is missing critical crash data for a company that operates school buses, making it impossible for the agency to accurately identify and target high-risk motor carriers like these. For example, in April 2025, a Boston Public Schools bus driver who was hired and trained by the multinational company Transdev, ran over and killed a kindergartener after dropping him off on the wrong side of the street. ProPublica and WBUR identified this as one of 42 fatal crashes involving Transdev that occurred in the last 10 years that was missing from FMCSA’s records. This raises serious concerns that FMCSA may be undercounting crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses, and thus jeopardizing its mission to reduce such incidents and protect the safety of Americans.

More specifically, in some instances, FMCSA’s database listed Transdev crashes under the names of the government agency that hired Transdev or the name of a company Transdev acquired. Reportedly, FMCSA’s instructions to law enforcement officers completing crash investigations do not clarify which company should be listed, but instead instruct the officer to “determine which entity ‘controls’ or ‘directs’ the bus.” As a result, whether each crash was attributed to Transdev depended on how the individual law enforcement officer completing the crash form interpreted those instructions, leading to highly variable and unreliable records.

Without accurate and complete data, it is impossible for FMCSA to properly target enforcement on unsafe companies, because the agency lacks the critical data needed to conclude they are unsafe. According to FMCSA, Transdev has been involved in 187 crashes in the last 24 months, seven of which have been fatal. And yet, FMCSA has not targeted Transdev for any enforcement actions in this time period, and the carrier’s safety rating is marked as “Satisfactory.”

More broadly, FMCSA enforcement actions have declined since President Trump took office. According to its own data, FMCSA completed approximately 1,400 enforcement cases against motor carriers in fiscal year 2025, compared to nearly 4,000 in fiscal year 2024—a 65 percent decrease.

Accordingly, to better understand how FMCSA is addressing limitations of its crash data and keeping the traveling public safe by targeting high-risk motor carriers for enforcement, please provide the following documents and information no later than August 12, 2026.

Description of FMSCA’s mechanisms to monitor the safety performance of commercial motor carriers operating school buses or otherwise transporting children or students, including for intrastate operations;

Documents sufficient to demonstrate how FMCSA works with NHTSA or other DOT offices to monitor and ensure the accuracy of safety records of all motor carriers transporting students—including intrastate school bus operators;

All FMCSA or other DOT guidance provided to state law enforcement on the processes for recording the name of the motor carrier involved in a crash, including for intrastate motor carriers;

Documents sufficient to demonstrate FMCSA’s internal processes to verify the accuracy and completeness of state law enforcement records of motor carrier crashes, including for intrastate motor carriers;

A list of all inspections and crashes involving Transdev-operated vehicles, including those in which Transdev or its subsidiaries provides contracted services, such as for school districts or transit agencies;

All documents sufficient to demonstrate why FMCSA’s database did not capture the 42 crashes involving Transdev that ProPublica and WBUR reported;

Documents sufficient to demonstrate why the number of FMCSA closed enforcement cases declined in fiscal year 2025;

A list and description of any changes FMCSA has made to its processes or thresholds for pursuing enforcement actions against high-risk motor carriers from January 20, 2025, to present; and

The number of FMCSA staff that were responsible for analyzing inspection and crash data to identify high-risk carriers in calendar year (CY) 2024, CY 2025, and January 2026 to present, respectively.

We appreciate your prompt response to this request, and continued collaboration to improve safety on our roads.

Sincerely,",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/at-budget-hearing-senator-murray-slams-republicans-for-sham-hearing-on-medicaid-fraud-after-they-made-the-largest-cuts-to-medicaid-in-history/,"At Budget Hearing, Senator Murray Slams Republicans for Sham Hearing on Medicaid Fraud, After They Made the Largest Cuts to Medicaid in History",2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “Chairman Johnson has said repeatedly he believes Social Security is a Ponzi scheme… I am going to keep fighting to save Social Security and protect healthcare for Americans. Now, and long into the future.”

Johnson: “I’ve said it’s a legal Ponzi scheme, which is exactly what it is. I mean, take a look at what a Ponzi scheme is. That’s what Social Security is.”

Murray: “Seems to me like the biggest Medicaid theft didn’t happen in a billing office somewhere, it actually happened last year, right here in the United States Capitol, when Republicans passed Trump’s Big Ugly bill.”

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning***

Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Medicaid, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Budget Committee, slammed Republicans’ sham hearing on Medicaid fraud. Senator Murray called out Trump for pardoning criminals convicted of Medicaid fraud and Republicans who voted to slash Medicaid to give tax cuts to billionaires last year in Trump’s Big Ugly Bill.

[MEDICAID FRAUD HYPOCRISY]

Senator Murray began by asking Jonathan Ingram, Vice President of Policy and Research at the Foundation for Government Accountability, about how Trump and Republicans’ say they want to crack down on Medicaid fraud; meanwhile Trump has actually pardoned criminals convicted of Medicaid fraud.

MURRAY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think we can all agree can we do need to crack down on fraud, especially in a program like Medicaid that so many Americans really rely on.

So, Mr. Ingram, let me just ask you: Yes or no? You agree that we need to be cracking down on Medicaid fraud, not letting criminals off the hook, yes?

INGRAM: Yes.

MURRAY: Thank you. So, I hope my Republican colleagues will use some part of this hearing to condemn President Trump for pardoning criminals who were convicted of major Medicaid fraud. Trump pardoned five former executives from Florida who committed serious Medicaid fraud to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. That is pretty bad.

Following what was dubbed “the largest health care fraud scheme charged by the U.S. Justice Department”—valued at over $1 billion in Medicare and Medicaid fraud—Trump commuted the 20-year sentence of a Florida nursing home and assisted living facility executive. So that’s even worse.

So, look, I’m all for a major crackdown on fraud—I think we all are, but it looks like we’ve got some pretty good leads starting in the White House.

[REPUBLICAN MEDICAID CUTS]

Senator Murray continued by asking Andy Schneider, Research Professor of the Practice at the Center for Children and Families in the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, about how Trump’s Big Ugly Bill made the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history and kicked thousands of Americans off their health insurance, all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.

MURRAY: Mr. Schneider, I want to turn to you. What single piece of legislation delivered the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history?

SCHNEIDER: Last year’s budget reconciliation bill.

MURRAY: Yep. Just so everybody knows: Republicans’ “Big, Ugly Bill” passed more than $1 trillion in health care cuts, mostly to Medicaid.

Mr. Schneider, how much in tax breaks for the top one percent did Trump’s bill contain?

SCHNEIDER: Approximately $1 trillion.

MURRAY: $1 trillion dollars, in tax cuts, to the top one percent.

Mr. Schneider, how many Americans are losing health care because of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill?

SCHNEIDER: So, in terms of the Medicaid cuts, the latest estimates are approximately 11 million.

MURRAY: 11 million.

So, zero billionaires lose their health care—they do get a trillion in tax cuts and then over fifteen million Americans—including the extended ACA tax credits—lose their health care thanks to Republicans passing $1 trillion in cuts for regular, working class people.

That is the math, and that is out-and-out grift. So it seems to me like the biggest Medicaid theft didn’t happen in a billing office somewhere, it actually happened last year, right here in the United States Capitol, when Republicans passed Trump’s Big Ugly bill.

[CLOSING REMARKS]

During Senator Murray’s closing remarks, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), doubled down on his stance on Social Security and called it a “legal Ponzi scheme.”

MURRAY: So Mr. Chairman, let me just say, I find it pretty astounding that Republicans are holding an entire Senate hearing on “fraud” in Medicaid, but they don’t seem to have anything to say about the “fraud” coming out of the White House. I mean look at the crypto schemes, and the foreign gifts—that is easily the most corrupt White House in American history—President Trump pardoned convicted criminals who committed Medicaid fraud! This is outrageous to me, and it is what we should be talking about.

But I also want to note a really big difference in terms of values and beliefs right now. Because I am here—and I know my colleagues on this side are—to fight for our safety net programs. But my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not with me in that fight.

Chairman Johnson has said repeatedly he believes Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme. Last week, another Republican Senator was on the floor saying Social Security is a “scam.”

So, I wanted to make really clear at this hearing, I could not disagree more strongly, Mr. Chairman. Social Security is a program that millions of hardworking Americans have paid into their entire lives. So Republicans might want to cut benefits, or privatize Social Security, but I want you to know I am going to keep fighting to save Social Security and protect healthcare for Americans. Now, and long into the future.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

JOHNSON: To correct the record, I’ve said it’s a legal Ponzi scheme, which is exactly what it is. I mean, take a look at what a Ponzi scheme is. That’s what Social Security is. It’s been horribly mismanaged. Those funds were not invested in something that’s of value to the federal government—government bonds. I’m happy to—and we’ll probably hold a hearing on this, and I’ll prove the case—but it’s a legal Ponzi scheme, and that’s quite honestly indisputable.

MURRAY: Mr. Chairman, to respond.

And welcome to the chairmanship, but I find that you are turning this into a debate committee, not a budget committee. That’s fine, but let me just respond—

JOHNSON: I think it’s important that the American people see a civil exchange but go ahead.

MURRAY: You have a right as a chair, but I will respond: Americans pay for their Social Security. They pay into it for their lifetimes, and they deserve to know it’s going to be there in the future. That’s what we’re focused on.

###",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-remarks-on-averting-shutdown-democrats-fight-to-deliver-for-families-in-spending-bills/,Senator Murray Remarks on Averting Shutdown & Democrats’ Fight to Deliver for Families in Spending Bills,2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full remarks***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Senate Democratic leadership press conference on the Senate advancing the bipartisan continuing resolution (CR), which extends government funding through December 11.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Well, as last night’s vote made clear: no one wants a shutdown. It is a good thing we were able to come together to produce a reasonable CR that addresses some key problems with the CR that the House Republicans passed and that will give us the runway we need to reach a bipartisan agreement on funding levels—and then negotiate the bills for the coming year.

“The bill closes the loophole in the Republicans’ bill, which would have allowed funding to be transferred to the Border Patrol. No reforms; no new money—it’s that simple.

“The CR also adds important language to extend authorization for key programs and ensures there is enough funding to—for example—make sure low-income seniors have food on their tables.

“It rejects the wish list President Trump requested for the Pentagon. There’s no funding for so-called ‘Trump-class’ battleships, for example, and this bill does nothing to fulfill his $70 billion request to bankroll his disastrous Iran war.

“Thanks to Democrats, this bill will block OMB’s corrupt new grants rule from taking effect for the duration of the CR. What Trump and Russ Vought want is the ability to take every federal grant in America hostage. They are not interested in making our tax dollars work better—they just want them to work for Donald Trump. Cancer research, bridges, hospitals—under [this] rule, a Trump appointee could decide to strip funding for almost anything. No cause. No notice. No appeal.

“So, Democrats said no way. Every single Senate Democrat joined me in demanding OMB withdraw the rule.

“Today, it is on ice. I did try to stop this rule outright in the negotiations, but my Republican colleagues wouldn’t agree to do that. This rule is delayed; it is not dead—I absolutely intend to kill it.

“Republicans also rejected our efforts to prevent Russ Vought from attempting an illegal ‘pocket rescission’—protecting Congress’ constitutional power of the purse, as well as our push to extend the critical advanced appropriations provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will expire on October 1.

“So this isn’t the end— we’ve got a lot of work to do, and I’m going to keep pushing.

“And the CR we overwhelmingly voted to advance last night will allow us to keep the government funded while those conversations continue. Because make no mistake: we have a lot of work ahead of us to do.

“When it comes to this year’s spending bills, Democrats have one north star: making life affordable again. This president—and Republicans—have other ideas.

“Trump wants a $1.5 trillion war budget and cuts to domestic programs. Senate Republicans are doing their darnedest to meet the president’s request. So far, they have proposed an absolutely massive increase for the Pentagon with offers that would provide over four new defense dollars for every new dollar invested in our communities here at home.

“Senate Democrats have made it very clear that is not going to fly.

“So, I’m ready, as ever, to use the time this CR provides to reach a reasonable bipartisan topline funding agreement which will allow us to negotiate strong bipartisan funding bills. That is our job. It is what our families back home expect of us. I’m ready to get it done.”

###",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-vows-to-get-spokane-and-wa-federal-resources-for-wildfire-response-and-recovery/,Senator Murray Vows to Get Spokane and WA Federal Resources for Wildfire Response and Recovery,2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Murray: “To every family in Spokane and across Eastern Washington who has lost a home, or a business, or a lifetime of memories—hear me: I promise you—I am with you, today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes to rebuild.”

Murray: “There is not a single dollar I won’t pursue if it means helping Spokane and communities across the state as they rebuild from these devastating fires. Whatever it takes—for as long as it takes.“

ICYMI: Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the senate floor about the devastating wildfires sweeping through Spokane, Central, and Eastern Washington state, Senator Murray reinforced her commitment to ensuring Spokane and the rest of the state have the federal resources necessary to rebuild and recover after the fires.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“M. President, I rise today with a very heavy heart because right now, huge swaths of my state are being confronted by some of the worst fires that we have ever seen.

“This weekend, three fast-moving wildfires exploded across Spokane County. In a matter of hours, entire neighborhoods were told: ‘Leave now. This may be your only notice.’

“Over sixty-five thousand people I represent have been forced to evacuate their homes. At least seven hundred homes, businesses, and buildings have been destroyed already. Families are sleeping in the Spokane Convention Center tonight, not knowing whether they even still have a home to go back to. And as of this morning, these fires are still not contained.

“The photos and videos tell a story: Houses reduced to ash. Families embracing outside the burned remains of what they once called a home. It is heartbreaking. Smoke so thick over Spokane that the air itself has become a health hazard.

“To every family in Spokane and across Eastern Washington who has lost a home, or a business, or a lifetime of memories—hear me: I promise you—I am with you, today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes to rebuild.

“And amid this devastation, M. President, I also want this chamber to hear about the extraordinary courage on display in my state right now. Within hours of the evacuation orders, neighbors were opening their doors to strangers. Families who had room to spare simply said: come stay with us. Volunteers worked through the night at the convention center—handing out blankets, serving hot meals, sitting with frightened kids. Local restaurants showed up with food for evacuees and for the fire crews who were coming off the line. Churches and community groups collected clothes, diapers, pet food—whatever people needed, someone in Spokane found a way to provide it.

“Firefighters have been on the lines around the clock—in brutal heat, against dangerous winds. Local fire crews. Crew from across the state. The Washington National Guard, all mobilized within hours. Incident management teams and firefighters who actually came from out of state—all the way from Florida to Alaska. There are even firefighters from Australia and New Zealand!

“Because of them, because of the sheriff’s deputies and police officers who went door to door to get people out, because of the emergency managers and dispatchers and shelter volunteers, tens of thousands of people got to safety. These are real life heroes. And on behalf of the people of Washington state: thank you.

“But M. President, gratitude is not enough. The people of Spokane need action—and they deserve to know their government has their back. So, here’s where things stand as I see them:

“Our firefighters must have every resource they need to contain these fires—every aircraft, every bit of equipment, every dollar. So far, our state has gotten the resources we need from the federal government and I deeply appreciate that. That’s how it should be. Yesterday, I led our Congressional delegation in urging the President to approve the Governor’s request for an expedited emergency declaration—the President has approved part of that request. That’s good, and I’ll be watching closely to ensure the full request is approved.

“The next few days will no doubt be difficult as local fire crews do their best to try and contain these fires.

“Looking ahead, it’s important to say Spokane’s recovery will not be measured in days or weeks—it will be measured in months and years. Rebuilding homes, rebuilding businesses, it will take a long time, and it will not be easy.

“But as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I want the people of Eastern Washington to know they have a voice in the United States Senate who will speak up for Spokane. I am not someone who will simply write letters to this administration asking for support.

“I help write the bills that fund the government—across every department and every federal program—and I will make sure Spokane’s recovery is a priority at every opportunity. There is not a single dollar I won’t pursue if it means helping Spokane and communities across the state as they rebuild from these devastating fires. Whatever it takes—for as long as it takes.

“So, M. President, Spokane has been hurt—and is being badly hurt by these fires. But Spokane is not broken. A community that takes care of each other in the way we’ve seen cannot be broken. Spokane will rebuild. Eastern Washington will recover. And I will be standing with them every single step of the way.

###",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-entire-wa-delegation-in-requesting-expedited-emergency-declaration-for-devastating-wildfires-in-spokane-central-wa,"Cantwell Joins Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane, Central WA",2026-08-03,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Joins Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane, Central WA

S-R: Wildfire leaves Northwest Spokane in a ‘war zone’; KXLY: “Thousands of people had to leave their homes as fires exploded in the Spokane area over the weekend. More than 700 structures have burned, many of them homes, while thousands of people are still not allowed back in their neighborhoods.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Washington state’s entire congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request last night for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.

On Saturday, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. The National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning on Saturday, to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. The Spokane Area Fires consist of the Old Trails Fire burning in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burning near Nine Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burning in Mead. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, 67,000 people have been evacuated, the three fires have burned over 8,000 acres combined and are still 0% contained, nearly 1,000 firefighters battling fires in the Spokane area, and thousands of more people remain under a Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation.

“Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control,” wrote Senator Cantwell and the other members of the delegation.

Joining Sen. Cantwell in the letter to President Trump were Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).

Yesterday in Spokane, Sen. Cantwell spoke at a media briefing about the fires.

“There are some up here with us who have been evacuated. There are some that have lost their homes. So we are with you in this situation, and we're going to do everything we can to get the federal resources to help you,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I talked to the U.S. [Forest Service] Chief Schultz, who basically said, this is the most [high] risk and resourced fire in the United States. Today, it is the top fire in our nation. That means they are going to give us the resources that we need here on the ground.”

Added Sen. Cantwell: “I ask our fellow Washingtonians to help this region, to be as patient as you can, to listen to what the first responders are saying because we're not out of danger yet. The next couple of days will be challenging, but we are going to do everything we can to make sure the resources are here and continue to make sure that this issue gets our nation's attention.”

Video of yesterday’s entire press conference is HERE; photos are HERE; a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

A background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to reverse President Trump’s cuts to wildfire funding and bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.

Today’s full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. President,

As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s August 2nd request for an expedited Emergency Declaration due to the devastating wildfires raging in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima Counties. In addition to the counties, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians are also listed in Washington’s expedited Emergency Declaration request. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.

Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control.

These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.

Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.

While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to the state’s request.",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/on-senate-floor-senator-murray-urges-trump-administration-to-support-expedited-emergency-declaration-for-spokane-wildfires/,"On Senate Floor, Senator Murray Urges Trump Administration to Support Expedited Emergency Declaration for Spokane Wildfires",2026-08-03,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***

Washington, D.C. – Today, following remarks urging passage of the bipartisan short-term funding bill introduced yesterday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, briefly spoke on the senate floor about the devastating wildfires sweeping through the Spokane region in Washington state, and urged Trump to approve the Expedited Emergency Declaration for Central and Eastern Washington state.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Finally, I cannot come to the Senate floor without acknowledging the heartbreaking devastation we are seeing in Spokane and across Eastern Washington.

“My heart is with everyone who is affected by these horrific fires, and please know I will keep doing all I can to ensure the federal government steps up.

“This short-term funding bill importantly includes flexibilities for the Disaster Relief Fund, so it can serve our communities in need during the CR.

“I am glad that FEMA has so far approved the F-MAG requests our local officials have made as they are fighting these wildfires. And last night, our Governor made a formal request to the President for an expedited emergency declaration.

“I am leading our entire congressional delegation—Democrats and Republicans—in urging the President to approve that request immediately.

“And I do want to say how grateful I am to the fire crews and first responders who are working around the clock to save lives and property. And how inspired I am by the way the Spokane community has come together to support those who have lost their homes or are under evacuation orders.

“I will have far more to say on this crisis, but let me close with this: as the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and a voice for Spokane here in the United States Senate, I will do everything in my power to make certain Eastern Washington gets every cent they need to fight these fires, and to rebuild and recover over the long-term.”

###",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-floor-remarks-on-bipartisan-cr/,Senator Murray Floor Remarks on Bipartisan CR,2026-08-03,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"ICYMI: Senator Murray on Release of CR Text

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full speech***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the first procedural vote on the bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) released on Sunday, which extends government funding through December 11.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“M. President, we have our work cut out for us as we work to fund the government for the coming fiscal year.

“As costs for our families go up and up and up, the president wants a $1.5 trillion war budget, and he wants to cut programs working people depend on to pay for it. No, no way.

“And as his disastrous war with Iran rages on, Trump is even asking for another $70 billion on top of that to bankroll the war. It is really hard to imagine more backward funding priorities—especially as so many families are struggling and being hurt by Republicans’ cuts to health care and food aid.

“Congress is not an ATM to fund Trump’s disastrous wars abroad. So, as I’ve said many times, we need to rip up the president’s budget and write an entirely new one.

“I’ve been clear from the very start that we absolutely must prioritize helping families and lowering costs as we do that. That means rejecting the president’s astronomical defense request and instead delivering significantly more funding for our nondefense budget, so that we can invest in helping people here at home.

“Now, it’s clear that we will definitely need more time to get this done and reach bipartisan agreement on funding levels—just as we have done in the Senate over the last three years—which then allows us to draft bipartisan bills for FY27.

“So, I am glad we were able to craft a bipartisan CR to keep the government funded and to make sure we can avert a shutdown that no one wants—while giving us time to reach bipartisan agreement on a topline and our funding bills.

“Two weeks ago, House Republicans sent us an incomplete CR with several major issues. It was critical that we addressed those issues in any CR—and that’s exactly what we have done.

“Perhaps most important, we closed a loophole in House Republicans’ CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol. That was a nonstarter. Until Republicans finally agree to enact desperately-needed reforms to ICE and Border Patrol, we cannot approve another cent for them.

“This new CR that we have written includes some really important extensions and language that House Republicans did not. That includes extensions of authorizations for important health, veterans, and infrastructure programs. And language to make sure that key housing programs and a program to help feed low-income seniors can continue serving Americans.

“This bill also rejects requests from President Trump for even more flexibility and funding for the Pentagon, including a billion dollars for ‘Trump-class’ battleships.

“And my Democratic colleagues and I pushed very hard and secured an important provision to prevent the Office of Management and Budget from implementing its corrupt new grants rule, which would require a Trump political appointee to sign off on every last federal grant and empower them to terminate any grant, at any point for any reason. This disastrous rule would put politics above science when determining, for example, what cancer research grants to fund. So, I am going to keep working to kill the [rule] outright as spending talks continue later this year.

“Unfortunately, Republicans would not take action in this bill to protect our constitutional power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from attempting another illegal pocket rescission. Nor would they agree to our efforts to extend critical advanced appropriations for infrastructure, which were provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—that runs out on October 1.

“Make no mistake: I am going to keep fighting to get these common-sense priorities done in negotiations this fall. We do have a lot of work ahead, and this CR provides us a reasonable runway to get it done.

“I hope this CR sets us up to roll up our sleeves and focus on getting to a bipartisan topline, so we can then write good, bipartisan spending bills.

“So, for all those reasons, I will be voting yes tonight to advance this bipartisan bill.”

###",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-leads-entire-wa-delegation-in-requesting-expedited-emergency-declaration-for-devastating-wildfires-in-spokane/,Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane,2026-08-03,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"S-R: Wildfire leaves Northwest Spokane in a ‘war zone’

KXLY: “Thousands of people had to leave their homes as fires exploded in the Spokane area over the weekend. More than 700 structures have burned, many of them homes, while thousands of people are still not allowed back in their neighborhoods.”

***LETTER HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request last night for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.

On Saturday, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. The National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning on Saturday, to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. The Spokane Area Fires consist of the Old Trails Fire burning in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burning near Nine Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burning in Mead. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, 67,000 people have been evacuated, the three fires have burned over 8,000 acres combined and are still 0% contained, nearly 1,000 firefighters are battling fires in the Spokane area, and thousands of more people remain under a Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation.

“Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control,” wrote Senator Murray and the other members of the delegation.

Joining Senator Murray in the letter to President Trump were Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).

“These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the lawmakers continued. “Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.”

“While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need,” the lawmakers concluded.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. President,

As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s August 2nd request for an expedited Emergency Declaration due to the devastating wildfires raging in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima Counties. In addition to the counties, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians are also listed in Washington’s expedited Emergency Declaration request. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.

Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control.

These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.

Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.

While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to the state’s request.

###",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/at-briefing-cantwell-discusses-federal-resources-helping-spokane-fight-fires,"At Briefing, Cantwell Discusses Federal Resources Helping Spokane Fight Fires",2026-08-02,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"At Briefing, Cantwell Discusses Federal Resources Helping Spokane Fight Fires

“Today, it is the top fire in our nation. That means [the federal government is] going to give us the resources that we need here on the ground,” says Cantwell

SPOKANE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, spoke at a media briefing about the ongoing Spokane fires.

“There are some up here with us who have been evacuated. There are some that have lost their homes. So we are with you in this situation, and we're going to do everything we can to get the federal resources to help you,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I talked to the U.S. [Forest Service] Chief Schultz, who basically said, this is the most [high] risk and resourced fire in the United States. Today, it is the top fire in our nation. That means they are going to give us the resources that we need here on the ground.”

Added Sen. Cantwell: “I ask our fellow Washingtonians to help this region, to be as patient as you can, to listen to what the first responders are saying because we're not out of danger yet. The next couple of days will be challenging, but we are going to do everything we can to make sure the resources are here and continue to make sure that this issue gets our nation's attention.”

At the briefing, in addition to Sen. Cantwell, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, Governor Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove, and other elected and emergency officials provided the latest information on the efforts to contain the wildfires in the Spokane area.

Video of today’s entire press conference is HERE; photos are HERE; a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

A background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to reverse President Trump’s cuts to wildfire funding and bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.

###",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-on-release-of-cr-text/,Senator Murray on Release of CR Text,2026-08-02,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WA,Patty Murray,M001111,www.murray.senate.gov,murray,https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the release of text of a continuing resolution (CR) that keeps the government funded through December 11.

“It’s good that we were able to produce a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.

“This bill includes important extensions and language that House Republicans’ CR did not, and it rejects Trump’s frivolous war spending wish list. Importantly, we closed the loophole in House Republicans’ CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol, which desperately needs reform, not more money.

“Because of Democrats’ unrelenting efforts, this bill blocks implementation of OMB’s corrupt new grants rule for the duration of the CR. The proposed rule would systematically politicize federal funding and allow Trump officials to cancel grants at any time for any reason. Enabling this rule would only give Trump the greenlight to take even more federal funding hostage. While Republicans rejected killing the proposed rule outright, I’m going to keep fighting to put a stop to it once and for all, and I will keep pressing my Republican colleagues to do exactly that.

“I pushed hard to extend infrastructure funding set to run out on September 30, so that we can save jobs and keep fixing America’s roads and bridges, and I also fought to protect Congress’ power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from attempting another end-run around Congress with illegal ‘pocket rescissions.’ Ultimately, Republicans refused to work with us to get these common sense priorities enacted in law, but I hope everyone who shares my frustration that Republicans refuse to do more to stand up to this president will join us in speaking out and speaking up for change in every way possible.”

The CR addresses key problems with House Republicans’ CR:

It closes the loophole that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding for other programs to Border Patrol.

It includes important anomalies that House Republicans neglected to include, including anomalies needed to allow housing programs to keep serving Americans, to ensure the Commodity Supplemental Food Program has the funds needed to continue serving low-income seniors, and more.

It extends authorizations of important health, veterans, infrastructure, and other programs for the duration of the CR.

Senate Democrats also secured language to prevent the Trump administration from implementing the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed grants rule through the duration of the CR. Earlier this summer, every Senate Democrat called on OMB to withdraw the rule, which would put Trump political appointees in charge of signing off on every last federal grant and empower them to terminate funding at any point for any reason. Vice Chair Murray will continue pushing to block the proposed rule once and for all.

The CR also rejects President Trump’s request to include new funding and flexibilities for the Pentagon through anomalies, including his request for $1 billion to build “Trump-class” battleships.

Republicans rejected Democrats’ efforts to, among other things:

Extend advanced appropriations provided by Division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) beyond the law’s expiration on October 1—in order to save good jobs and keep rebuilding America’s infrastructure. Vice Chair Murray has been warning about the looming infrastructure cliff for months and has emphasized that as tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure funds expire this fall, it is all the more important that Congress secures a topline funding agreement with significantly more nondefense funding.

Protect Congress’ power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from impounding funding and attempting another “pocket rescission.”

Text of the continuing resolution is available HERE. Text of the authorizing divisions is available HERE.

###",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-celebrates-port-of-grays-harbor-terminal-4-grand-opening,Cantwell Celebrates Port of Grays Harbor Terminal 4 Grand Opening,2026-07-31,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WA,Maria Cantwell,C000127,www.cantwell.senate.gov,cantwell,https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Cantwell Celebrates Port of Grays Harbor Terminal 4 Grand Opening

“This is what America gets and American workers get when you make port infrastructure investment,” says Cantwell; Cantwell led the fight to secure a historic $2.25B for Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) in 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; Terminal 4 project made possible by $25.5M PIDP grant; Grays Harbor is the largest U.S. exporter of soymeal, & 47,000 new feet of rail line allows the port to ship more product faster

GRAYS HARBOR, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined local union leaders, businesspeople, and elected officials to celebrate the grand opening of the Port of Grays Harbor’s Terminal 4.

“ILWU 24 workers are making sure that a soybean farmer 1,000 miles away in South Dakota can compete with Asia, and that is what we're doing here today,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This $25.5 million dollar investment that helps this project is going to attract over $100 million in private sector development, and that is why you put federal dollars on the table, and that's what you sent me to Washington to do.”

Sen. Cantwell added: “We are now working hard to pass another infrastructure investment bill, because we have to continue to make port infrastructure investment. And I'm going to use this project to tell all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle: ‘This is what America gets and American workers get when you make port infrastructure investment.’""

The Port of Grays Harbor is the state's largest commercial seafood landing port. It’s the largest exporter of soymeal on the West Coast, with product coming from states like South Dakota and Nebraska, and last year it handled a record number of automobiles. The Terminal 4 expansion more than doubles the rail infrastructure at the port to 90,000 feet, allowing ships to be loaded almost twice as fast, and speed soymeal grown across the United States to customers in Asia.

The new Terminal 4 was made possible by $100 million of private investment, plus a $25.5 million federal investment from the Cantwell-championed Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which is administered by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).

Sen. Cantwell is a champion of the PIDP grant program. In addition to supporting reauthorizing the program annually, in 2023 Cantwell expanded program eligibility to include seafood-related port infrastructure such as cold storage, and dockside infrastructure needed to support seafood landings and processing in Washington. Sixty percent of Washington’s $60 billion dollar maritime economy is connected to seafood. In 2021, as chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Cantwell worked to include a record $2.25 billion for the program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.",1,2026-08-01T07:27:26Z,2026-08-01T07:28:22Z