Chair's Press

In a floor speech ahead of Mother’s Day, Senator Murray criticizes Trump Administration’s agenda on issues important to women and families across the country   Senator Murray shared stories from Washington state mothers illustrating the harm of President Trump’s attacks on women’s health and the need to address...

At HELP Committee Hearing, Senator Murray outlines key obstacles patients and providers face when accessing electronic health records   Following Congress’ passage of the HITECH Act in 2009, use of electronic health records has become widespread, leading to better quality of care   Citing remaining challenges, Murray stressed the...

WASHINGTON – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, released the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) release of a final...

Washington, D.C. – Today, House and Senate Democrats introduced the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act—comprehensive legislation to strengthen protections for workers’ right to organize a union and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. As wage inequality continues to leave workers and...

Trump Administration moves to expand policies allowing health care providers to refuse patients care on ideological grounds   Change is likely to undermine access to care for the LGBTQ community, people of color, and women   Murray wrote to the Health Department last year outlining her objections to the proposed rule   Murray:...

Murray: “If President Trump wins, families lose. They will lose their health care, they will lose protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and they will lose to insurance companies who will once again have free rein to… deny coverage… and leave patients to shoulder high health care costs.”   Trump...

Senator Murray spoke out against President Trump’s nominee to direct agency protecting the retirement security of almost 40 million people   Murray expressed concern with the nominee’s credentials, and the lack of a thorough vetting process including a HELP Committee hearing   Murray has received no response from the Trump...

While fighting in court to strike down health care and protections for people with pre-existing conditions, Trump Administration finalizes rule that will drive costs up and coverage down   Murray: “President Trump is putting partisan games ahead of families’ wellbeing and when people lose their coverage, see their costs go up, and...

The Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating then-U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta’s sweetheart deal with serial sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein   DOJ deal brokered by Acosta allowed Epstein to avoid federal prosecution and reportedly shut down an FBI investigation into an international sex...

Bill strengthens program that helps families get emergency help and safety information   Poisonings in the United States cause nearly 700,000 emergency room visits and more than 35,000 deaths per year   Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions...

At HELP Committee Hearing, Senator Murray lays out her vision for a robust accountability system that ensures schools are responsible for student success   Currently less than 60 percent of students graduate within six years of enrolling, and that number is much lower for students of color, low-income students, and students starting school...

Huffington Post: “Though other pieces of legislation have been proposed over the past 18 months to pick off specific areas of sex harassment and discrimination, this bill goes deeper, covering many of the systemic issues that hold workers back from seeking justice.”   CNN: “In the wake of Congress taking steps to...

Murray slammed Senate Republicans for holding a partisan hearing to spread misinformation and lies about women’s health   Murray shared stories of women who have spoken up about their personal decision to have an abortion later in pregnancy   Murray: “Why are Republicans spending time doubling down on lies to undermine...

Members introduce ambitious bill to prevent and address workplace harassment of all kinds, strengthen and expand key protections to all workers, and support workers in seeking accountability and justice   Members were joined by workers, survivors, and advocates who shared their personal experiences with workplace assault and...

Senator Murray sends letter to Food and Drug Administration requesting further investigation into whether cosmetics products marketed to teens and children are contaminated by asbestos   Senators: “People want to know the cosmetics products being sold to them and their children are safe.”   Washington, D.C. – Today,...

Murray asked for “unanimous consent” to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act—which passed the House of Representatives last week with bipartisan support   More than 50 years after the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, women on average only make 80 cents for every dollar white men make   The pay gap is even wider for women of...

At HELP Committee Hearing, Senator Murray highlights need for Congress to address epidemic of campus sexual assault by finding legislative solution to protect students from sexual assault and harassment   Murray condemns Secretary DeVos’ proposed changes to Title IX, which would once again sweep sexual assault under the rug by allowing...

Washington, D.C. – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today sent a letter to the President of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Carlos Cordeiro, urging the Federation to address the persistent pay...

New data provided by Department of Education confirms that no claims filed by students who were cheated or defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges were approved in last quarter of 2018   At Senate Appropriations hearing, Secretary DeVos was unable to recall last time her department has approved a “borrower defense”...

Women lose over $400,000 over a forty-year career due to the wage gap, and are 80 percent more likely than men to face poverty in retirement   Bill changes minimum participation standards for long-term, part-time workers—most of whom are women— to expand access to retirement plans   Legislation extends spousal protections...