Chair's Press

In comment letter to Secretary DeVos, 36 Senate Democrats urged Secretary DeVos to withdraw her Title IX proposal, listen to survivors, and write a rule that will build on progress made to keep students safe from sexual assault and harassment   Sexual assault and harassment are widespread epidemics in classrooms, schools, and on college...

Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen and close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and ensure women are paid what they deserve   Bill introduction comes 10 years after President Obama passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, marking an important step in the fight to end the gender wage gap   Paycheck Fairness Act was cosponsored by...

At HELP hearing, Murray emphasizes impact of funding uncertainty last year on community health centers and the families they serve, touts bipartisan bill to provide stable funding for years to come   Community health centers help 27 million patients a year find care close to home   Teaching health centers and the National Health Service...

Murray demands answers from Johnson & Johnson CEO following Reuters report indicating the company covered up potential asbestos in its baby powder for decades   Murray: “I am troubled by recent reports of an alleged decades-long effort by Johnson & Johnson to potentially mislead regulators and consumers about the safety of one of...

Proposed changes would amount to a health care tax on families across the country   Nonpartisan analysis found the change would lead to higher premiums and less coverage for families across the country   Murray: “Even 27 days into the shutdown he caused, President Trump has somehow found time to further sabotage health care for...

Republicans are preparing to vote on backwards legislation to undermine women’s health care and chip away at their constitutionally protected reproductive rights   Republicans are not preparing to vote on legislation to open the government, pay workers across the country, and end the chaos caused by President Trump’s...

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and House and Senate leadership to introduce the Raise the Wage Act of 2019. The...

Murray and 33 other Democratic Senators sent a letter asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the shutdown’s impact on its efforts to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply and approval of medical products   Senators requested information on how FDA has scaled back oversight of foreign and domestic food...

Secretary DeVos’ rule would drastically change how schools handle sexual assault and harassment, including allowing schools to shirk their responsibility to respond to sexual assault   Many students and survivors have said Secretary DeVos proposed a rule without listening to their stories and experiences of sexual assault   Murray...

34 Senators and 179 House Members wrote to Secretary Azar calling on him to rescind a proposed rule which would discourage insurers from covering abortion care   Proposed rule would create new burdens for women seeking insurance that covers comprehensive reproductive care by requiring insurers to send two separate billing statements and...

Report requested by Murray, Warren, Stabenow, and Markey shows that food insecurity is a widespread issue on college campuses   Report is the first of its kind and makes recommendations for federal action to address hunger issues for students in higher education   President Trump’s shutdown is further jeopardizing students’...

Republican Senate leaders ended the 115th Congress without confirming nominees to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the National Labor Relations Board   Without Chai Feldblum, the EEOC now lacks a quorum and cannot perform some of its critical duties to protect workers’ civil rights   The NLRB lacks Mark Pearce’s...

Departments of Education and Justice rescinded guidance aimed at ending discipline practices that unfairly target students of color   Murray: “It is absolutely shameful that Secretary DeVos and Acting Attorney General Whitaker are using the guise of school safety to rescind guidance aimed at stopping racism in our schools and ending the...

EARNS Act would expand apprenticeship opportunities while supporting existing apprenticeship programs   There are more than 22,000 registered apprenticeships programs that provide workers with the skills they need to succeed   Washington, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education,...

Sen. Murray and Rep. Lee lead Democrats in questioning Secretary Azar over Health Department’s administration of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program   Multiple court rulings have thwarted the Trump-Pence administration’s efforts to dismantle, undermine, and alter programs focused on helping reduce teen pregnancy   Attempted...

For many of the women and men who came forward to share stories of sexual harassment or assault in the workplace, the EEOC is one of the few places they can turn   Because one Republican Senator blocked the nomination of Chai Feldblum, the EEOC will likely lack a quorum next year   Murray also called for the Senate to confirm Mark Pearce...

Yearlong oversight report highlights stories of brave women and men who came forward to share experiences of workplace harassment, their stories are making an impact   Report highlights need for new federal action to give workers the tools and support they need to hold employers accountable   Murray: “I wanted to make sure...

Trump Administration school safety commission released report failed to address commonsense gun safety reform, recommended reversing policies aimed at addressing discriminatory discipline practices in schools   Murray: Report “underscores that Secretary DeVos is more interested in pandering to the NRA than listening to the students,...

Murray urges Republicans who claimed to support pre-existing conditions to show leadership; ensure people are protected from reckless Republican political games   (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement...

After court order, Secretary DeVos is beginning to implement a 2016 “borrower defense” rule to protect students from predatory for-profit colleges   While 15,000 borrowers will see immediate relief, 100,000 cheated and defrauded students are still waiting for Department to process their claims and are stuck paying back loans...