Ranking Member's Press

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 – As Republicans threaten cuts to Social Security and other essential federal programs, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) in the U.S. House of Representatives, introduced legislation that would expand Social Security benefits by...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 – At a press conference on Thursday with union leaders and rail workers, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, demanded rail companies provide their workers with at least seven paid sick days.Sanders was joined by Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) who voted for the...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 – In a letter signed by all the Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the new chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Wednesday during remarks to Advocates for Community Health proposed a historic expansion of community health centers. “We must expand these programs so that every American has the ability to...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Monday, February 13, will host a town hall at the U.S. Capitol to discuss the pay crisis teachers are facing throughout the United States. Joining Sanders at the town hall, entitled “Respecting our...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 9th will hold a press conference with rail workers to demand companies provide them with at least seven paid sick days. Sanders will be joined by...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act in a 92-5 amendment vote to add the legislation to the 2023...

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) as part of the year-end funding package. The amendment to the omnibus—offered by Senator Bill...

FDA package negotiated by Senator Murray, colleagues will finally empower FDA to regulate cosmetics, address the infant formula shortage, modernize accelerated approval, and more   Senator Murray: “I’ve been pushing hard to make progress on so many key reforms to ensure the FDA is living up to its mission and putting patients and...

Senator Murray: “In every room and at every opportunity, child care is at the top of my mind, and I push hard for progress—and that’s exactly what I did in this funding package … But make no mistake: even as I continue pushing for increased child care investments, I’ll never stop working towards the big, bold change...

Omnibus retirement package includes provisions from Murray’s RISE & SHINE Act to strengthen Americans’ emergency savings and retirement security   Murray: “Families in Washington state are trying to make ends meet, plan for the future, and get on solid financial footing—which is why I fought so hard to strengthen...

Murray’s bipartisan work with Senator Burr leads to robust mental health and substance use disorder package in end-of-year bill   Omnibus includes bipartisan steps on fentanyl, youth and maternal mental health, strengthening the new 988 Lifeline, and more   Murray: “Our communities need action—and that’s exactly...

Omnibus includes Murray-Burr bill to strengthen nation’s public health and pandemic preparedness systems   Senator Murray spoke at length about the need to pass the bill on the Senate floor earlier this month   Murray: “There have been many painful lessons to learn from this pandemic, and today, by passing my bipartisan...

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor speech***   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, in remarks on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), reflected on her tenure as the top Democrat on the Committee and all the progress made over eight years to...

Senator Murray secures inclusion of bipartisan 21st Century Assistive Technology (AT) Act in NDAA   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage Thursday night of the 21st Century...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-PA-07), introduced legislation to protect every American’s right to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), led 11 of her colleagues in sending a comment letter applauding the Biden Administration’s proposed employee and independent contractor classification rule, which reinstates the Department of...

New bill clarifies that people who experience emotional distress when discriminated against can seek justice under federal law   (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary...

Murray: “Our country has made great progress in the fight against COVID-19. Families have been getting back to their daily lives, and the thing I keep hearing from people in my state: they want to keep it that way.”   On Senate floor, Murray presses colleagues to get bipartisan pandemic bill across the finish...

Senator Tillis blocks the commonsense, bipartisan legislation to protect pregnant workers   ***WATCH: Senator Murray pushes to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act***    (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), joined...