Sen. Murray: “The President’s budget would lower costs for Washington state families and prioritize important investments that really matter to our state – just by asking giant corporations and the very wealthiest to pay their fair share.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the President’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023 Budget. Senator Murray highlighted how the proposed budget would boost the supply of affordable housing, help build safer communities, make higher education more affordable, and help local communities address the mental health and substance use disorder crises exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Murray highlighted the importance of continued funding for public health as well as family planning services—particularly as states like Idaho that border Washington state are restricting access to reproductive care. Senator Murray also made clear that the President’s proposed budget for Hanford was a non-starter and that she would push to increase funding for salmon recovery by as much as possible.
“The President’s budget would lower costs for Washington state families and prioritize important investments that really matter to our state – just by asking giant corporations and the very wealthiest to pay their fair share. Under this budget, we would see significant investments to boost our housing construction and supply in a big way and make it so working people from Spokane to Seattle can actually afford to own a home.
“Crime continues to be a real problem that we need to tackle in a comprehensive way that supports local efforts—I’m glad the President is taking this seriously. A major boost to community policing and community violence interventions will help build safer communities from Vancouver to Seattle.
“Doubling the maximum Pell Grant so that college is within reach for students with tight budgets has been a longtime and personal priority of mine. Pell Grants helped me and my siblings get through school, so I know this kind of investment would undoubtedly change lives and get us closer to that goal.
“And critical resources to tackle the growing mental health and substance use disorder crises will go a long way toward tackling a challenge that weighs so heavily on families from every part of our state—this has been, and will continue, to be a major focus of mine.
“Importantly, the President has not lost sight of the importance of robust and sustained public health and preparedness funding. I’m glad to be making progress on my bipartisan legislation to strengthen public health and preparedness policies, but even as I work to get that bill over the finish line, I’m going to keep pushing my colleagues to build on it with the type of funding our communities need.
“And at a time when abortion rights are under attack, increased funding for Title X will be critical for states like mine to provide the reproductive care and family planning services patients need, particularly as women are forced to seek medical care across state lines.
“However, once again, the President’s budget proposes underfunding cleanup of the Hanford site—this will only delay the overall mission and is totally counterproductive. I’m proud to have secured $128 million more than the President requested in funding for the Hanford cleanup through the last government funding package we passed, and I’ll be fighting just as hard to do the same this year. Moreover, I want to make sure we are doing everything we can to prioritize salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest—this is critical for our region’s economy and cultural heritage, so I’ll be working hard to build as much bipartisan support as possible.”