Murray Secures Key Investments For Families In End-of-Year Funding Bill

Statement

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), released the following statement on the LHHS Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations bill which passed as part of the larger spending and COVID-19 relief omnibus today.

"Now more than ever, our focus has to be on what we can do to help families and communities--and by that simple, critical standard this bill represents meaningful progress and we need to get it signed into law as soon as possible.

"As our country fights COVID-19, this bill would increase investments in key global health, public health, and preparedness programs as well as medical research. Funding from this bill won't only bolster our efforts against COVID-19, but against other public health crises, like opioid addiction, the HIV epidemic, and our nation's abysmally high maternal mortality rate.

"This bill would also increase support to schools, students, and parents across the country after this tumultuous year. It includes increases to funding for public schools, for the Head Start program, and for child care, and also increases the maximum Pell grant award students can receive.

"It also helps workers and families across the country by increasing support for agencies that ensure they have a safe workplace and that they get the pay they have earned. And at a time of economic uncertainty for so many families, it increases funding for workforce training to help people searching for a new job, and for an energy assistance program that will help families struggling to make ends meet keep the heat on this winter.

"Of course, while this bill provides needed investments and certainty in a time of chaos, I don't think anyone would say our work is done. Not by a long shot. We still have dramatically more we need to do to get our communities through this pandemic and build a stronger, fairer, future for everyone. Fortunately, with President Biden and Vice President Harris, we have an incoming Administration that appreciates the enormity of this moment and is already showing they are prepared to work with Congress to tackle the challenges ahead."

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