Senate Murray Secures Washington State Transportation, Housing, and Agriculture Priorities in End-of-Year Package, Emphasizes More Work Ahead in New Year

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, acknowledged that as Congress passed bipartisan legislation to fund the government that also included millions of dollars of new and renewed federal investments in important priorities for Washington state, there is still much work to be done to help those who are struggling in Washington state and across the country make it through and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, which also included COVID-19 relief legislation, will keep the government funded through the 2021 fiscal year. The bill now heads to the President's desk.

"Every day I hear from people in Washington state who are struggling to get by, and our federal budget should reflect the enormity and breadth of the challenges that they and our whole country face.

"I'm glad that we were able to reach a bipartisan agreement that includes much needed relief for families, workers, and small business owners who are just scraping by and makes critical investments in public health, college affordability, access to quality, affordable child care for our servicemembers and their families, and repairing our aging infrastructure. And I'm pleased we were able to get funding for a number of key Washington state priorities, such as Hanford cleanup, agricultural research, and salmon restoration.

"But there is so much more I would have liked to see addressed, and major challenges we've got to tackle in the new year. I look forward to doing that work with the incoming Biden-Harris Administration, and as voice for Washington state in the Senate, I will continue fighting to ensure that our federal government meets this moment and provides the short and long-term relief and support that families in Washington state and across the country so desperately need."

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