Press release issued 7. 21. 17
Source: https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=389EBA16-ADCC-40DA-8BAB-82D8BFAB4AB9
(Washington, D.C.) – Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 28 of their Senate colleagues sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Chairman Susan Collins and Ranking Member Jack Reed yesterday to express serious concerns regarding the House Committee on Appropriations’ elimination of funding for the TIGER program in their Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill approved on July 17th. The Senators argued that the package falls short in supporting critical infrastructure projects across the country and urged them to include robust funding for the effective TIGER program in the Senate’s funding bill. In their letter the Senators noted TIGER’s bipartisan support and the difference the program has made in their states, arguing that over 7,300 applications for more than $165 billion in transportation projects have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) over the life of the program, demonstrating a clear need for continued investment in the TIGER program to meet the growing needs of communities throughout the nation. Since 2009, DOT has awarded $5.1 billion through TIGER to facilitate 421 innovative, multimodal projects in every state in the nation, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
“Our national infrastructure faces serious challenges and the need for continued investment to address aging infrastructure, spur economic development, and support good middle class jobs cannot be overstated,” the Senators wrote.
The full text of the letter can be found below:
Dear Chairman Collins and Ranking Member Reed:
Our national infrastructure faces serious challenges and the need for continued investment to address aging infrastructure, spur economic development, and support good middle class jobs cannot be overstated. That is why we have serious concerns that the Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill approved by the House Committee on Appropriations on July 17 has fallen short in supporting critical infrastructure projects by eliminating funding for the National Infrastructure Investments program (TIGER). As you continue your work on the Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we strongly urge you to include robust funding for this effective program.
Since its creation in 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $5.1 billion to 421 innovative, multimodal projects in every state in the nation, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Each year the demand for TIGER far exceeds the amount of funding available. Over the life of the program, DOT has received more than 7,300 applications for more than $165 billion in transportation projects throughout the country, which clearly demonstrates the need for continued investment in the TIGER program.
The TIGER program enjoys support from Democrats and Republicans alike, as we have seen firsthand the difference the program can make in our states. In January during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing, Secretary Chao noted TIGER is "one area of great agreement" in Congress and that the funding levels for this program were a "modest sum." Not funding TIGER would disregard the vast bipartisan support for this high impact, cost effective, and competitive program which leverages private, state, and local investment. It would also hurt states, local governments, ports, and transit agencies throughout America working to solve complex multimodal transportation challenges.
This unique program puts people to work, boosts regional economies, and improves infrastructure in our states and across the country. TIGER merits continued investment, and we urge you to reject proposals to eliminate the program and to provide robust funding for TIGER.
Sen. Murray: “We believe health care is a right—not a privilege—and we are ready to keep working to make that goal a reality…Now, it’s time for Republicans to step up and join us, so that we can get to work on policies that help make people healthier and more financially secure.
PRESS RELEASE DATED 7. 21. 17
Source: https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=EF8FFCC9-5272-4B7D-B42B-C6CB3EED21DC
(Washington, D.C.) – With President Trump and Congressional Republicans desperately working to revive their failed Trumpcare bill and rip apart the health care system, U.S. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Patty Murray (D-WA) delivers the Weekly Democratic Address calling on Democrats to keep up the pressure “because we haven’t stopped Trumpcare yet.’’ Sen. Murray once again urged Republicans to drop Trumpcare, stop sabotaging families’ health care, and work with Democrats to continue making care more affordable, accessible, and higher quality for patients and families.
A full transcript of the address follows:
“Hello, everyone! I’m here to talk with you today about one of the toughest fights we’re in right now—the fight to stop Trumpcare.
I’ve been so inspired by the stories we’ve heard from people across the country, from all walks of life. Parents and seniors. Republicans and Democrats. People of all ages—even toddlers!
Your voices matter. You are having an incredible impact. And we need you to keep it up, because we haven’t stopped Trumpcare yet.
Nobody knows what this week will bring just yet. But we do know that President Trump and Republican Leader McConnell are doing everything they can to jam their mean bill through Congress.
They don’t care about the fact that families’ premiums would skyrocket. They don’t care about the tens of millions of people who would be kicked off of coverage. They are simply desperate for a hollow, political win—no matter what price patients and families would have to pay.
It’s wrong—and it really does not have to be this way. For years, Democrats have urged Republicans to drop the partisan political attacks related to health care and instead, join us to work on policies that actually help the people we serve, by making health care more affordable, getting more people covered, and continuing to improve quality of care.
Guess what? We’re still at the table. We are ready to get to work right away—and there are only a few simple steps Republicans need to take to show they are serious about moving our health care system in the right direction for families.
First, drop Trumpcare and the partisan, political effort to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act. Because families have roundly rejected Trumpcare—that couldn’t be clearer.
Second, stop sabotaging the health care system in ways that raise families’ costs and create uncertainty. Since day one of the Trump Administration, the President of the United States himself has not only rooted for the failure of the health care system—he’s actively pursued it.
That’s simply wrong. It is raising families’ costs and limiting their choices. And Republicans have got to start cleaning up the mess they made.
And third, it’s time for Republicans to tell us their ideas. Look, let’s be honest, Trumpcare isn’t a health care bill—because what health care bill leaves families paying more and kicks tens of millions of people off of coverage?
This bill was always about giving President Trump a hollow political win and handing massive tax breaks to special interests.
Democrats have put forward our ideas to stabilize markets and lower premiums next year for families, give people more choices, expand coverage, and more.
We believe health care is a right—not a privilege—and we are ready to keep working to make that goal a reality.
And now, it’s time for Republicans to step up and join us, so that we can get to work on policies that help make people healthier and more financially secure.
That’s what patients and families expect and that’s what I hope Republicans will finally work with us to deliver.
Thank you again for speaking out against Trumpcare and all the harm it would do to patients and families nationwide.
You are the reason President Trump hasn’t signed his awful bill into law yet, and we’re only days away from making sure he doesn’t ever get the chance.
Democrats will be fighting right alongside you—let’s keep it up!”
( The weekly address from the President can be seen on page 4)
Sens. Murray, Cantwell: “This action is short-sighted and puts at risk the health and well-being of women and our most vulnerable youth”
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 7/21/17
Source: https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=57660B7F-BC16-42EA-A3C2-D0E0C0D2C97F
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and 34 Senators sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price questioning plans by HHS to unilaterally shorten the duration of grant agreements for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program. Since 2015, the TPP Program has served nearly 1.2 million youth in 40 states and territories, supporting teens in adopting sexual health behaviors that help them avoid unintended pregnancy.
In their letter, the Senators say the decision by the Trump Administration to gut the TPP Program will put at risk women and our most vulnerable youth, as well as undermine bipartisan goals on evidence-based policymaking.
“This action is short-sighted and puts at risk the health and well-being of women and our most vulnerable youth who depend on the evidenced-based work that TPP Program grantees are doing across the nation,” wrote the Senators. “The TPP Program is making a vital contribution to building a body of knowledge of what works to prevent teen pregnancy… Yet, the Department’s notification to grantees suggests that HHS no longer prioritizes high quality evidence-based interventions.”
From the Governor's blog page post: 2017 legislative session produces major achievements for Washington
Source: https://medium.com/wagovernor/2017-legislative-session-produces-major-achievements-for-washington-74d6d557e3b4
OLYMPIA — At the outset of the 2017 legislative session, Gov. Jay Inslee and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were well aware of the huge task they faced. While significant progress had been made the previous four years toward meeting the state’s constitutional mandate to fully fund basic education, the job was far from complete.
In his inaugural address in January, Inslee likened it to climbing a mountain. “Mountain climbers will tell you that every ascent has a crux move, the moment at which they face the hardest, most difficult pitch,” he told lawmakers. “For us, this is that moment.”
So how did they do?
They approved a new two-year budget that includes a K-12 funding overhaul that meets the state’s basic education obligation for the first time in more than 30 years. Besides addressing significant local inequities across Washington, the plan will increase salaries for teachers and other school staff and boost funding for teacher mentoring.
Chris Reykdal, the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, called the plan “a substantial step in the right direction.”
“The budget goes beyond the basics to invest more in low-income students, career and technical education, and other critical elements that provide equal opportunity for all students,” Reykdal said. He added that the state must now work to fully fund special education and other vital programs “that set Washington up for the innovative and diverse education system we need moving forward now that we have shored up the system that was drafted almost a decade ago.”
Under the new budget, kindergarten through 12th-grade spending will make up 50 percent of total state General Fund spending for the first time since the 1980s. All told, Inslee and lawmakers have added $4.5 billion in new K-12 spending since 2013. By 2021, total new funding will grow to nearly $10 billion.
Inslee said he believes legislators “made one of the biggest strides ever in educational funding.”
Tackling the decades-old education funding problem was clearly this year’s top priority. The state Supreme Court will likely review legislators’ progress later this year to determine if the state has done enough to warrant lifting the contempt order under the McCleary lawsuit.
But as lawmakers head home, they have several other historic achievements to tout. ( continued on page 2)
page 2: Continued from page 1: ( 2017 legislative session produces major achievements for Washington)
