Lawmakers Urge Congress to Extend Child Care Funding
In The News
Lawmakers Urge Congress to Extend Child Care Funding
2023-09-13 21:22:56
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON — With just days left to pass a short-term funding bill, a group of lawmakers urged their colleagues on Wednesday to ensure an extension of federal child care funding, due to expire at the end of the month, is... Read More

Senators Seek to Offset Travel Expenses for Reproductive Health
Health
Senators Seek to Offset Travel Expenses for Reproductive Health
2022-12-19 18:57:23
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON — A bill introduced in the Senate last week would provide grants to organizations, including abortion funding, to offset the state-imposed costs on women who now need to travel to meet their reproductive health needs. The bill, introduced by... Read More

Murray, Burr Reach Deal on FDA User Fee Programs
Congress
Murray, Burr Reach Deal on FDA User Fee Programs
2022-09-27 19:19:00
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON — Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., have struck a deal on language that will allow the reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration’s user fee program to move forward as part of the continuing resolution Congress... Read More

FDA Falls Short of User Fee Goals but Still Seeks Double the Budget
Health
FDA Falls Short of User Fee Goals but Still Seeks Double the Budget
2022-04-27 20:16:10
by Alexa Hornbeck

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions wanted to know why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting nearly double its annual budget while failing to meet many of the goals tied to... Read More

Murray Presses FDA to Remove Harmful Substances From Baby Food
Health
Murray Presses FDA to Remove Harmful Substances From Baby Food
2022-04-14 12:57:06
by Alexa Hornbeck

WASHINGTON — Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued a letter this week to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf, requesting the FDA step up efforts to ensure the... Read More

Senate Panel Approves Health Bill to Protect Against Future Pandemics
U.S. Senate
Senate Panel Approves Health Bill to Protect Against Future Pandemics
2022-03-15 20:49:10
by Tom Ramstack

WASHINGTON — A Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday to put significant new resources into U.S. preparedness for any other pandemics that threaten the nation’s health and economy. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., described the PREVENT Pandemics Act as an effort... Read More

Pandemic Highlights Ways to Overcome Employment Barriers for Disabled Workers
Discrimination
Pandemic Highlights Ways to Overcome Employment Barriers for Disabled Workers
2022-02-09 19:59:45
by Alexa Hornbeck

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions met this week to discuss how the pandemic helped to remove some of the barriers to employment for those living with disabilities and how those gains can... Read More

Reliability of Antigen Rapid Tests in Detecting Early Omicron Questioned
In The News
Reliability of Antigen Rapid Tests in Detecting Early Omicron Questioned
2022-01-12 19:17:54
by Alexa Hornbeck

WASHINGTON — Beginning Jan. 15, private health insurers will be required to cover the cost of home testing kits despite recent concerns from elected officials and researchers over the reliability and availability of rapid antigen testing. “I’ve heard from so... Read More

Murray Moves to Make Daylight Savings Time Permanent
Health
Murray Moves to Make Daylight Savings Time Permanent
2021-11-08 19:05:11
by Alexa Hornbeck

WASHINGTON — During a floor speech last week, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., urged the Senate to pass legislation which would eliminate the “fall back” of daylight savings time which happens each November.  “Beyond convenience, this really is a matter of... Read More

Federal Ban on ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills Coming January 1
Business
Federal Ban on ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills Coming January 1
2021-10-01 19:48:33
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON -- A ban on so-called “surprise” medical bills --  unexpected, exorbitant health care bills for out-of-network care that arrive on insured patients' doorsteps, oftentimes when they are still at their most vulnerable - is on pace to go into... Read More

Washington State Airports Net $217M to Expand Operation
In The States
Washington State Airports Net $217M to Expand Operation
2021-06-25 17:16:16
by Brock Blasdell

Airports in Washington are receiving a combined $217 million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration to help maintain and expand operations.  The announcement follows the Biden administration’s springtime promise of $8 billion in funding under the American Rescue Plan... Read More

Senate Looks at Biden’s 2022 Budget Request for the Department of Education
Education
Senate Looks at Biden’s 2022 Budget Request for the Department of Education
2021-06-17 14:34:19
by Ansley Puckett

WASHINGTON- The Senate Appropriations subcommittee met Wednesday to examine President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for the Department of Education. The $102.8 billion budget for the Department’s programs and activities is a $29.8 billion increase from the 2021 fiscal... Read More

Murray: More Attention Must Be Paid to Long-term Care Needs of Veterans
Veterans
Murray: More Attention Must Be Paid to Long-term Care Needs of Veterans
2021-06-10 11:21:45
by TWN Staff

WASHINGTON - Sen. Patty Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is pushing for future investments in long-term care, improving VA’s relationship with state veterans homes, and expanding the care veterans residing in state-run veterans homes receive.... Read More

Murray, Brown Urge Colleagues to Expand Primary Care Access for Women And Children
Health
Murray, Brown Urge Colleagues to Expand Primary Care Access for Women And Children
2021-06-02 22:23:08
by TWN Staff

WASHINGTON - Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, are urging their colleagues to pass the Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act. This legislation is intended to expand access to primary care but it languished in... Read More

Tribal Communities Have ‘Worst of Both Worlds’ in Pandemic
Health
Tribal Communities Have ‘Worst of Both Worlds’ in Pandemic
2021-03-26 18:40:52
by Alexa Hornbeck

A recent Harvard study found that when it came to the combined economic and health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, tribal communities “are having the worst of both worlds at the same time.” On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor... Read More

Grassley Anticipates Bipartisan Push to Lower Prescription Drug Prices
Prescription Drugs
Grassley Anticipates Bipartisan Push to Lower Prescription Drug Prices
2019-08-27 20:46:49
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, R- Iowa, is expected to mount a full-court, bipartisan press to see that legislation lowering prescription drug prices is passed before the end of the year. Chairman Grassley recently met with Senate Health... Read More

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