Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
The Senate adopts a budget resolution, takes another critical step in passing Build Back Better through the budget reconciliation process
Murray pushes forward historic investments in child care, paid leave, affordable housing, higher education, public health, climate action, and the care economy
Sen. Murray: “By adopting this budget resolution, we took a major step towards enacting a once-in-a-generation investment in the building blocks that every family needs to succeed… there is so much in this bill that will fundamentally reshape the American economy to level the playing field for working families in every part of our state.”
(Washington, D.C.) Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hailed the Senate’s passage of a budget resolution as an important step toward delivering on critical investments in workers and families to build our economy back stronger and fairer. Adoption of the budget resolution provides a broad committee instruction and sets the stage for both the House and Senate to put together the legislative details for the overall budget reconciliation bill, Build Back Better.
“As we get to work to hammer out the details of this historic bill, I’m thinking first and foremost about Washington state workers and families. By adopting this budget resolution, we took a major step towards enacting a once-in-a-generation investment in the building blocks that every family needs to succeed: affordable child care, paid leave, higher education, affordable housing, and so much more.
“Making sure every family in Washington state has a fair shot starts with the basics. For parents spending more on child care than their rent or mortgage, we are going to finally make high quality child care affordable and make universal pre-k a reality. For everyone working hard for a better future, we are going to make community college free and invest in workforce training programs. For patients across the country, we are going to make it easier to get quality, affordable health care, and we are going to make sure every community is served by a strong public health system. For people with disabilities and older Americans struggling to get the care they need to live independently in their communities, we’re going to expand access to home and community based services—and we’re going to ensure the workers who provide this care get fair pay. And for everyone who has had to choose between getting a paycheck and caring for a newborn or a seriously ill family member—we are going to pass the first ever comprehensive national paid leave program.
“Here in Washington state, we’ve been facing a housing crisis since before the pandemic, and I am determined to secure a historic federal investment in affordable housing to make sure every family can afford a roof over their head. Our state is also on the frontlines of the climate crisis—our droughts are getting longer and our wildfires more severe, so I am resolved to deliver a landmark investment in climate action to protect our planet for current and future generations. And whether in the Yakima Valley or downtown Seattle, immigrants are central to our economy and our very identity as Americans, we have got to do everything we can to provide a fair pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented residents living and working in America.
“Whether it’s finally making child care affordable for working families or passing the first ever comprehensive national paid leave program, there is so much in this bill that will fundamentally reshape the American economy to level the playing field for working families in every part of our state.”
As a senior member of the Senate Budget Committee, Senator Murray played a pivotal role in negotiating and advancing the budget resolution. As Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Murray is leading the Democratic Caucus in shepherding through key priorities like making child care affordable and establishing universal pre-k, a comprehensive national paid leave program, free community college, a historic investment in home and community-based services, a critical investment in public health infrastructure and workforce and job training, and building on the largest expansion of health care since the Affordable Care Act.
As a voice for Washington state, Senator Murray has called for a landmark investment in climate action, and reiterated her determination to secure major provisions to address the climate crisis through the budget process. Senator Murray was one of the first Senators to support immigration reform through reconciliation and has been one of the leading voices pushing for a historic boost for the supply of affordable housing.
Senator Murray, a former preschool teacher who now serves as Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, has led the fight for child care reform since she first was elected to the Senate. Earlier this year, Senator Murray reintroduced her Child Care for Working Families Act, which the American Families Plan is modeled after. Murray’s legislation would finally establish a child care infrastructure, ensure access to high-quality, affordable child care for working families and improve wages for child care workers.
One of the first votes Senator Murray took in the U.S. Senate was in favor of the Family and Medical Leave Act, and she’s kept up the fight since then to ensure every worker has access to paid leave. Senator Murray is a strong supporter and cosponsor of the FAMILY Act, which the American Families Plan is modeled after, to provide paid family and medical leave to all workers.
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