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Patty Murray

Patty Murray

Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member (D-WA)

Appears in 2 stories

Notable Quotes

"This looks like an execution. Federal agents cannot murder people in broad daylight and face zero consequences."

"I will NOT support the DHS bill as it stands."

"This package rejects President Trump's push to let our competitors do laps around us by slashing federal funding for scientific research by upwards of 50% and killing thousands of good jobs in the process." — Press release, January 2026

Stories

2026 federal spending showdown

Rule Changes

Withdrew support for DHS funding after Pretti shooting

A brief three-day partial government shutdown ended February 3 when the House passed the Senate's split funding package 217-214 and President Trump signed it into law, providing full-year appropriations for five agencies through September while extending Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding via a two-week continuing resolution through February 13. The shutdown stemmed from Senate Democrats blocking a $1.2 trillion spending package on January 29 after two fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis within three weeks, prompting President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to negotiate the funding split.

Updated Feb 5

Congress rejects Trump's historic science cuts

Rule Changes

Led Democratic negotiations on science funding

For 80 years, federal science funding enjoyed bipartisan protection. President Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposed ending that consensus, calling for cuts of 57% to the National Science Foundation (NSF), 47% to NASA's science programs, and 40% to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Congress said no. On January 30, 2026, Trump signed a spending bill that preserves most science agency budgets—passed by votes of 397-28 in the House and 82-15 in the Senate.

Updated Jan 30