Senator Murray: “As a voice for our servicemembers, veterans, and military families in Washington state and across the country, I will continue working to ensure their needs, and the needs of our country in this moment, are met”
(Washington, D.C.) — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released the following statement in response to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) passing the Senate by a vote of 84-13. Senator Murray voted in favor of the bill.
“I’m glad that the Senate and House were able to come together on a bill that takes some important steps to support our brave servicemembers at home and abroad, continues the fight against sexual assault in the military, begins reckoning with our nation’s history of racial injustice in the military, and authorizes additional funding for military child care centers.
“There is no question, however, that we have much more work ahead of us to ensure every one of our servicemembers and military families can trust their country will honor their sacrifices. We need to ensure members of the transgender community who want to serve their country are able to do so, that all our servicemembers and their families have a fair shot at accessing retirement benefits they’ve earned, and that we address the growing issue of food insecurity for military families. Additionally, we have more to do to stop weapons of war and federal law enforcement from being used against Americans exercising their First Amendment rights.
“As a voice for our servicemembers, veterans, and military families in Washington state and across the country, I will continue working to ensure their needs, and the needs of our country in this moment, are met.”
Senator Murray is a former chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and a longtime advocate for veterans and those actively serving in the military, working to bolster federal support for military child care center construction and other critical services for servicemembers and military families. This summer, Senator Murray also introduced legislation to improve financial security and access to retirement benefits for military families, and cosponsored amendments to the NDAA to end President Trump’s hateful transgender service ban, rename Confederacy-inspired military basses and assets, stop the transfer of tear gas and other military equipment to police departments, and block federal law enforcement from occupying American cities.
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