Washington DC – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request:
“The President’s budget shows he understands that the source of our nation’s strength is our people—and that investing in working families pays off in a major way. This budget lowers costs for people in every corner of the country, protects and strengthens Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and takes action to address the challenges families are facing. It proposes bold—and much-needed—action to tackle the child care crisis so that working families across America can find the child care they need for about $10 a day. As people in my home state and all across the country struggle to afford housing, the President’s budget invests in tackling the housing crisis that is crunching Americans’ pocketbooks and holding our country back. It sustains investments that people count on each and every day—and that keep our communities safe and prosperous.
“This budget keeps our country moving forward—and ensures America remains on the cutting edge. It builds on the historic progress Democrats have made tackling the climate crisis, improving infrastructure across America, and so much more. It rejects the short-sighted calls of politicians who want to drag our country backward by slashing the investments that make our nation strong and pay off in the long run. At a time when our nation faces a multitude of threats from around the world, this budget invests in our national security and our stronger than ever alliances that help keep us safe.
“Importantly, the President’s budget recognizes that it is absolutely possible to invest in the American people and our nation’s future and put our country on a more sustainable fiscal footing. This budget continues the President’s successful track record of lowering the deficit—and it does so by simply ensuring that the ultra-rich and largest corporations finally pay their fair share in taxes. The President’s budget would close ridiculous loopholes that billionaires count on to avoid paying taxes—so that we can sustain our investments and ensure hard-working Americans are the beneficiaries of our nation’s historic economic comeback.
"Put simply, this budget tells working people and families: ‘We have your back—and we’re going to keep building a stronger future together.’
“As we work to finish negotiating and passing the final six appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2024, I look forward to digging into the details of the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2025 and working with my colleagues to begin the process of writing serious, bipartisan spending bills that will move our nation forward and continue to build a brighter future for American families.”
Sobre $500 millones for Howard Hanson Dam:
“As Appropriations Chair, I’ve worked hard to make sure that saving our salmon is a top priority at the federal level. The Howard Hanson Dam fish passage facility project is absolutely critical to salmon recovery in Washington state—and I’ve made clear through extensive engagement and many conversations with the Army Corps and OMB that we need to get the job done on this project, which will open up over 100 miles of prime habitat and has the potential to produce more salmon than any other project in our region,” dijo el senador Murray. “We took a big step forward on this project with the $220 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and another step with $50 million I included in this year’s appropriations bills. But the most important step we’ve been working toward throughout this process is major federal funding for the actual construction of the fish passage facility.”
“The funding requested in President Biden’s budget for Howard Hanson Dam would fully cover the construction contract award for the fish passage facility—this is a true milestone and a real cause for celebration,” Murray continuó. “Salmon and fish are so foundational to Washington state’s economy, culture, and our Tribal partners—and in writing our funding bills for next year, you can bet I will do my part at every step of the way to deliver this historic funding to restore wild salmon to our rivers and streams.”
Additional background on Howard Hanson Dam Project:
In 2022, Senator Murray helped secure $220 million for the Howard Hanson Dam Fish Passage Facility Project through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senator Murray secured $50 million for construction of the Howard Hanson Dam Fish Passage facility in the FY24 Energy and Water Development bill she passed through committee in July and was signed into law on Saturday, March 9th—this funding will help the Army Corps continue design and award the construction contract with early contractor involvement during the design phase of the project. The President’s Budget requests $500 millones for construction of a fish passage at Howard A. Hanson Dam.
Senator Murray has been a consistent and forceful advocate for the Howard Hanson Dam and its related salmon recovery projects, pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to prioritize funding for Howard Hanson for years, imparting the importance of the dam to the Biden Administration when the President first took office. Back in 2010, she secured $44 million in badly-needed emergency funds for the Corps to repair the Presa de Howard Hanson y mantener a las comunidades de Green River Valley a salvo de inundaciones.
Sobre $3.108 billion for Hanford cleanup:
“After securing a record $3 billion for the critical work that happens at Hanford in the funding bill I negotiated and passed just days ago, I am proud to have worked with President Biden to secure the largest funding request Congress has ever received from the White House,” dijo el senador Murray. “The President’s Budget demonstrates a step in the right direction—I have practically been a broken record in saying that the federal government has a moral and legal obligation to properly fund the work at Hanford so I am really proud to see the President ask for a historic $3.108 billion. As long as I am Appropriations Chair, we are going to do right by the workers at Hanford and make sure we protect the environment and nearby communities like the Tri-Cities.”
Additional background on Hanford:
Senator Murray secured $3.035 billion for Hanford—$191.4 million above the fiscal year 2023 funding level in the fiscal year 2024 government funding package that passed Congress and was signed into law on Saturday, March 9th. That amount includes $1.042 billion for Richland operations (a $35.4 million increase over fiscal year 2023) and $1.89 billion for the Office of River Protection (a $159.6 million increase over fiscal year 2023). The President’s Budget requests $3.108 billion for Fiscal Year 2025—a $72.2 million increase above the fiscal year 2024 that was enacted on Saturday.
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