Senators Murray and Collins Respond to President’s Budget: Full Steam Ahead on Appropriations Process

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, issued the following statement in response to the release of the President’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal:

“Now that the President has released his budget, we are pressing forward with the work of writing our nation’s spending bills as quickly as possible. We have a real opportunity—and an important responsibility—to work together to make our country safer, more competitive, and do some good for the people we all represent back home. The power of the purse rests with Congress, and we take that responsibility seriously.

“The Senate Appropriations Committee will be busy and moving full steam ahead with subcommittee hearings on the President’s budget—providing an important opportunity to assess our country’s needs for the coming year and for every appropriator to weigh in on the President’s budget. Shortly thereafter, we hope to draft  and mark up—with input from all Senators—each of the 12 appropriations bills in a bipartisan, timely way in order to bring them to the Senate floor.

“We have made it clear that a return to regular order is good for the process and for the country. No one is saying it’s going to be easy but we believe Senators on both sides of the aisle share our commitment to work together, find common ground, and make progress for the American people.”

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