Sen. Patty Murray will become the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next year, just as the GOP gains control of the Senate with plans to redouble its attention to the federal health law.
Ms. Murray is taking the committee seat being vacated by Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who is the panels current chairman and is retiring after nearly 40 years in Congress. With GOP takeover, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee will be HELP Committee chairman.
Ms. Murray, of Washington state, is a member of Senate Democratic leadership, manages the Senate floor and heads the Budget Committee. She said in a Friday statement that she plans to fight as hard as I can to make sure that that the voices, values, and priorities of students, workers and families, are heard loud and clear. She listed several education priorities, including overhauling the No Child Left Behind law, student loan debt and early childhood education, but also said she was hopeful Congress would be continuing to improve health care access and affordability.
On the Budget Committee, Ms. Murray gained prominence by working with House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) on a compromise budget law that raised spending caps for fiscal 2014 and 2015, finding rare bipartisan agreement on fiscal policy. She said Friday that she would remain a member of the Budget panel. This past summer, she led an unsuccessful Democratic effort to challenge a Supreme Court decision that allowed some employers to omit contraception coverage in workers insurance.
Mr. Harkin has been a long-time advocate for public health, and in recent years thats included vocal support for a disease-prevention fund in the Affordable Care Act.
Ms. Murrays move is one of several committee switches by Democrats for the new Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, will become ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, the Senate Democratic Steering Committee announced Friday afternoon. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida will be the top Democrat on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, succeeding West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who is retiring. And Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut will become the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee.
For the HELP role, Ms. Murray leapfrogged Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who has been Appropriations Committee chairwoman and will remain with the committee as its ranking Democrat.
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Patty Murray to Become Top Democrat on HELP Committee