Patty Murray

USDA recently transferred $13 billion from its Commodity Credit Corporation into a new “Farmers Support Program” fund tied to tariff relief; a move that has drawn scrutiny because lawmakers were not informed.

Earlier this month, a host of Northwest lawmakers signed a letter written to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Grier, advocating for greater market access for the blueberry industry as trade negotiations with Asian countries continue.

A government shutdown looms less than three-weeks away and lawmakers still can’t agree on how to avert it and the impact it could have on constituents, including farmers and ranchers.

USDA’s annual spending bill got a jump start on Congress’ last-minute September budget crush, while Washington Senator Patty Murray told lawmakers the reorganization will save taxpayers billions.

Several Senate Democrats say they are concerned that federal staffing cuts could impact firefighting efforts this summer.  Senators from Oregon and Washington say some firefighters and support staff are gone from the Forest Service.  Oregon’...

On Monday, western Democrats issued a statement over reports the BLM has issued stop work orders connected to projects removing hazardous wildfire fuels.  Oregon’s Jeff Merkley, New Mexico’s Senator Martin Heinrich said their letter, addressed to recently confirmed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington, “sounds the alarm”.   They said delaying these treatm

Earlier this week, southwest Washington representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Senator Patty Murray announced a $22.5 million grant through the EPA’s Clean Ports Program for the Port of Vancouver to purchase and install two new electric mobile harbor cranes and improve shore power.    With...

The Columbia Basin Railroad Company, which operates between Moses Lake and Connell in central Washington, has received $11,552,000 to rehabilitate approximately 10 miles of the railroad line.  The proposed project will replace approximately ten miles of rail and approximately 8,000 cross ties on the Columbia Basin Railroad.  Support...

Oregon senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkely as well as Washington’s Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell joined 10 others this week sending a letter to the USDA about the western Drought and conservation priorities.  The lawmakers are asking the agency to give parity to the urgent priorities of Western growers and communities through existing authorities, new funding, and collaboration across government.  

A recent report issued by Washington Governor Jay Inslee and senator Patty Murray attempted to answer questions about the economic impact to SE Washington and beyond if the Snake River dams were removed.  However, according to Darryll Olsen with the Columbia Snake River Irrigators Association, the report offered very few answers and did not clear up confusion between the two sides of the argument.