5 women, immense power: Can they keep US from fiscal brink?
January 27, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — They are now among the most powerful women in Congress. But when they were first elected in the 1990s, they were often overlooked, or even talked down to.
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, remembers that men would avoid asking her questions, addressing other men in the room instead.
Murray becomes first female president pro tempore in Senate
January 4, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — When Washington Sen. Patty Murray was elected to the Senate in 1992, she says, male senators treated her with some trepidation. But now she has outlasted almost all of them, becoming the first woman appointed president pro tempore — a senior member of the majority who presides over the Senate and is third in line to the presidency.
Democrat Murray wins sixth term to US Senate
November 9, 2022 GMTSen. Patty Murray won reelection Tuesday as the Democratic stalwart prevailed in a campaign in which she repeatedly said her Republican challenger was too extreme for Washington state.
Murray defeated Tiffany Smiley to win a sixth term.
Murray and Smiley spar over abortion, crime in Senate debate
October 24, 2022 GMTU.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley argued over abortion, crime and inflation on Sunday in their only scheduled debate before the Nov. 8 election.
Smiley made numerous references to Murray's 30 years in the Senate during the hour-long debate televised from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, saying it was time for a change.
Washington GOP hopeful slams Seattle, Seahawks and Starbucks
October 18, 2022 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — In her first political campaign, Republican Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley is going after Washington state’s most well-known institutions.
For one, Patty Murray, the Democratic senator who has held the seat for the last 30 years and is seeking a sixth term.
Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows
September 2, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — ABC’s “This Week” — White House adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi.
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NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Panel of experts on policing: Georgetown University Law Professor Paul Butler; Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund; Rebecca Brown, director of policy at the Innocence Project; Dr.
Chinook Indian Nation members rally for federal recognition
August 30, 2022 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — Members of the Chinook Indian Nation rallied Monday on the steps of a federal building in Seattle to raise awareness for their long fight to get federal recognition.
Chairman Tony Johnson, whose tribal name is Naschio, told KNKX Public Radio that his great-great-grandfather and other leaders first hired lawyers to sue for their lands back in the 1890s.
Report: Benefits of dams must be replaced before breaching
August 25, 2022 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The benefits provided by four giant hydroelectric dams on the Snake River must be replaced before the dams can be breached to save endangered salmon runs, according to a final report issued Thursday by Washington Gov.
Murray, Smiley advance in Washington Senate primary
August 3, 2022 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray advanced Tuesday to the fall election in her quest for a sixth term after the longtime incumbent highlighted her support for abortion rights in the run up to Washington’s primary election.
Washington primary includes U.S. Senate, House races
August 1, 2022 GMTOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington voters will winnow the field of candidates in dozens of races in the state’s primary Tuesday.
Washington is a vote-by-mail state, and ballots were sent to nearly 4.8 million registered voters weeks ago.
Sen. Murray seeks 6th term at new inflection point for women
July 21, 2022 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Patty Murray was first elected to the U.S. Senate from Washington state in 1992 during the “Year of the Woman,” motivated to run for higher office in part by the contentious Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Replacing benefits of Snake River dams would cost billions
June 9, 2022 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The benefits provided by four giant hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River in Washington state can be replaced if the dams are breached to save endangered salmon runs, according to a new report released Thursday.
Correction: 4/20 Cannabis Banking story
April 22, 2022 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — In a story published April 20, 2022, about marijuana banking reform, The Associated Press erroneously reported that U.S. Sen. Patty Murray held a news conference at a cannabis store near Seattle.
Congress approves money for Hanford nuclear cleanup
March 14, 2022 GMTRICHLAND, Wash. (AP) — The budget for the Hanford nuclear reservation for the current fiscal year will be nearly $128 million more than proposed by the Biden administration and about $25 million above the fiscal 2021 budget.
What the No Surprises Act means for your medical bills
January 19, 2022 GMTMore Americans worry about unexpected medical bills than any other expense, according to polls by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2018 and 2020.
Unfortunately, those bills aren’t rare: 18% of emergency visits and 16% of in-network hospital stays had at least one out-of-network charge, a 2020 Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker study found.
FDA pick Califf parries questions at confirmation hearing
December 14, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration parried questions on crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the opioid epidemic, during a Senate hearing Tuesday that seemed to bode well for his confirmation.
Paid leave loss hits hard for Dems after decades of advocacy
October 29, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, who was elected in 1992 as a self described “mom in tennis shoes,” has been fighting for paid family and medical leave for decades. For much of this year she appeared to be winning.
Senate confirms Tana Lin as US judge in Seattle
October 21, 2021 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed civil rights attorney Tana Lin as a federal judge in Seattle.
Lin, the president of the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, will be the first former public defender and the first Asian American to serve as a federal judge in Washington state, said Democratic Sen.
Senate confirms 1st Native American US judge in Washington
October 6, 2021 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — The Senate confirmed Seattle attorney Lauren King on Tuesday as the first Native American federal judge in Washington state.
King has served as a pro tem judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System, which hears cases for two dozen member tribes.
Nick Brown, Vanessa Waldref confirmed as US attorneys
October 1, 2021 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Senate has confirmed a pair of firsts to be the Justice Department’s top lawyers in Washington state.
Nick Brown, the former general counsel to Gov. Jay Inslee, will be the first Black top federal prosecutor in western Washington, while Vanessa Waldref, an environmental lawyer for the Justice Department, will be the first woman to run the U.S.
Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows
July 2, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows:
ABC’s “This Week” — Army Gen. Scott Miller, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan; White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients; Gov.
Northwest lawmakers seek progress on Columbia River Treaty
July 1, 2021 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A bipartisan group of 21 Northwest lawmakers called on President Joe Biden to prioritize a long-running effort to renegotiate a 60-year-old treaty that governs how the United States and Canada share the waters of the Columbia River Basin.
Leading Dems seek input on ‘public option’ health care plan
May 26, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Two leading congressional Democrats issued a call Wednesday for ideas on a “public option” health insurance plan, a campaign promise of President Joe Biden's that faces long odds politically.
Republican Tiffany Smiley says she is running for US Senate
April 14, 2021 GMTPASCO, Wash. (AP) — A Republican from Pasco, Washington, announced Wednesday that she will challenge Democrat Patty Murray for a U...
Biden halts sale of National Archives center in Seattle
April 8, 2021 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — The Biden administration has halted its predecessor’s decision to sell the federal archives building in Seattle, following months of opposition from people across the Pacific Northwest and a lawsuit...
Some green groups oppose lower Snake River dam removal plan
March 27, 2021 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — A coalition of 17 environmental groups is speaking out against a key part of a sweeping plan to remove the lower Snake River dams to save salmon and steelhead...
Biden approves federal disaster aid for Malden and Pine City
February 4, 2021 GMTMALDEN, Wash. (AP) — Five months after a wildfire destroyed the adjacent towns of Malden and Pine City, President Joe Biden has approved federal aid for the towns and for other areas in Eastern Washington burned by fires last year...
Education nominee pledges new guidance, more virus testing
February 3, 2021 GMTPresident Joe Biden's nominee for education secretary is pledging to counter the “frustration and distrust and fear” about reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic with clear guidance, expanded virus testing and a call for teachers to be prioritized in vaccine rollout plans...
Federal coronavirus testing plan puts burden on states
May 25, 2020 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s new strategy for coronavirus testing puts much of the burden on states while promising to provide supplies such as swabs and material to transport specimens...
Frustration rising over lack of access to coronavirus tests
March 3, 2020 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Frustration over lack of access to coronavirus testing boiled over Tuesday as Trump administration officials sought to reassure skeptical lawmakers the nation will have the capacity for 1 million tests within days...
GOP, Democrats team up to address surprise medical bills
May 23, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Plunging ahead despite paralyzing partisanship in the nation's capital, senior lawmakers of both parties Thursday proposed legislation to tackle surprise medical bills and other concerns, from prescription drug costs to uneven vaccination rates.
Scrap ‘Obamacare’? Maybe not all, Trump administration says
May 10, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Scrap "Obamacare"? Well, maybe not all of it.
The Trump administration is The Trump administration renewed its push for school choice on Thursday with a proposal to provide $5 billion a year in federal tax credits for donations made to groups offering scholarships for private schools, apprenticeships and other educational programs...DeVos proposes federal tax credits to advance school choice
February 28, 2019 GMT
With McCain gone, could women replace the lion of Senate?
August 31, 2018 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain is being remembered as a last lion of the Senate, with few others matching his stature...
Vermont US Sen. Leahy seeks to limit border search zones
June 29, 2018 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont's Democratic U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy wants to reduce the size of the zone in which border agents can question people about their immigration status...
Scientist tapped to lead CDC does not inspire confidence
March 23, 2018 GMTTwo months into the job, new U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has made one of his first major decisions choosing a new leader of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bids to curb health care costs offer little more than talk
March 12, 2018 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — It started as a bipartisan attempt to curb soaring health care premiums.
But Congress' effort to stabilize the nation's insurance markets is faltering amid escalating demands by each party and erratic positions by President Donald Trump...
Bipartisan plan to curb health premiums gets strong support
October 20, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan proposal to calm churning health insurance markets gained momentum Thursday when enough lawmakers rallied behind it to give it potentially unstoppable Senate support...
Trump kicks issues to Congress, is erratic negotiator
October 19, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is proving to be an erratic negotiating partner as he punts policy issues to Congress and then sends conflicting signals about what he really wants...
The Latest: Governors urge Congress to back health subsidies
October 19, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and health care legislation (all times local):
10 p.m.
A bipartisan group of governors is urging congressional leaders to support a plan to calm health insurance markets after President Donald Trump blocked federal subsidies to insurers...
GOP, Dem senators push health deal as Trump keeps distance
October 18, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The authors of a bipartisan plan to calm health insurance markets said Wednesday they'll push the proposal forward, even as President Donald Trump's stance ricocheted from supportive to disdainful to arm's-length and the plan's fate teetered...
The Latest: Senators announce plan for insurance markets
October 18, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress and health care legislation (all times local):
11:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump is backing away from his positive response to a bipartisan Senate proposal to stabilize health insurance markets unsettled by his order to end "Obamacare" low-income subsidies.
A short-term health deal by senators _ but Trump a question
October 18, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic senators joined in announcing a plan Tuesday aimed at stabilizing America's health insurance markets in the wake of President Donald Trump's order to terminate "Obamacare" subsidies...
10 Things to Know for Wednesday
October 17, 2017 GMTYour daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday:...
Collins: Trump should back effort to resume health subsidy
October 16, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A key moderate Republican is urging President Donald Trump to support a bipartisan Senate effort to reinstate insurer payments, calling his move to halt the subsidies an immediate threat to millions of Americans who could now face rising premiums and lost health care coverage...
Collins urges Trump to back effort to restore health subsidy
October 15, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A key moderate Republican urged President Donald Trump on Sunday to back a bipartisan Senate effort to shield consumers from rising premiums after his abrupt decision to halt federal payments to insurers...
The Latest: Bipartisan effort to improve ‘Obamacare’ over
September 19, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the GOP effort to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law (all times local):...
Frustration mounts over premiums for individual health plans
September 3, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people who buy individual health insurance policies and get no financial help from the Affordable Care Act are bracing for another year of double-digit premium increases, and their frustration is boiling over...
McConnell to consider bipartisan plan to pay health insurers
August 6, 2017 GMTFANCY FARM, Ky. (AP) — A week after an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he'd consider a bipartisan effort to continue payments to insurers to avert a costly rattling of health insurance markets.
Shawn Vestal: Patty Murray, Lamar Alexander announce hearings for potential bipartisan Obamacare fix
August 2, 2017 GMTWhat a concept.
Elected leaders, holding public hearings about fixing a national problem. Bringing in experts. Listening to ideas. Providing a forum for debate and discussion. All in the service of writing and perhaps even passing legislation intended to help people facing problems obtaining or affording health insurance.
Washington must fight Trump on its key issues, Murray says
February 23, 2017 GMTOLYMPIA – Washington must prepare to fight the Trump administration on everything from a crackdown on the state’s legal marijuana system to a rollback of Obamacare to any shirking of responsibility for nuclear waste cleanup at Hanford, Sen.
Shawn Vestal: Can Patty Murray get answers from Trump nominee Betsy DeVos?
January 13, 2017 GMTWhen Michigan billionaire and school “reformer” Betsy DeVos goes before senators for confirmation hearings as education secretary next Tuesday, Patty Murray will have a few questions.
How does DeVos propose to come up with $20 billion for a program to subsidize private-school tuition vouchers?
McMorris Rodgers, Murray both earn return trips to Congress
November 9, 2016 GMTThe two women representing Spokane in Congress who faced challenges to their seats won return trips to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers once again defeated Democratic challenger Joe Pakootas and will retain the Congressional seat she’s held since 2005.