Any health care bills that make it to President Biden’s desk will first need to go through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), which is chaired by Washington’s Senior United States Senator, Patty Murray.

Having arrived in the Senate in 1993, Murray is currently the sixth-most senior member of the chamber, and the third-most senior Democrat. She attained the gavel in the HELP Committee after Democrats reclaimed the Senate majority in January. The HELP Committee has jurisdiction over proposed legislation and matters related to health, public health, aging, and a broad range of other issues.

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With the recent passage of the American Rescue Plan and the rollout of the President’s American Jobs Plan, Wire publisher DJ Wilson recently spoke with Senator Murray to hear about how health reform efforts stand at the federal level. They also discussed the country’s COVID-19 response, and how it illustrated a tale of two Washingtons.

I felt like I lived in two Washingtons – one a home where people got it, they were serious, they were trying to get their arms around it; and here in Washington DC where it [was different]. And we saw the results of that,” said Murray.

Watch the full video above, or click this link.

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