SEATTLE — Affordability has been the campaign platform of choice for whichever party is out of power in Washington D.C.
Washington Democratic Senator Patty Murray says her party is already working on plans to fulfill their promises in 2027.
Ending the Iran War and rescinding tariffs implemented by the Trump Administration is where she says the party will start.
“[President Trump] sent us to war without Congressional authority; that is what caused our gas prices to rise,” Murray said. “When he enacted these tariffs without congressional approval or discussion or understanding or a way to make sure we were not impacted. That’s what caused all these prices to go up. So reasserting Congressional authority over that in both of those areas and enforcing laws that bring those prices down is something that we will do.”
Murray envisions that when spending bills come, they will be written more tightly so that spending cannot be undone and the Executive Branch will be obliged to follow.
Murray also points to healthcare costs, saying cuts to Medicaid and tax credits from the Affordable Care Act are driving up everyone’s health insurance costs.
“Under those Medicaid cuts, so many people are losing their insurance. They will still go to the hospital. They will be uncompensated care. So the insurance companies are reacting by raising everybody’s prices. So those are two very definitive things we will do as soon as we can,” Murray said.
Murray expects Congress to take action on that quickly in the new year.
When asked about paying for it to restore those cuts in a way the White House will sign off on, she deflected to changes the Republican-controlled Congress made to taxes.
“What the Republicans did is they gave tax breaks to billionaires and apparently a trillionaire, and used that, and the way they paid for those huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans is by cutting Medicaid and not extending the ACA tax credits and limiting SNAP benefits to families,” Murray said.
Murray says if a Supreme Court Justice were to retire before the Democratic Majority is sworn in on January 3, Democrats will find ways to stall a Trump nominee.
Some newly-elected Democrats have questioned the leadership of current Senate Minority Leader Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, questioning if they will support his bid for Speaker.
Murray didn’t commit either way in an interview Thursday.
“We will have that discussion here in a couple of weeks when we know what happens with Alaska. And make the best decision for how we can show America that we are focused on the priorities. They just sent a very strong message to us about the last election,” Murray said.
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