Chairman Biography

murray_color2U.S. Senator Patty Murray, the senior Senator from the State of Washington, is Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Murray has served on the Committee since 1995 and is both the first female member and Chairman of the Committee. Murray is a passionate and outspoken advocate for America’s veterans who has spent her career fighting to give veterans access to the quality care and benefits they have earned.

Born in Bothell, Washington, Murray is one of seven children. Her father was a Purple Heart recipient as one of the first G.I.’s to land on Okinawa. Like so many veterans of his generation, Murray’s father returned home after the war to run a small business and raise a family. Murray’s mother was a homemaker and accountant. While in high school, Senator Murray’s father became ill with Multiple Sclerosis and would remain in a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.

Senator Murray’s passion for the care and treatment of veterans began with her father’s experiences and grew as she saw first-hand the sacrifices and struggles of those retuning from service. In 1972, during the summer of her senior year at Washington State University, she interned in the Seattle VA’s psychiatric ward. At that time, veterans, many as young as Murray, were returning home from Vietnam with the visible and invisible wounds of war. The experience of helping to treat those veterans, and the understanding Murray gained about the long-term care those young heroes would need, has always served to remind Senator Murray about the lifetime commitment we make to those who’ve served.

From the moment Senator Murray joined the Veterans Affairs Committee, she has worked to ensure the VA is working for our veterans, and not against them. Senator Murray has pushed Republican and Democratic administrations to provide the VA with responsible budgets, and has worked to ensure the VA is preparing for the influx of new veterans. In 2005, Senator Murray exposed a $1 billion funding shortfall in the VA budget and successfully fought to have the funding restored. More recently, Murray successfully beat back an Obama administration proposal that would have meant increased out-of-pocket payments for service-connected injuries. 

Murray has worked in the Senate to expand services and respond to the growing needs of America’s 22 million veterans. Senator Murray has fought for increased funding for veterans health care and benefits, housing assistance, and access to clinics. She has worked to improve education benefits, expand employment assistance, and address the unique needs of women veterans. She is also focused on enhancing efforts to care for conditions like Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), to improve access to mental health care and suicide prevention services, and to increase the coordination of care for service members transitioning from the military to VA.

Senator Murray has also worked to expand access to care for veterans in her home state by saving three state VA facilities from closure and by pressuring VA to open community based health care clinics in communities throughout the state.

Senator Murray has been called “the leading voice for veteran care in Congress” by the Seattle Times and in 2007 The Washington Post said that “long before the uproar over the long-term medical care of troops returning home from Iraq made it fashionable to advocate for veterans rights, Sen. Patty Murray was on the front lines.”

Senator Murray has been honored for her work for America’s veterans by the Vietnam Veterans of America, American Ex-POWs, the VFW, AMVETS, the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

Senator Murray also serves on the Appropriations subcommittee for military construction and veterans affairs. Senator Murray is a graduate of Washington State University. She is married to Rob Murray and has two grown children and one grandchild.

“Patty Murray becomes voice of veterans care” – The Seattle Times

“Patty Murray, No Newcomer to Advocating for Veterans” – The Washington Post

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