Senator Murray Brings Citizens Into Budget Process

Today, Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) unveiled a new feature on her Committee's website called MyBudget, which allows constituents to fill out a form sharing their priorities for the federal budget, personal stories on how the budget affects them, and ideas on how to best move forward.

Sen. Murray captures the importance of engaging Americans outside of the beltway in the budget debate, saying:

I feel very strongly that politicians and bureaucrats shouldn’t be making our budget decisions in a vacuum, but that the ideas, stories, values, and priorities of families across the country have a loud voice at the table and a platform to be heard.

We completely agree. The budget is the best reflection of our government's objectives, and the decisions policymakers make should be part of a national conversation on the direction the country should take in the future.

In the months ahead, Senator Murray also promises to provide additional tools and resources to seek feedback as her Committee works to draft a budget resolution. This year's budget process presents another opportunity for lawmakers to work together and broker a compromise on a deficit reduction plan that would go big, go long, and go smart.

We applaud Sen. Murray for taking these steps to include the American people as she begins her new role at the helm of the Committee. Policymakers will face difficult choices in the coming weeks, making it all the more important to understand what Americans value the most. The more ideas put forward and stories heard, the better chance we have to end up with a budget that will achieve the goals of the entire country.

Click here to see the Senate Budget Committee's MyBudget page.