Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), voted to advance the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill for fiscal year 2024, which Senator Murray played a key role in writing. The bill funds the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as a host of critical agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which keep America on the cutting edge when it comes to research and innovation. Among other things, the draft legislation Senator Murray helped write invests in keeping our communities safe—including by providing significant new funding for the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women—propelling cutting-edge research, strengthening American manufacturing and keeping our supply chains running, advancing climate research, and continuing America’s leadership in space. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 28-1 to advance the legislation, where it now awaits full consideration by the Senate.
Importantly, Murray secured more than $206 million in the draft legislation for salmon recovery and marine habitat restoration through the Department of Commerce, a top priority for Murray who has long made clear that the federal government must play its part in funding salmon recovery efforts, particularly as part of its obligation to sovereign Tribes. The legislation includes $76 million for the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Pacific Salmon account—a $4 million increase over FY23 funding levels—to support the agency’s work with Endangered Species Act-listed Pacific salmon species, as well as $65 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, and $65.25 million for the Salmon Management Activities account, which supports NOAA’s hatchery operations and international treaty agreements.
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