Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Murray Aims to 'Find Common Ground' with GOP on Budget

Scott Applewhite
/
AP Photo

With the government reopened and a budget deal reached, members of Congress are heading into a new round of budget negotiations. Front and center is Sen. Patty Murray, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee. On Thursday morning, Murray stood next to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and told reporters that the two sides will work together to avoid another impasse.

“Chairman Ryan knows I’m not going to vote for his budget. I know he’s not going to vote for mine. We’re going to find the common ground between our two budgets that we both can vote on, and that’s our goal,” said Murray, D-Wash.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, said just talking is a big step forward.

“I want to have a budget agreement that works for the country. I want to have a budget agreement that gets this debt and deficit under control, that does right by future generations and helps us grow the economy, and we’re going to figure out if we can find an agreement to do that,” Ryan said.

As an end to the shutdown became apparent Wednesday night, Murray said in a statement that she was relieved that “this embarrassing episode is nearing an end.” 

Ed Ronco is a former KNKX producer and reporter and hosted All Things Considered for seven years.