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Frequently Asked Questions
............................................................................................................................. Contacting Senator Murray Q. How do I contact Senator Murray? A. To Comment on Legislation contact our Washington, D.C. office: U.S. Senator Patty Murray Phone: (202) 224-2621 Fax: (202) 224-0238 E-mail: Click here to E-Mail Senator Murray Note: If you would like a response, please include your name and full street mailing address in your message. **Postal Mail subject to 1-2 week security delays** Q: How Long is Postal Mail Delayed? A: After several letters containing Anthrax were received in the Senate in 2002, new mail security procedures were implemented. These procedures add 1-2 weeks to the amount of time it takes for your letter to reach our Washington, D.C. office. Letters are first sent to a remote screening facility and irradiated. Q. Will the security irradiation damage the items I send? A. Probably. The radiation can destroy video and audio tapes, CDs, and other sensitive items. Q. Are Fed-Ex/UPS Deliveries Also Delayed? A. Letters sent by express delivery (FedEx, etc) are also delayed by several weeks. If your message is urgent, contact us by phone, fax, or email. ............................................................................................................................. For Help with a Federal Government Agency (Social Security, VA benefits, etc.) Q: Can Senator Murray help me resolve a problem with a federal agency? A: We’ll certainly try. First, find out if we’ll be able to help with your specific problem by reviewing our Casework FAQ or call one of our Washington State offices. Over the phone we may be able to determine if we can help you. Second, we will need your written permission before we can begin any work on your case. Print out our Casework Privacy Release. Call, fax, e-mail or write our Seattle, Spokane, or Vancouver offices, whichever is most convenient. Otherwise you can submit a brief written statement, describing the problem you’re experiencing and requesting the Senator's assistance. It can be faxed or mailed in, but must be signed by you. Please include your contact information as well as any case or claim numbers associated with the problem (such as a Social Security number).
............................................................................................................................. Senator Murray’s Work Q: How can I find out what Senator Murray is doing? A: You can sign up for Senator Murray’s weekly email updates . (View current update and sign up on-line) You can also review recent press releases. You can browse our legislation web pages by topic. To find a specific bill (by name or number), click here. Q: What is Senator Murray’s position on a particular issue? A: We’ve worked hard to provide answers to common questions online.
Q: What are Senator Murray’s Committee Assignments? A: See Committee Assignments Page. Q: How can I find speeches or press releases by Senator Murray? A: See our News Section. Releases are arranged chronologically. To see all releases on a specific legislative topic, pick a topic from the left hand column of our news page. You can also search for press releases using a keyword through our search feature. Q: Where can I find video clips of Senator Murray? A: See our Video Gallery. Q: Where can I find photos of Senator Murray at work? A: See our Photo Gallery. ............................................................................................................................. Internships / Senate Pages / Military Service Academies Q: How can I intern in Senator Murray’s office? A: Senator Murray is proud to offer students the opportunity to learn about government by working as an intern. Internships are available in our Washington, D.C. and Washington State offices. Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students who have completed at least one year of college and whose permanent residence is the State of Washington. For details and an application, see our Intern Section. Q: How can I become a Senate Page? A: Senator Murray can help high school students become a Senate Page. See our Page Section. Q: I’m a high school student and want to attend a military service academy. How can I be nominated? A: See our service Academy Section. ............................................................................................................................. Visiting Washington, DC Q: I’m planning a trip to Washington, D.C. Can Senator Murray Help? A: Yes. Senator Murray can request, on your behalf, tour tickets to several attractions. Our website also provides details on museums and other places to see in our Visiting Washington, D.C. Section. If you will be in Washington, D.C. on a Wednesday morning when the Senate is in session, we invite you to meet Senator Murray for Coffee. ............................................................................................................................. Meet Senator Murray For Coffee Q: What is the Constituent Coffee? A: Every Wednesday morning when the Senate is in session (see schedule), Senator Murray invites Washington State residents to join her for coffee. This “get acquainted” session is an opportunity to meet Senator Murray. Q: What happens at the constituent coffee? A: You'll have a chance to take a picture with the Senator. Senator Murray offers everyone an opportunity to introduce themselves to find out where they're from and what they're interested in. Senator Murray gives an update on the issues the Senate is currently debating. Finally, Senator Murray takes questions from constituents. Her legislative staff is also available at the coffee. Q: How do I sign up? A: Call our Washington, D.C. office at 202-224-2621. Q: Do I need to dress up for the morning coffee with the Senator? A: No. Some guests are here on business. Others are here on vacation. It is not necessary to dress up for the morning coffee. Q: Should I bring my camera so I can get a picture taken with the Senator? A: No. A Senate photographer will take your photo with the Senator, and our office will mail it to you. There is not enough time to have people take pictures with their individual cameras. Q: Will food be available at the morning coffee? A: No, just coffee. There is a Coffee Shop in the basement of the Russell Building and a cafeteria in the basement of the Dirksen Building. Q: Can I bring my kids to the coffee? Are students welcome? A: Absolutely. Senator Murray hopes young people will take advantage of this opportunity to connect with their government. Q: Will I have time to discuss a specific issue with Senator Murray? A: Because of time constraints, the coffee is a "get acquainted" meeting. You will likely have an opportunity to ask a question or make a comment, but this not an opportunity for a detailed discussion that takes time away from other constituents. ............................................................................................................................. Requesting a Capitol Flag Q: Can I get an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol? A: Yes. At your request, Senator Murray will have an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol Building for you. If requested early enough, your flag can be flown on a specific date, and you can receive a certificate to mark the occasion (birthday, retirement from military service, etc). The cost you pay depends on the size of the flag, the type of flag (cotton or nylon), and whether or not you want it flown over the Capitol building. Please see our Flag Request Section. Q: Should I send a flag to Senator Murray? A: No. Fill out our flag request form attach your check and mail it to our Washington, D.C. office. Our office will get the flag, have it flown, and mail it to you. Q: I sent my flag request a few months in advance, however the check that I sent with the order has still not been cashed. What’s going on? A: Our office is not able to process flag requests until 14 days before the date you requested the flag to be flown. Q: Can my flag certificate say my flag was flown on one date, even if it was actually flown on another date? A: No. The Capitol Flag Office will only print the certificate with the date the flag was actually flown. Q: What about a Washington State Flag? Can I have that flown over the U.S. Capitol Building? A: No. Please contact the Washington State Office
of the Secretary of State. The web address is: ............................................................................................................................. Grants Q: How do I find out what grant money is available for my organization? A: Visit my Grants Gateway to get an overview of the grants process. Q: Do I have to be a non-profit (i.e. a 501(c)(3) organization) to get government funding? A: In most cases, yes. You should always call the applicable grant agency to confirm that your organization and goals fit the requirements of a particular grant program. If you are not currently a 501(c)(3) organization:
............................................................................................................................. Legislation Guide Q: How can I get the text of a bill? status of a bill? A: THOMAS, an official Congressional web site, provides access to all bills and every Congressional Record. You can also search from our Legislation page. Q: What bills has Senator Murray introduced? A: Go to our Legislation page. Q: Which bills does Senator Murray Co-Sponsor? A: A co-sponsor is a Member of Congress or Senator who may have helped write the bill and who agrees to support the bill. To see which bills Senator Murray cosponsors, go to our Legislation page. Q: I thought Senator Murray supported H.R. 1234 (for instance), but she is not listed as a co-sponsor. Why is this? A: H.R. is a House designation. Senator Murray can only co-sponsor Senate bills, which begin with the letter S. Q: If Senator Murray is not listed as a co-sponsor of a bill, does this mean she opposes it? A: No. We are not able to co-sponsor every bill we support. Just because Senator Murray is not a co-sponsor of a certain bill doesn’t mean she opposes it. Q: How does the Legislative Process Work? A: For a bill to become law, it must pass the House of Representatives, the Senate, and be signed by the President. When a bill starts in the Senate it is referred to a committee. The committee considers the bill and either:
When the bill passes committee and comes to the full Senate:
When the Senate passes a bill it is sent to the House of Representatives for a vote. If the House passes the bill, it often makes changes to the Senate version. When this occurs, a conference committee is convened to reconcile the two bills. Once a common bill is agreed to in the conference committee, it is voted on again in each chamber. Once the conference bill passes the House and the Senate, it is forwarded on to the resident for his signature or veto. At the White House:
Q: What is the Senate working on right now? A: Check the current Senate Calendar. Q: How long does the Congress last? A: Each Congress lasts two years and is divided into two sessions. The session begins in January, and typically ends in October, when the budget is agreed to. This is the first Session of the 108th Congress. ............................................................................................................................. For Conference Planners Q: How do I request an appointment with Senator Murray in Washington state or Washington, D.C.? A: If you would like to schedule an appointment with Senator Murray, all requests must be made in writing and must include your name or the name of the group requesting the meeting, detailed information regarding the topic(s)of the meeting, the dates you or your group will be available, the names and titles of all the persons attending the meeting, as well as your contact information. If this is a meeting request for Washington D.C., please also include contact information for the time you will be in D.C., usually a mobile number or a number where you can check messages. If you have a request for a meeting to take place in Washington state, that request can be faxed to (206)553-0891 to the attention of Ms. Maria Romero, Senator Murray’s Washington state scheduler. If you have a request for a meeting in Washington D.C., that request can be faxed to (202) 228-4132 to the attention of Ms. Sheila Babb, Senator Murray’s Washington D.C. scheduler. Or you can e-mail your request, including the above information, to schedule@murray.senate.gov. Q: How can I invite Senator Murray to visit/speak to my group or organization? A. If your event is in Washington state: If your event is in Washington, D.C.: Q: Where I can I get a high resolution photo of the Senator for our conference program? A: Click here. |