Your Voice Is Needed in the Budget Process

When the American people went to the polls last November, they strongly endorsed a balanced approach to our budget challenges that puts jobs and the middle class first and calls on the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. If you were one of the many who cast a ballot, knocked on a door, or talked with your friends and family in favor of pro-growth, pro-middle class budget priorities, I'm asking you today to stand with us again.

Because the work didn't end on Election Day -- and Republicans are already gearing up to push a new Ryan budget that could be even more extreme than the last one.

As I move into my new role as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and we work to write a budget, I am committed to tackling this issue in a way that works for the middle class, protects seniors and families, and lays down a strong foundation for long-term economic growth.

I am eager to contrast our budget values and priorities with the Ryan budget that would end Medicare as we know it, gut job-creating investments and programs middle class families depend on, and continue protecting the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations from paying a penny more in taxes. Because we know that when our priorities are laid out next to Republicans', the public stands with us.

But I need your help. The budget process and conversation is too often limited to bureaucrats and politicians. The truth is that the federal budget belongs to the American people -- it belongs to you. You need to have a louder voice in this process, and your values and priorities should be heard.

That's why I am proud to announce the launch of MyBudget , a new online platform for members of the public to engage with the Senate Budget Committee.

MyBudget goes live today to help you share your stories, ideas, and priorities. It will give working families, students, and seniors one more way to let us know what a fair budget means to them. And in the weeks and months ahead, we will be adding additional tools and resources to enable people across the country to have their voices heard loud and clear as we tackle our budget and economic challenges and to help them engage their friends, organize, and advocate for their budget values and priorities.

So visit MyBudget today to share your stories, priorities, and ideas with us. And help us spread the word.

With your thoughts and ideas to guide us, we can seize this critical moment to stand up for our budget values and priorities, build a foundation for a strong and growing middle class for years to come -- and in doing so, make sure that the voices of the people who elected us are at the table and represented.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Read what I had to say about my values and priorities when I officially took over the budget committee here.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/pattymurray

Follow the Senate Budget Committee on Twitter: twitter.com/SenateBudget