Author

Ashley Murray

Ashley Murray

Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.

A crowd gathered to photograph the bronze statue of author Willa Cather after a dedication ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall on Wednesday June 7, 2023. The Cather statue is Nebraska's second added to the National Statuary Hall Collection. Ashley Murray/States Newsroom

Statue of renowned Nebraska author Willa Cather unveiled in U.S. Capitol

By: - June 8, 2023

WASHINGTON — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather, who brought to life the Great Plains of Nebraska, is now honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol, becoming the 12th woman represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection. U.S. and Nebraska lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled the bronze figure of the woman who wrote the widely acclaimed […]

Hate groups’ political influence growing, watchdog says

By: - June 7, 2023

WASHINGTON — More than 1,200 hate and anti-government extremist groups were active across the United States in 2022, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest report on the nationwide prevalence of extremists who target people of color, LGBTQ people, Jewish communities and other religious minorities. While the overall number of hate and anti-government groups […]

SNAP logo via wikimedia commons

New work requirements for some SNAP recipients included in debt limit deal

By: - May 31, 2023

WASHINGTON — The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans. The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who wanted […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, speaks with reporters about debt limit and government spending negations inside the Capitol on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom

Progressives try to persuade Biden to use the 14th Amendment to resolve debt crisis

By: - May 23, 2023

WASHINGTON — Progressives are pushing hard for President Joe Biden to take the unprecedented step of invoking the 14th Amendment as a way to avoid financial calamity if the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy do not strike a deal on the debt ceiling in the coming days. The lawmakers and legal scholars argue […]

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Biden and McCarthy strike positive tone after debt limit talks, but no deal yet

By: and - May 23, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy left their closely watched meeting Monday without an agreement on government spending or the debt limit, prolonging a stalemate that could soon disrupt Americans’ everyday lives as well as the global economy.  Both struck a positive tone Monday, though neither divulged details about what remains unresolved […]

U.S. Capitol

A default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a government shutdown. Here’s how.

By: , , and - May 22, 2023

WASHINGTON — A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched. While the two have been confused frequently during debate over the debt limit, the federal government has had considerable practice with […]

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, right, and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speak to reporters outside the White House after a meeting on the debt limit with President Joe Biden and GOP congressional leaders. May 16, 2023. Ashley Murray/States Newsroom.

Biden vows debt ceiling talks will continue while he’s overseas at G7 summit

By: - May 17, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will remain in “constant contact” with debt ceiling negotiators and promised to update the nation Sunday upon his return from a shortened trip to Asia for the G7 economic summit. Biden delivered brief remarks Wednesday before departing on a scheduled trip to Japan that will no longer include stops in […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy outside the White House after talks on the debt limit with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders. May 16, 2023. Ashley Murray/States Newsroom

Some movement reported in debt limit talks as Biden cuts short overseas trip

By: and - May 17, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and congressional leaders struggled to find common ground on the debt ceiling during a Tuesday meeting, though lawmakers said afterward there was some progress toward a deal. Biden and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will become the two primary negotiators on a bipartisan debt limit bill that could include other […]

Piggy bank | Getty Images

U.S. House GOP wants spending cuts — and also $10B in home-state earmarks

By: and - May 11, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans have requested more than $10 billion in earmarks to be included in next year’s appropriations bills, despite demanding massive spending cuts as a contingent for raising the nation’s debt ceiling. All but a handful of House Republicans barely pushed through a bill that would temporarily raise the U.S. borrowing limit, […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, left, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell outside the White House following a meeting on the debt limit with President Joe Biden and Democratic congressional leaders on May 9, 2023. Ashley Murray | States Newsroom

Biden and congressional leaders fail to reach a debt limit deal, but will meet again Friday

By: and - May 10, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and top congressional leaders were unable to reach a bipartisan debt limit agreement during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, leaving the dispute unresolved as the country moves closer to a default predicted as soon as early June.  White House staff and aides to the four congressional leaders, however, will meet throughout […]

The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (Jim Small | Arizona Mirror)

After revelations of luxury trips, Democrats argue U.S. Supreme Court needs ethics code

By: - May 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices should follow a strict code of ethics when receiving gifts and travel or doing business with political funders and attorneys, argued Democratic senators Tuesday at a hearing that Chief Justice John Roberts declined to attend. After a spate of investigative articles detailing Justice Clarence Thomas’ luxury travel and real […]

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen | Sarah Rice, Getty Images

U.S. could default as early as June 1, Yellen warns Congress

By: - May 2, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Monday that the U.S. could default in as soon as one month if Congress does not act to raise the nation’s borrowing limit — a prediction that prompted President Joe Biden to call a meeting with congressional leaders next week. In a letter to lawmakers, Yellen wrote […]