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Washington leaders say 60‑day session will focus on protecting healthcare, housing and food amid federal 'headwinds'
Summary
Legislative leaders used a press availability to cast the 60‑day session as a defensive effort to protect Washingtonians from federal actions they say threaten access to health care, food and housing; they outlined priorities including tax reform, housing construction and targeted budget cuts.
Tina, who identified herself as the majority leader of the Washington State Senate, said the Legislature will make protecting access to health care, food and housing its central work during the short 60‑day session, framing the agenda as a response to what she described as federal actions "attacking Washingtonians left and right."
The leaders said they expect steep near‑term challenges: one speaker estimated roughly 300,000 residents have lost subsidies and another estimated 180,000 could lose health coverage in coming months. They said those shortfalls, combined with cuts to food‑access programs and other federal measures, will shape the session's priorities.
Lawmakers said they will pursue a mix of spending reductions, transfers and longer‑term structural tax changes. On near‑term budgeting, officials said balancing the 2025–27 operating budget will rely largely on reductions and transfers, with most larger revenue options — including structural tax reform — timed for subsequent biennia. "This is the thing that we are going to spend on in this session fighting against, and what we are going to put in for is to elect Washingtonians stand against federal overreach," one speaker said.
They also previewed bills to address housing construction costs, energy impacts from data‑center growth and other affordability pressures. Several lawmakers highlighted the need to pair possible new high‑income revenue measures with targeted tax reductions for working families, saying some revenue would be returned to lower‑ and middle‑income households through credits or relief programs.
The leaders concluded by urging constituents to follow committee work and stakeholder engagement as bill drafts are finalized; no formal votes were taken at the press availability.
