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Legislative leaders set combative tone for 60-day session, cite federal obstacles to state services
Summary
At a leadership media availability, state legislative leaders said the 60-day session will prioritize protecting access to health care, housing, and food amid federal policy shifts, stressing a mix of cuts, targeted revenue options and use of reserves to balance the 2025–27 budget.
Legislative leaders held a media availability Wednesday outlining priorities for the 60-day session and framed their approach as a response to federal decisions they said are limiting the state’s ability to deliver services.
Speaker 3 opened the session by saying federal policy is constraining state programs and that "from now till the last day of session, this is the tone you will see" in efforts to defend Washingtonians' access to health care, food and housing. Speaker 4, who identified themself in the availability as "the majority leader of the Washington State Senate," echoed that the Senate will pursue a budget and tax code the chamber deems sustainable and fair.
The leaders prioritized preserving access to preventive health services, protecting vulnerable residents and supporting affordability measures for working families. They said the session would be short and focused on immediate relief, with most energy devoted to passing a balanced 2025–27 operating budget.
On the session’s mechanics, leaders said staff will pursue a mix of spending reductions, transfers and limited revenue measures that could be timed for later biennia. Speaker 1 said, "Any general tax increase is not realistic for the current biennium," and described the immediate task as balancing the 2025–27 budget primarily through reductions.
Leaders also flagged oversight and transparency topics, saying many complaints and allegations should be routed through existing agencies — for example, audits performed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and reviews by the state auditor and the joint legislative audit committee — rather than handled through confrontational public inquiries.
The availability closed with leaders saying they would respond to questions about individual bills and initiatives as drafts and referrals are finalized and that stakeholders will be engaged on major proposals.
