Does a procedural vote gaining super hero status sound strange? It probably does, but an important amendment proposed by our very own Senator Patty Murray, with support from Senator Maria Cantwell, has saved the day. The amendment passed the Senate in a procedural vote on Wednesday morning. It passed out of the Senate this morning and now goes to the House. If passed in the House, it will prevent Governor Christine Gregoire from making across the board cuts to critical services.

The federal funding in the amendment (also called FMAP) gives states money to help pay for their Medicaid programs, which funds, in part, Apple Health for Kids. It also provides money for public schools. For Washington state, the measure is expected to bring in $543 million.

Our Federal Government handles many pressing issues – from foreign affairs to the environment to the economy. So where do kids fit into the picture? And what does that Washington have to do with what happens in Washington state?

The answer is a lot, which is why we sent our federal staffer to Washington D.C. last week to advocate for kids. What happens in the halls of Congress helps shape what programs are and aren’t funded in our state.