Murray becomes first female president pro tempore in Senate
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Democrat Patty Murray has become the first female president pro tempore of the Senate. That senior member of the majority party acts as Senate president when the vice president cannot be present. Murray replaces Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, who has retired after almost five decades in the Senate. Murray says her own ascension to the post is another example of the slow, steady progress of women in the perpetually old-fashioned Senate. She also sees her rise not only as an example for young people but as a platform for women’s issues, like paid leave and child care, that she has championed for years.
