Patty Murray Sworn In As Senate President Pro Tem

WASHINGTON — As the 118th Congress convened Tuesday, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) was sworn in as the first woman to serve as the Senate's President Pro Tempore, third in the line of Presidential succession. However, with House Republicans failing to reach a consensus on a new speaker Tuesday, Murray was temporarily second in line.

After securing a sixth term in office, Murray was nominated for the senior role in November and was sworn in Tuesday by Vice President Kamala Harris.

"As the first woman to serve as President Pro Tempore, I will be the first woman to sign the bills we send to President Biden’s desk for his signature and to be designated to preside over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President," Murray said in a statement Tuesday. "It’s a responsibility I am deeply honored to take on for my country and for Washington state. And I hope that when young women watch footage of the first female Vice President—my friend, Kamala Harris—swearing me in today, they don’t question for a moment whether their voices matter, or if they belong in Congress. Because we need even more women to serve at every level of government."

Murray takes over from retired Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, formerly the chamber's most senior member, who chose not to run for a ninth term. In November, she bested Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley by nearly 15 points in certified election results. Serving since 1992, the Bothell native will be one of America's longest-serving senators by the end of her current term.