Patty Murray

Patricia Lynn “Patty” Murray (née Johns; born October 11, 1950) is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator. She was re-elected in 1998, 2004 and 2010.

Murray has served as the Senate Majority Conference Secretary since 2007, making her the fourth-highest-ranking Democrat and the highest-ranking woman in the Senate.

Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2001 to 2003, Murray assumed the role again in early 2011, for a term ending in 2013. She is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. She is expected to become Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in the 113th Congress.

On August 9, 2011, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed Murray to co-chair the United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.

Early life
One of seven children, Murray was born in Bothell, Washington, to Beverly A. (née McLaughlin) and David L. Johns. Her mother was an accountant. Her father fought in World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart. Her ancestry includes Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and French-Canadian. As a teenager, her family was forced to apply for welfare assistance when her father became disabled due to the onset of multiple sclerosis. He had been the manager of a five-and-ten store. She attended Saint Brendan Catholic School as a young child.

Murray received her Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from Washington State University in 1972. She was a preschool teacher for several years and taught a parenting class at Shoreline Community College from 1984 to 1987.

Early career
As a citizen-lobbyist for environmental and educational issues, she says she was once told by a state representative that she couldn't make a difference because she was just a "mom in tennis shoes". The phrase stuck, and she later used it in her successful campaigns for Shoreline School District Board of Directors (1985–1989), Washington State Senate (1989–1993), and United States Senate (1993 – present). Murray was successful in gathering grassroots support to strike down proposed preschool program budget cuts.

Her 1988 State Senate campaign was successful and she unseated incumbent Republican Bill Kiskadden.

Committee Assignments

 * Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
 * Subcommittee on Homeland Security
 * Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Chairwoman)
 * Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Chairwoman)
 * Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Children and Families
 * Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety (Chairwoman)
 * Committee on the Budget
 * Committee on Rules and Administration
 * Joint Committee on Printing
 * United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (Co-chair)

Caucus memberships

 * Senate Oceans Caucus

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
In October 2002, Murray was one of 21 Democrats in the Senate to vote against the War Authoritization for invading Iraq. Quoted from her Senate speech: Mr. President, if we do take action in Iraq, there is no doubt that our armed forces will prevail. We will win a war with Iraq decisively, and, God willing, we will win it quickly. But what happens after the war? That will have as big an impact on our future peace and security. Will we be obligated to rebuild Iraq? If so, how? Our economy is reeling, our budget is in deficit, and we have no estimate of the cost of rebuilding. And with whom? As New York Times columnist Tom Friedman points out, there's a retail store mentality that suggests to some — if "you break it, you buy it."

In December 2002, while speaking to students at Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Murray made a number of remarks about Osama bin Laden, as she attempted to explain why the US had such problems winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world, and how bin Laden had garnered support among some in the Middle East. Among other things, she had stated that bin Laden has "been out in these countries for decades, building schools, building roads, building infrastructure, building daycare facilities, building health care facilities, and the people are extremely grateful. He's made their lives better. We have not done that." This attracted attention from political opponents, who argued that this constituted support for bin Laden. Republican state chairman Chris Vance was outraged, and said it was "despicable to imply that the American government should learn a lesson from the madman who murdered thousands of American citizens".

Global Trade Exchange
Senator Patty Murray put the controversial intelligence ports-data project Global Trade Exchange into the Homeland security budget.

Other
In May 2006, Murray, along with 38 of 44 Senate Democrats, voted in favor of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611). The bill includes provisions to improve border security, increases fines and other punishments for employers of illegal immigrants, creation of a guest worker program (which includes an almost doubling of the number of H-1B visas), and creates a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. The bill, with support from some in the GOP leadership, passed 62-36.

Murray repeatedly cosponsored legislation to create the Wild Sky Wilderness area in the Washington Cascade Range. She eventually succeeded, with the bill being signed by President Bush on May 8, 2008. Murray has also supported legislation to increase the size of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, also in the Washington Cascades.

1992
In 1992, Murray announced her intention to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate following the publication of a series of articles by The Seattle Times alleging that incumbent Democrat Brock Adams had sexually assaulted a number of women. When Adams dropped out of the election before the primary, Murray defeated Representative Don Bonker to win the Democratic nomination. In the general election she faced Republican Representative Rod Chandler, whom she defeated 54 percent to 46 percent despite being outspent by a wide margin. On August 2, 2006, the New York Times said, "In 1994, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was said to have engaged in excessive touching of his then-freshman colleague Patty Murray of Washington. Ms. Murray later asked for and received an apology from Mr. Thurmond, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported at the time. Through a spokeswoman, Ms. Murray declined to comment."

1998
In 1998 she won reelection against Representative Linda Smith, 58 percent to 42 percent.

2004
Murray faced another Republican Representative, George Nethercutt, whom she defeated 55 percent to 43 percent.

2008
On January 30, 2008, Murray endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries. One month later, the Washington Democratic caucus awarded two-thirds of its delegates to Barack Obama and one-third to Clinton. After Clinton's June 7 concession, Murray switched her endorsement to Obama.

2010
Murray was challenged by Republican nominee Dino Rossi. Leading up to the election, Murray was endorsed by several prominent Washington State newspapers.

Murray's challenger, Dino Rossi, conceded the election to Murray on November 4, 2010, two days after election day. The final tally showed Murray with 52% to Rossi's 48%, enabling Murray to go on to serve a fourth term in the United States Senate.

Personal life
Murray is married to Rob Murray and has two grown children, Sara and Randy. Murray is a lifelong resident of Bothell, Washington.

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