Patty Murray becomes first woman to cast 10,000 votes in Senate history

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on Thursday became the first woman in Senate history to cast 10,000 votes in the chamber.

Murray, who is the first female Senate president pro tempore, announced the milestone in a post on her Twitter account, vowing that she will not be the only woman to reach the achievement.  

“I just cast my 10,000th vote on the Senate floor—the first woman in history to reach this milestone, but certainly not the last! During every single one of these votes, I’m thinking first and foremost of how I can make life better for the people of WA state,” she said. 

The vote came on a proposed amendment to the Fire Grants and Safety Act, according to the Senate Periodical Press Gallery. The bill, which calls for extending federal programs that support local fire departments throughout the country, passed. 

Senators applauded Murray during the session for her accomplishment. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) congratulated Murray in remarks on the Senate floor. 

“We’re not supposed to clap, but every once in a while breaking protocol is appropriate as it is now. So it is a remarkable accomplishment for a truly remarkable public servant. Her accomplishments go — if she just cast 10,000 votes that would be pretty good — but her accomplishments go way beyond that and often dwarf it,” Schumer said. 

He noted Murray was also the first female chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Budget committees. 

“She’s a voice the Senate, the country, rely on, on some of the biggest issues we’ve faced. When she speaks, everyone listens: Democrats, Republicans, liberals, independents, because they know that she has studied it carefully and it comes right from the heart,” Schumer said. 

Senate Republicans also applauded Murray for reaching the milestone, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) noted that 1992, the year Murray was elected, was called the “year of the woman” because five women were elected to the Senate for the first time. 

“You were the leader of the group,” he said. “You’ve had an extraordinarily successful career, and I wanted you to know that people on both sides of the aisle admire your service.” 

The Senate’s website states 32 people, not counting Murray, have cast more than 10,000 votes in the Senate’s history. They include McConnell, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and President Biden.