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Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu Senate portrait.jpg
Official portrait, 2009
United States Senator
from Louisiana
In office
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by J. Bennett Johnston
Succeeded by Bill Cassidy
Chair of the Senate Energy Committee
In office
February 12, 2014 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by Ron Wyden
Succeeded by Lisa Murkowski
Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee
In office
January 3, 2009 – February 12, 2014
Preceded by John Kerry
Succeeded by Maria Cantwell
Treasurer of Louisiana
In office
January 1, 1988 – January 8, 1996
Governor Edwin Edwards (1988; 1992–1996)
Buddy Roemer (1988–1992)
Preceded by Mary Evelyn Parker
Succeeded by Ken Duncan
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the 90th district
In office
1980–1988
Preceded by Clyde F. Bel Jr.
Succeeded by Mitch Landrieu
Personal details
Born
Mary Loretta Landrieu

(1955-11-23) November 23, 1955 (age 69)
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse
Frank Snellings
(m. 1988)
Relations Mitch Landrieu (brother)
Children 2
Parent Moon Landrieu (father)
Education Louisiana State University (BA)
Signature

Mary Loretta Landrieu (born November 23, 1955) is an American businesswoman and politician. She served as a U.S. Senator for Louisiana from 1997 to 2015. Mary Landrieu is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a senator, she was the Louisiana State Treasurer from 1988 to 1996. She also served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980 to 1988.

Early Life and Education

Mary Landrieu was born in Arlington County, Virginia, on November 23, 1955. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father, Moon Landrieu, was a former mayor of New Orleans. He also served as a U.S. Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Her brother, Mitch Landrieu, was also a mayor of New Orleans and a Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. Mary Landrieu was raised as a Catholic.

She went to Ursuline Academy in New Orleans. While at Ursuline, she took part in the Close Up Washington program. This program teaches students about government and civic duties.

In 1977, she graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She earned a degree in sociology. She was also a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.

Political Career Highlights

After college, Mary Landrieu worked as a real estate agent. She then began her career in public service.

Serving in the State Legislature

Landrieu was first elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1979. She served from 1980 to 1988. She represented a district in New Orleans. She was re-elected in 1983 with a large majority of the votes. In 1987, her brother Mitch took over her seat in the 90th district.

Becoming State Treasurer

In 1987, the State Treasurer, Mary Evelyn Parker, resigned. Landrieu decided to run for the position. She won the election and became the Louisiana State Treasurer on January 1, 1988. She was re-elected without opposition in 1991.

Running for Governor

Landrieu chose not to run for a third term as Treasurer. Instead, she ran for governor in the 1995 election. She finished third in the primary election. She was succeeded as state treasurer by Ken Duncan.

Key Moments in the Senate

Mary Landrieu gained national attention after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She spoke out about the slow federal response to the disaster. She also played a role in shaping the 2010 Affordable Care Act. She supported it after Louisiana's Medicaid system received more funding.

In 2011, she became the chair of the Senate's Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. She also chaired the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 2009 to 2014. From 2014 to 2015, she chaired the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

U.S. Senate Elections

MaryLandrieu bookcase lg
Landrieu during the 108th Congress as United States Senator from Louisiana

Mary Landrieu was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. She won a very close election against Woody Jenkins. She was re-elected in 2002 by a small margin. She defeated Suzanne Haik Terrell.

In 2008, she won re-election for her third term. She received 52% of the votes against John Neely Kennedy.

Landrieu ran for re-election in 2014. She received 42% of the vote in the first round. She needed more than 50% to win outright. In the runoff election on December 6, 2014, she was defeated by Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy. He won with 56% of the vote.

Senate Work and Important Votes

Key Legislation and Policies

In 2002, Landrieu voted for the Iraq Resolution. This resolution authorized military force in Iraq. In 2005, she sponsored a resolution for the Senate to apologize for not passing anti-lynching laws in the early 1900s. The Senate passed this resolution.

After hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, she held important hearings. These hearings looked into the mistakes made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In 2008, Landrieu voted to raise the estate tax exemption. This meant fewer people would have to pay a tax on inherited money.

In September 2010, Landrieu delayed the confirmation of Jacob Lew as OMB director. She did this to push for changes to a federal freeze on deepwater oil drilling. She wanted to support Louisiana's oil industry.

On December 18, 2010, Landrieu voted to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". This policy had prevented openly gay people from serving in the military. In 2013, she voted to expand background checks for gun purchases.

In April 2014, the Senate discussed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Landrieu supported the idea of a higher minimum wage. However, she wanted more discussion on how quickly to raise it and how it would affect tipped workers.

Health Care Reform

Landrieu supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare". She initially had concerns about the public health insurance option. She agreed to support the bill after it included $300 million for Louisiana's Medicaid system. This part of the bill was sometimes called the "Louisiana Purchase."

In September 2013, Landrieu voted to restore funding for the Affordable Care Act. This funding had been removed by House Republicans. In October 2013, she introduced a bill. This bill aimed to force health insurance companies to re-issue plans they had canceled.

Hurricane Katrina Response

LANDPRESS
U.S. Senator Landrieu (center) joins Women of the Storm from the Gulf Coast

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Landrieu worked with Senator David Vitter. They proposed a large aid package worth about $250 billion. This bill aimed to help with disaster relief and economic recovery.

Separate laws were passed to provide loans to communities affected by Katrina. Landrieu objected to a rule that prevented these loans from being forgiven. In 2007, when Democrats gained control of Congress, they passed a law written by Landrieu. This law allowed FEMA to forgive the loans. She later added more provisions in 2013 to forgive the remaining loans.

Landrieu became a well-known voice for hurricane victims. She often appeared on TV to discuss the recovery efforts. She criticized the federal government's response.

Judicial Nominations

Landrieu voted to confirm Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005. However, she opposed the nomination of Samuel Alito in 2006. She voted in favor of both Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Elena Kagan in 2010. These were both Supreme Court justice nominations.

USA Patriot Act

On August 3, 2007, Landrieu voted with Republicans and the Bush administration. She supported the Protect America Act. This act expanded government wiretap powers.

In 2011, she supported a four-year extension to the USA Patriot Act. This act gives the government more power to investigate terrorism.

Committee Roles and Groups

Committee Assignments

Mary Landrieu served on several important Senate committees:

Caucus Memberships

She was also part of several groups of senators:

  • Senate Oceans Caucus
  • Senate Natural Gas Caucus (co-chair)
  • Congressional Coalition on Adoption (co-chair)
  • Senate Caucus on Foster Youth (co-chair)

Political Views

Mary Landrieu DNC 2008
Landrieu speaks during the second day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

Mary Landrieu was known as one of the more moderate Democrats in the U.S. Senate. This means she often found common ground with both Democrats and Republicans.

Energy Policy

Landrieu voted to confirm Gina McCarthy as the head of the EPA. She also supported the Keystone Pipeline. She asked President Obama to approve its construction.

Internet Sales Tax

Landrieu voted in favor of an Internet sales tax. This tax would apply to online purchases.

Same-Sex Marriage

Mary Landrieu personally supported same-sex marriage. However, she also defended Louisiana's ban on it. She said that the majority of Louisianans had voted for the ban.

Personal Life

Mary Landrieu is married to Frank Snellings, an attorney. They have two children, Connor and Mary Shannon. They also have one grandson, Maddox. In 2014, Frank Snellings learned more about his Irish family. He had been adopted from Ireland 44 years earlier.

Honors and Recognition

The Order Sons of Italy in America recognized Mary Landrieu. She was the first woman of Italian-American heritage to become a U.S. Senator.

Post-Senate Career

After leaving the Senate, Landrieu became a Senior Policy Advisor for Van Ness Feldman. This is a law firm in Washington D.C. In April 2015, she also became a strategic adviser to the Walton Family Foundation. Landrieu is also a member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a group that supports Israel.

In December 2018, Landrieu joined other former U.S. senators. They wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post. They urged the Senate to protect the Special Counsel Investigation.

Landrieu has also worked to promote the natural gas industry. She has appeared in commercials that highlight the benefits of fossil gas.

Images for kids

See also

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