Senate Report Card: Mary Landrieu D-LA

Mary Landrieu is the senior Democratic United States Senator from the state of Louisiana. She is the first woman to be elected to the Senate from Louisiana. Coming from a family of politicians, she is the daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu and the sister of acting Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu.

Senator Landrieu serves on the Appropriations, Energy and National Resources and Small Business Committees in the Senate. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. Her term ends in 2008, and will no doubt be a tight race in a conservative state. Landrieu is viewed as one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party.

Landrieu's initial election in 1996 to the Senate was plagued by controversy and was disputed by Republican opponent Woody Jenkins as the margin of difference in votes was less than 5,788. She narrowly won reelection in 2002.

As a member of the "Gang of 14," Mary Landrieu assisted in forging compromise over the use of judicial filibusters that would have effectively shut down the Senate. Limiting filibusters of judicial nominees to extreme and special cases and avoiding the "nuclear option" put forth by the Republicans to end filibusters. Landrieu and the Gang of 14 also agreed to approve Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor for up or down votes.

Mary Landrieu supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She voted for John Roberts as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but voted against Samuel Alito. She voted against the ban on semi-automatic weapons. She is in support of eliminating the estate tax permanently. She was one of only four Democrats to vote against repealing President Bush's tax cuts which liberals argue only benefit the rich. Along with Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, Landrieu formed a "centrist coalition" of moderates from both parties to reach agreements on various issues.

As a member of the Committee on Small Business, Senator Landrieu has lessened federal regulations and created tax relief to small businesses. She earned the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Enterprise Award for her work towards assisting small businesses.

Senator Mary Landrieu has become a leader and subsequent spokesperson for the Gulf region which was decimated by Hurricane Katrina. Her own lakeside home in New Orleans was destroyed, along with much of the city. She has pointed out the incompetence of the federal government's response before and after the hurricane.

Introducing the Conservation and Reinvestment Act, Landrieu has created a bill that would make the largest investment in the environment in a generation, with no tax increase. The bill returns a greater amount of off shore oil revenues to coastal states for improvements and repairs. She has secured billions of dollars in pledged funds for Louisiana's repair post Hurricane Katrina.