[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING MARY MURPHY

 Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to enter the 
following letter into the Congressional Record, on behalf of Ms. 
Klobuchar and myself. The material follows:

       To the Family and Friends of Mary Murphy: Our thoughts are 
     with you and everyone who knew and loved Mary. As we are in 
     Washington this week, we will be submitting this letter to 
     the Congressional Record in Mary's honor.
       Mary was a beloved daughter of Northern Minnesota who went 
     from her childhood home in Hermantown all the way to the 
     State Capitol, where she would go on to become the longest-
     serving woman in the history of the Minnesota House.
       Before that, though, she was a social studies and history 
     teacher, and she carried that spirit with her to the state 
     legislature. Her work was proof that history is not only a 
     record of what has been, but a roadmap for what can be. 
     Having grown up under the New Deal during the Great 
     Depression, she saw firsthand that public service had the 
     power to lift people up. Throughout her nearly half a century 
     in the state legislature, Mary fought to do exactly that.
       They may not know it, but countless Minnesotans have felt 
     her impact in one way or another:
       Every barber, waiter, and bartender who earns the full 
     state minimum wage can thank Mary Murphy.
       Every student at Fond du Lac Tribal College can thank Mary 
     Murphy.
       And every kid who participates in Head Start, ECFE, or 
     Youthworks can thank Mary Murphy.
       That's barely scratching the surface. Mary improved the 
     lives of Minnesotans from all walks of life--and for years, 
     she did it while often being one of the only women at the 
     table in Northern Minnesota. Because of her leadership, that 
     has changed, but in so many ways, she was ahead of her time. 
     As her friend and colleague Erin Murphy has said, Mary ``was 
     a trailblazer in every way that you could imagine.''
       Our state is better because of Mary. As you come together 
     today to celebrate her life, know that our prayers are with 
     you at this difficult time.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Amy Klobuchar,
                                            United States Senator.
                                                       Tina Smith,
     United States Senator.

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