Congresswoman Kaptur becomes longest-serving woman in U.S. House history on March 18

Washington, D.C. — Today, March 18, 2018, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), the Dean of the Ohio Delegation and senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, has become the longest-serving woman in U.S. House of Representatives history. Kaptur surpassed the record previously held by Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA).

"It is my great honor and privilege to represent the people of Ohio's Ninth Congressional District, and I thank them for putting their faith in me for so many years and inspiring our work to make America a better place," said Kaptur. "Whether it is pension and retirement security, peace and stability throughout the world or fighting for a fair playing field, where working people have a chance to get a leg up and achieve the American dream – our work continues."

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Other audio/visual assets:

• Leader Nancy Pelosi honored Kaptur with a special reception this past Wednesday. Watch here for remarks from Pelosi, Kaptur, former Rep. Betty Sutton and others.
• Speaker Paul Ryan and Leader Pelosi honored Kaptur on the House floor. Watch here.
• Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a close colleague of Kaptur, surprised her with a special order hour of speeches on the House floor this week. Kaptur thought she was speaking Wall Street, only to discover that her colleagues were there to celebrate her milestone. Watch those speeches here.
• Other photos for public use can be found here.

More on Congresswoman Kaptur:

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is the daughter of Stephen and Anastasia Kaptur, a Polish-American working-class family in Toledo, Ohio. She still lives in the same neighborhood where she grew up and her parents' hard work allowed her and her brother Stephen to advance. Ms. Kaptur was the first member of her family to graduate high school and college, earning degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan. She then worked to revitalize cities across America and as an advisor for President Jimmy Carter.

While pursuing a Doctorate at MIT, Ms. Kaptur was encouraged by people back home to run against the Republican in her home district, Ohio's Ninth. Her campaign focused on the deep recession in Ohio and resulted in an upset victory that was powered by grassroots volunteers and bake sales.

Ms. Kaptur's blue-collar roots drives her dedication to her fight for good jobs, fair trade agreements and against predatory abuses by large financial institutions. Her District first approach informs her work every day, including her decades-long struggle to build the WWII Memorial which was inspired by a constituent veteran. After tough internal elections, she secured a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee where she ranks among its most Senior Members. There she focuses on economic growth, financial stability and defense and energy security for all Americans.

Additionally, a fact sheet on Kaptur from the U.S. House of Representatives Historian can be found here: