Murkowski Welcomes Record Number of Women Senators
Senator Cites Commitment to Service, Less Ego - “It’s Not About the Title”
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed the beginning of the 113th Congress and the record twenty women Senators who will work together to deliver results for their constituents and the nation. In a nationally-televised interview airing this evening, Senator Murkowski shares her focus on Alaska’s concerns with ABC World News Tonight’s Diane Sawyer, and explains how the women of the Senate often collaborate without egos – encouraging young Americans to step outside of their “comfort zones” as they grow up.
Clockwise: Senators Lisa Murkowski, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Click image or HERE to watch an excerpt
Senator Murkowski addressed the different approach she has seen with her women colleagues in the Senate:
“I want to go back to-- to the question about the presidency though, because you're asking us if any of us are looking at this as a title. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I didn't come because I wanted to have senator placed in front of my name. It was because of what I wanted to do for the people in the state of Alaska that I care really passionately about.
“When I look in the mirror it's, ‘Okay, what are we gonna do to lower the price of fuel, to help with the fish disaster, to deal with some of the transportation issues.’ And it's-- maybe that's some of the difference here –it's the task that you sign up for, it's the task that you volunteer to do to in service. And it's not so much about the title.
“Maybe it is the testosterone that you speak to, Dianne, or the ego that is attached there. But I look at what I have been asked to do by the people of Alaska, and it's pretty serious stuff. And it's not the title, but it's the responsibility that comes with the service that I think makes a difference.”
When asked later in the interview about her advice for young men and women Senator Murkowski shared her thoughts with Sawyer:
“Learn something every day. Doesn't make any difference whether you're in kindergarten or whether you are a senior. You should be learning something every day. And don't be afraid to push yourself to learn. I have on my refrigerator along with various pictures of my boys at different stages of their life and the nieces and the nephews, I have a little saying that came from a card that somebody sent. And it says, ‘Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.’ And just remember every day to just push yourself to learn something new.”
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