Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), currently the longest-serving women in the Democratic and Republican caucuses, released the following statement on the swearing in of Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) as the 26^th woman senator:

             “We’d like to wish a warm welcome to Kelly Loeffler, the newest Senator and the 26^th woman serving in the U.S. Senate.

             “This is the most women to ever serve in the Senate, and it comes at a time when we need more diverse voices in politics, not fewer.

             “Our public service has been defined by our willingness to work together with any member who has a desire to get things done and improve our country, and we believe having more women in the chamber will bring that goal closer.

             “It took 27 years to go from two women to 26, and we should be able to reach equal representation in the Senate much more quickly. We look forward to that day.”

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