She's Second in Line to the Presidency, for Now

Sen. Patty Murray made history earlier this week when she became the first woman to be sworn in as president pro tempore of the Senate. Now comes an odd footnote, thanks to the political logjam in the House. While the pro tem is usually third in line to the presidency, behind the House speaker and the vice president, Murray currently sits second in line to the office because no House speaker is in place, reports Politico.

As the New York Times notes, that's quite a turnaround in fortune for Democrat Murray, who just a few months ago looked to be in danger of losing re-election to her sixth term in Washington state. The role makes Murray, 72, the second-highest ranking member of the Senate, behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who is considered the chamber's president. The pro-tem position typically goes to the longest-serving member of the majority party, which is actually Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who turned down the role, per the Times. (More Patty Murray stories.)