Kirsten Rutnik Gillibrand J.D. ’91

On Jan. 23, 2009, Kirsten Rutnik Gillibrand J.D. ’91 was appointed to the U.S. Senate by New York Gov. David Patterson. Gillibrand, who will be the youngest member of the U.S. Senate, replaces Hillary Rodham Clinton, who resigned from the Senate to become U.S. Secretary of State.

Born in Lima, Ohio, and a native of Albany, Gillibrand served as a law clerk on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. During the Clinton Administration, she served as special counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Andrew Cuomo. She worked on HUD's Labor Initiative and its New Markets Initiative, on strengthening Davis-Bacon Act enforcement and on drafting new markets legislation for public and private investment in building infrastructure in lower income areas. As a partner at the well-known law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, Gillibrand worked on a wide range of legal and policy-related issues. She represented many pro-bono cases, including abused women and their children, and tenants seeking safe housing after lead paint and unsafe conditions were found in their homes.

In 2006, Gillibrand unseated four-term incumbent John Sweeney, earning the opportunity to represent New York's 20th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives as the first female representative. She established herself as an independent leader in Congress. She was the lead sponsor of legislation that would implement the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Recommendations, which will help protect our borders and keep America safe. She has been an advocate for decreased federal spending and introduced legislation that would require the federal government to balance their budget every year and has made tax cuts for families, one of her highest priorities. She has authored legislation that would double the tax credit for child care expenses and make up to $10,000 in college tuition tax deductible.

During her tenure in the House of Representatives, Gillibrand served on the House Armed Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee. On the Armed Services Committee, Gillibrand served on the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities subcommittee and the Seapower subcommittee. On the Agriculture Committee, she served on the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry subcommittee, Conservation Credit Energy and Research subcommittee and the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture subcommittee. In addition to her committee assignments, Gillibrand co-founded the Congressional High Tech Caucus with the goal of ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of emerging technologies and high tech industries.

President Barak Obama released a statement lauding Gillibrand’s appointment to the Senate, remarking, "Gov. Paterson made a wonderful choice in appointing Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Secretary Clinton’s seat in the United States Senate. I am confident that she will continue Secretary Clinton’s distinguished service to the people of New York and to our country... At this time of great challenge, I know that Kirsten has the integrity, character, and dedication to public service to help us achieve our greatest goals."

Gillibrand and her husband, Jonathan, have two sons, Henry and Theodore. She gave birth to Henry while serving as a U.S. Representative. She received a standing ovation from the House of Representatives for working up until the day that she went into labor. In addition to earning her law degree from UCLA, Gillibrand is a 1988 magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College.