Senator Landrieu is a nationally recognized advocate for building families through adoption. She believes that there is no such thing as unwanted children, just unfound families. She is the Senate Co-Chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, a bipartisan group that boasts 215 members.  Senator Landrieu has been a leader in the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the Hope for Children Act (Adoption Tax Credit), the Strengthening the Abuse and Neglect Courts Act, the Intercountry Adoption Act, the D.C. Family Courts Act, and the Child Citizenship Act, and the Adoption Promotion Act, which rewards state efforts to encourage adoption through incentive payments.  Senator Landrieu’s ultimate goal is to ensure every child has the opportunity to be part of a stable and loving family.  She believes all children deserve a loving and nurturing family to call their own.  To that end, she has worked to increase the adoption tax credit, reform the foster care system, and create laws helpful to families who are committed to international adoption. 

Senator Landrieu was born into a family with a long history of public service and commitment to community, and she married into a family with those same values.  When friends and family began urging her to run for office at the age of 23, Landrieu realized it was time to put those values to use in public service.  In 1979, Landrieu ran for a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to the state Legislature.  Her work in the House earned her a reputation as a tenacious fighter for children and families, while being thoughtful and fair-minded. Eight years later, she successfully ran for Louisiana State Treasurer and spent two terms finding innovative solutions for the state’s fiscal problems, including establishing responsible debt limitations and improving investments for educational initiatives.  Mary Landrieu became the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the Senate in 1996, and she was re-elected in 2002.

She is the Chair of the Small Business Committee; a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee; and  a member of the Energy Committee.  Senator Landrieu is married to Frank Snellings, an attorney from Monroe and an adoptee himself.  They have two adopted children, Connor and Mary Shannon.