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A moderate often [[liberal]] Republican, Kassebaum was named chairman of the Senate Labor Committee from 1995 to 1997, with the Republican capture of the upper legislative chamber. [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] of [[Massachusetts]] relinquished the chairmanship and became the ranking member of the committee. Kassebaum Baker teamed up with Kennedy for the passage of the Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, her landmark legislation. Like current Senate Majority Leader [[Mitch McConnell]] of [[Kentucky]], she was a strong opponent of [[apartheid]] and supported sanctions against the government of [[South Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bOcyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mQcGAAAAIBAJ&dq=apartheid+sanctions&pg=3361,4583866|title=The Free Lance-Star Search|author=|publisher=news.google.com|accessdate=April 20, 2020}}</ref>  

A moderate often [[liberal]] Republican, Kassebaum was named chairman of the Senate Labor Committee from 1995 to 1997, with the Republican capture of the upper legislative chamber. [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] of [[Massachusetts]] relinquished the chairmanship and became the ranking member of the committee. Kassebaum Baker teamed up with Kennedy for the passage of the Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, her landmark legislation. Like current Senate Majority Leader [[Mitch McConnell]] of [[Kentucky]], she was a strong opponent of [[apartheid]] and supported sanctions against the government of [[South Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bOcyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mQcGAAAAIBAJ&dq=apartheid+sanctions&pg=3361,4583866|title=The Free Lance-Star Search|author=|publisher=news.google.com|accessdate=April 20, 2020}}</ref>  

Though she had voted in 1991 to confirm the [[African-American]] [[Clarence Thomas]] to the [[United States Supreme Court]], Kassebaum Baker soon soured on the judicial decisions of the [[conservative]] Thomas and questioned whether he had sexually harassed accuser [[Anita Hill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-05-27/news/1995147030_1_justice-thomas-vote-for-thomas-harassment|title=Kassebaum regrets vote for Thomas|publisher=Knight-Rider News Service|date=May 27, 1995|accessdate=April 20, 2020}}</ref>  

Though she had voted in 1991 to confirm the [[African-American]] [[Clarence Thomas]] to the [[United States Supreme Court]], Kassebaum Baker by 1995 had soured on the judicial decisions of the [[conservative]] Thomas and questioned whether he had sexually harassed his accuser, [[Anita Hill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-05-27/news/1995147030_1_justice-thomas-vote-for-thomas-harassment|title=Kassebaum regrets vote for Thomas|publisher=Knight-Rider News Service|date=May 27, 1995|accessdate=April 20, 2020}}</ref>  

Divorced after twenty-three years of marriage from John Philip Kassebaum, whose name she still used professionally, she married in 1996 the widowed [[Howard Baker]], former U.S. Senator from [[Tennessee]], Senate Majority Leader, and a chief of staff to [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]] at the height of the [[Iran-Contra affair]]. Kassebaum and Baker had been Senate colleagues from 1978 to 1985, when Democrat [[Al Gore]] took the seat that Baker vacated. Kassebaum holds the distinction of being the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without a husband having previously served in Congress.

Divorced after twenty-three years of marriage from John Philip Kassebaum, whose name she still used professionally, she married in 1996 the widowed [[Howard Baker]], former U.S. Senator from [[Tennessee]], Senate Majority Leader, and a chief of staff to [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]] at the height of the [[Iran-Contra affair]]. Kassebaum and Baker had been Senate colleagues from 1978 to 1985, when Democrat [[Al Gore]] took the seat that Baker vacated. Kassebaum holds the distinction of being the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without a husband having previously served in Congress.

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==References==

==References==

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