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Nancy Kassebaum Baker Dies at 94

8/22/2026

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Summary

Nancy Kassebaum Baker Dies

Former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker died of natural causes at age 94 in Topeka, Kansas.
She was the first woman elected to a full Senate term without a spouse.
In 1995 she became the first woman to chair the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.
She co-authored the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy Act.

Summary

Kassebaum Honored

President Joe Biden posthumously awarded Kassebaum Baker the Presidential Citizens Medal in January 2025.
Kassebaum Baker endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for president in 2024, showing her bipartisan stance.
She backed Governor Laura Kelly in Kansas’s 2018 governor race, helping secure Kelly’s victory.
Granddaughter Nellie confirmed Kassebaum’s death and noted her lifelong love for Kansas.

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Nancy Kassebaum Baker Dies

Former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker died of natural causes at age 94 in Topeka, Kansas.
She was the first woman elected to a full Senate term without a spouse.
In 1995 she became the first woman to chair the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.
She co-authored the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy Act.

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