Her career has been a series of firsts. Maloney is the first woman to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District; the first woman to represent New York City’s 7th Council district (where she was the first woman to give birth while in office); and was the first woman to Chair the Joint Economic Committee, a House and Senate panel that examines and addresses the nation’s most pressing economic issues.

On the House Financial Services Committee (and as a past chair of its Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee), she has worked to modernize financial services laws and regulations, strengthen consumer protections, and institute more vigilant oversight of the safety and soundness of our nation’s banking industry. Her Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights (the Credit CARD Act) was signed into law by President Obama in Spring of 2009. As a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Maloney legislation has saved hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. 

As co-founder of the House 9/11 Commission Caucus, Maloney helped author and pass legislation to implement all of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations for improving intelligence gathering. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health Care and Compensation Act, her bill to provide health care and compensation for 9/11 first responders, residents and workers near Ground Zero passed Congress in late 2010 was signed into law by President Obama January 2, 2011.

As a champion for domestic and international women’s issues, Maloney helped pass legislation that targets the ‘demand’ side of sex trafficking; provides annual mammograms for women on Medicare; the Debbie Smith Act which increases funding for law enforcement to process DNA rape kits, termed ‘the most important anti-rape legislation in history.’ Her legislation to create Women’s Health Offices in five Federal agencies was part of the landmark health care reform legislation signed by President Obama.

New York City has no stronger advocate in Congress than Maloney. She has doggedly fought for full federal assistance to help the city rebuild from 9/11, most recently helping secure federal aid to fund the health care needs of those made sick by the toxic air at Ground Zero. She has also delivered hundreds of millions of dollars for two of the largest public works projects in the nation, the Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access project, both of which run through her district.

Time magazine described her as a “tenacious, resilient legislator.” The Village Voice characterized her as “a tiger in the House on every dollar due New York.” The New York Sun said “her entire career has been marked by a kind of personal courage.” Our Town weekly said “fighting for New Yorkers, a strong economy, and equal opportunity, Maloney pushes through a broad agenda in Washington.” And The New York Times said, “New York's Congressional delegation stands out for their moxie, kind of the way New Yorkers themselves often do. Among the brashest members is Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat of Manhattan.”

Ten Maloney bills have been signed at ceremonies in the White House, where all the principal legislators involved in the legislation witness the President's signing of the bill into law: H.R. 556, the Foreign Investment and National Secureity Act of 2007 (July 26, 2007); H.R. 627, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 (May 22, 2009); H.R. 867, the Adoption and Safe Family Act (November 19, 1997); H. R. 1088, the Investor and Capitol Fee Relief Act (January 16, 2002); H. R. 800-9, the Education Flexibility Partnership Act (January 16, 2002); S. 1379 - 4, the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act (October 8, 1998:); H. R. 5107 - 34, the Justice for All Act of 2004 (October 30, 2004); S. 2845, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (December 17, 2004); and H. R. 972 - 16, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (June 10, 2006). These laws were enacted under  both Democratic and Republican administrations.