 In 1971, Falco became the first woman to serve as Chief Counsel and Staff Director of a major U.S. Senate subcommittee (United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency) which had jurisdiction over the Federal laws governing juvenile delinquency, controlled substances, pornography and gun control.In 1977, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance appointed Falco Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters.In 1979, President Jimmy Carter nominated Falco to the newly created position of Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters (currently known as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs) a post she held until January 21, 1981.