Women are motivated to get things done. Even though they seldom receive credit for the work they do. The women who decide to run for office do so with their cause and district in mind, and once they’re elected, they do what they can to represent their constituents. They must be passionate about their purpose and stay true to their mission to endure the grueling trials and tribulations of running for office. After all, women on the campaign trail are criticized for everything from dress and weight to whether they are likable. So, what happens once they win?
Overwhelmingly, women report that they didn’t run for office to gain power. They ran to “solve a problem,” to “be a voice for the voiceless,” or “represent those who don’t have powerful lobbyists to speak for them,” and many more cite problems or issues people in their districts face that also affect the country, or even the world. These are purpose-driven women, and amid the ever-growing partisan divide, gridlock, and other obstacles that stand in their way, they remain pragmatic and use the power women have always used—creating relationships—to push their agendas forward. This means working across party lines, collaborating with more powerful members (usually men), engaging advocates to educate and enlighten others to support their initiatives, and leveraging other resources to move their policies forward. Simply put, they work hard (some reporting 6:00 am-10:00 pm workdays) and use their collaborative power.
The role of women members of Congress amidst the gridlock of the 114th Congress (2015-2017) is detailed in the book A Seat at the Table, Congresswomen’s Perspectives on Why Their Presence Matters, by Kelly Dittmar, Kira Sanbonmatsu and Susan J. Carroll. The authors and an army of assistants interviewed more than three-fourths of all women members. Rather than compiling numbers for a quantitative analysis of how congresswomen voted like in previous studies, they took a qualitative approach, “providing first-person perspectives on their representational roles, [and] what motivates their legislative priorities and behavior…” They detailed how the women “experienced service within a male-dominated institution” and why it matters.
Partisan politics notably increased between 2014 and 2017. In 2015 Republicans controlled both houses, but by enacting fewer pieces of legislation, it was recorded as the least productive Congress in almost seven decades. In the midst of this polarization, women in Congress prioritized productivity over partisan politics and were credited with solving the government shutdown in October 2013. The women interviewed for A Seat at the Table said they used relationship-building as an antidote to partisan polarization. However, they warned not to overrate it since business is still conducted according to party lines. They must all get reelected, and their top priority is to satisfy their constituents who voted for them and, secondly, the party that supports them.
How do they create relationships across the aisle amidst an ideological us versus them environment? They get out of their seats and find common ground. In the Senate, the rules that govern voting and passage of bills foster bipartisanship more than those of the House, but more famously, the women senator dinners create an opportunity for them to get to know each other on a personal level. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) calls it “a sisterhood in the brotherhood,” and they use it to create a united front and maximize their power and influence. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) organized the dinners for many years with the idea that “when we spoke together in a united way, we could be a force.” She also established specific ground rules, “no staff, no memos, and no leaks.” Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) called the environment of the dinners “a little island of civility and support and friendship.” She also said, “We spend less time talking about business and more time talking about children, grandchildren, and feet that hurt, and you know, stuff like that.”
There are too many women serving in the House to make similar dinners work well. However, the sophomore class of 2013 dined together, and the congressional women’s softball team has also provided a way to bipartisan friendships. Spearheaded by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) in 2009 to benefit a cancer organization called the Young Survival Coalition, the women representatives play the women of the press who cover Capitol Hill. If they don’t want to play, they can join the cheerleading squad started by Representative Susan Brooks (R-IN). The congressmen also have a team, but the different parties play one another. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) noted, “To me, it sort of exemplifies the difference in the more collaborative approach…Rather than saying, ‘Let’s play each other,’ it’s ‘Let’s play together’.”
The women representatives note that hardly anyone lives in DC anymore, so members don’t see one another at church or their kids’ soccer games like they used to. The softball games and dinners offer a means to create relationships away from the floor where they can get to know one another and find common ground to help them work together.
Women in both the House and Senate expressed a need for more women because they all feel the pressure of being in a minority in several ways. Famously, the Capitol building wasn’t built for women, and even a convenient restroom wasn’t available until 2013. More than one woman reported being mistaken for an aide rather than an elected congresswoman. However, there are further challenges and more minority designations. For example, the Republican Party has far fewer women than the Democratic Party. In the 114th Congress, there were only 6 Republican women senators and 22 Republican congresswomen. In today’s 118th Congress, only nine of 25 women senators and 34 of 126 congresswomen are Republican.
Several of the women of both parties complain about the snail’s pace of their progress, while the press celebrates any increase at all. Coalitions among Republican women and Black women have been formed to bridge some gaps. But overall, women in politics still face the problem of a male-dominated institution that does not represent women and does not welcome them as equals. The blame doesn’t rest entirely with the male members of the two Houses. The women in the 114th Congress mentioned that the press was more likely to cover congresswomen in the style section than report on the bills they sponsored. Others mentioned that women felt pressured to spend too much time worrying about what to wear. In other words, the criticism women politicians face on the campaign trail continues after they’re elected.
When it comes to “women’s issues,” however, congresswomen are tapped to bring them to the floor. These are typically health, education, childcare, poverty, elder care, etc. “We want more. We want more,” said Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). And Jackie Walorski (R-IN) said, “I think there should be more [women] on both sides [of the aisle]. She stressed how she urged girls in high school or civic groups to get more women involved in politics, to speak up for issues they care about, and to make their voices heard. Every single woman interviewed for A Seat at the Table expressed their awareness of their role in the optics of showing other women and girls that women belong in politics. Democracy cannot be called a representative form of government as long as women remain underrepresented and underserved.
Historical Spotlight
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) was the first woman senator elected in her own right and not as a replacement for her husband. Elected in 1986, she claimed the record for the longest-running female senator. At 4’ 8”, she was immediately confronted for not looking the part by the male senators, but that did not deter her. As a social worker and activist, she had already served in the House for 10 years and before that, she fought to prevent roadbuilding through a Baltimore neighborhood and won. She had many more successes, including serving as chair of the very important Appropriations Committee. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Mikulski)