★ PART TWO ★ Current Women Members 778 ★ women in congress ★ introduction to ★ Current Members’ Profiles KEY TO MEMBER TITLES In the 90 years since Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to Congress, a total of 229 women have served in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Many themes central to the larger saga of American democracy resonate in the history of women in Congress: pioneering spir- it, struggle, perseverance, gradual attainment of power, advancement through unity, and outstanding achievement. The legacy of that dynamic history serves as prologue to the 84 women who now serve in the 109th Congress (2005–2007). The 67 Representatives, three Delegates, and 14 Senators constitute the largest group of women to serve in the history of ★ senator ★ the institution (15.5 percent of the total lawmakers in both chambers). In fact, they account for more than one-third of all the women who have ever served in Congress. All were sworn in to Congress after 1976; most first took office in the 1990s. Part II of Women in Congress provides biographical profiles of these individuals in a format that echoes former Member entries—with information on precongress- ional careers, first House or Senate campaigns, committee and leadership positions, and legislative achievements. But because these are careers in progress, definitive accounts of current Members must await a later date. Current Members were given the opportunity to review their individual profiles prior to publication. In addition, Part II profiles differ in tone and style from, and they are half the length (750 words) of, most former Member entries. Part II profiles are also arranged alpha- betically rather than chronologically, further distinguishing current Members from their predecessors. This section includes the 75 women who have served during two or more Congresses. The nine freshman Members elected to the 109th ★ representative ★ Congress—at the time of this writing—are covered separately in a résumé format in the book’s first appendix. Among the individuals covered in Part II is Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland—whose 29 years of congressional service make her the institution’s longest-serving current woman. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, Mikulski served 10 years before winning election to the Senate in 1986— where she is that body’s longest-serving currant woman. Also included in this section are Representatives Nancy Johnson of Connecticut and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, both of whom were first elected in 1982 and are now the deans of House women. Women’s ascent to leadership is a recent development. Part II also includes profiles on the highest-ranking House women in the history of either of their respective parties—Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio. ★ delegate ★ As incumbent Members retire from public service, the editors of this volume hope that their profiles will be expanded to capture their full careers and fitted into the chronology of former Members. The publication of a companion, online version of Women in Congress will permit regular updates to the stories of these individuals’ contributions to the rich history of women in Congress. current members ★ 779 ★ current members ★ Tammy Baldwin 1962– united states representative democrat from wisconsin 1999– Tammy Baldwin accomplished two “firsts” when she was elected to the House from Wisconsin in 1998: She became the first woman to represent her state in Congress and the first nonincumbent openly gay candidate to run and win election to the federal legislature.1 Tammy Baldwin was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on February 11, 1962. Image courtesy of the Member She was raised there by her mother and maternal grandparents. Baldwin graduated from Smith College in 1984 and earned a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1989. From 1986 to 1994 Baldwin served on the Dane County, Wisconsin, board of supervisors. She also served briefly on the Madison city council, filling a vacancy in 1986. In addition, Baldwin maintained a private law practice from 1989 to 1992. At about the same time she joined the Dane County supervisors, Baldwin “came out” about her sexual orientation. “The funda- mental lesson of the civil rights movement is that coming out—whether as an individ- ual, part of a same-sex couple, or as a straight ally—is crucial,” Baldwin once wrote.2 In 1993, at 31 years old, she was elected to the Wisconsin legislature, where she served until 1999. During her first term, Baldwin chaired the committee on elections, constitutional law and corrections— becoming one of the first freshman lawmakers in Wisconsin history to head a standing committee. In 1998, after Republican Congressman Scott Klug retired from the Wisconsin district that included the capital city of Madison, Baldwin won the seat in a close race against Republican Josephine Musser. In a well-financed campaign, she ran on a liberal platform that called for universal health care coverage, publicly financed childcare, and stronger environmental laws. Baldwin’s victory was a grass-roots success, mobilizing so many voters (Madison, the district’s biggest city, had a 62 percent turnout) that polls were forced to stay open until late in the night as city 780 ★ women in congress for further reading Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, “Tammy Baldwin,” http://bioguide.congress.gov officials photocopied extra ballots. Baldwin claimed 52 percent of the vote to manuscript collection become the first woman from Wisconsin to serve in Congress. In 2000, she was re-elected by a slimmer margin, defeating Republican John Sharpless, a profes- Wisconsin Historical Society, sor from the University of Wisconsin, by fewer than 9,000 votes—51 percent. In Archives Division. Papers: 1981— 1998, 1.4 cubic feet. Papers docu- 2002 and 2004, Baldwin was elected by comfortable margins of 66 and 63 percent menting Baldwin’s early of the vote, respectively.3 political career through her tenure in the Wisconsin state assembly. Oral History: In Gay Madison: a History, 0.1 In the 109th Congress (2005–2007), Baldwin was named to the House Energy cubic foot and 13 tape recordings. and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Healthcare, seats she had pur- Oral histories conducted by Brian J. sued tenaciously since her first term. Her driving motivation in politics is to pass Bigler. legislation that will guarantee health care for all in America. She is working with notes conservative as well as liberal thinkers to craft proposals to meet this goal. 1 “Tammy Baldwin Biography,” Previously, Baldwin served on the House Budget and Judiciary Committees. http://tammybaldwin.house.gov/ page.asp?page=aboutTammy She also joined the Progressive Caucus, a group of liberal Democrats. Baldwin (accessed 14 June 2002). has been an advocate for health care reform and the preservation of Social Security and Medicare. On the Judiciary Committee she played a key role in the successful 2 Tammy Baldwin, “Harvey Milk passage of the extension of the Violence Against Women Act in 2000. She earned and Tammy Baldwin,” 15 August 2000, The Advocate: 32. a reputation as a supporter of a liberal policy agenda who, nevertheless, was a pragmatist. “I can’t get legislation passed without Republicans,” she once noted.4 3 “Election Statistics,” A strong supporter of civil rights legislation to promote social equality, Baldwin http://clerk.house.gov/members/ is one of the most ardent proponents of hate crime legislation, arguing that they electionInfo/elections.html. “are different from other violent crimes because they seek to terrorize an entire 4 Politics in America, 2002 community. This sort of domestic terrorism demands a strong federal response, (Washington, D.C.: Congressional because this country was founded on the premise that a person should be free to Quarterly Inc., 2001): 1099. 5 be who they are without fear of violence.” 5 Congressional Record, House, 106th Cong., 2nd sess. (7 June Baldwin also has looked out for the interests of her largely rural and agrarian 2000): 3933. district. In 1999, she and other Members of the Wisconsin delegation fought to 6 Congressional Record, House, reverse a Depression-Era milk pricing system that paid farmers more money for 106th Cong., 1st sess. (9 March their milk the farther they were from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Strong farming inter- 1999): 1033; see also Politics in ests in New England blocked the initiative, which won national attention. That America, 2002: 1100. same year, Baldwin also lobbied for an extension of Chapter 12 of the bankruptcy code to protect economically distressed farmers in the Midwest. “The family farm is the backbone of our rural economy in Wisconsin and all over this nation,” Baldwin declared in a House Floor speech. “Without Chapter 12, if economic crisis hits a family farm, that family has no choice but to liquidate the land, equip- ment, crops and herd to pay off creditors, losing the farm, a supplier of food, and a way of life.”6 current members ★ 781 ★ current members ★ Shelley Berkley 1951– united states representative democrat from nevada 1999– Shelley Berkley, a former Nevada state legislator with long ties to Las Vegas, won election as Representative in one of the nation’s fastest- growing congressional districts. During her first terms in office, Congresswoman Berkley led the opposition to the federal government’s plan to ship the nation’s nuclear waste to a centralized site in Nevada. Image courtesy of the Member She was born Rochelle Levine in New York City on January 20, 1951. Her parents moved the family to Las Vegas when she was 11. After graduating from Valley High School, she became the first member of her family to attend college, earning a B.A.