WOMEN IN THE SENATE CO LITI O hinkle — p S HN O Y J B From left: Sens. OS Barbara Mikul- T O ski of Mary- PH land, Dianne Feinstein of California, and Olympia Snowe and Susan Col- lins of Maine is that she’s been on all the major committees is the only senator to chair two — Ethics and and deeply engaged in every moving issue of our Environment and Public Works. time.” The women owe some of their success to They may not always get the respect, but Mikulski. As the unofficial “dean” of the women’s EYE-OPENER behind the scenes, female senators more caucus, the Maryland Democrat has acted as a den The Magnificent Seven frequently are getting what they want. Schroeder mother to 11 classes of new female senators. HOLIDAY WEEKEND BRUNCH u u u remembers having to plead with powerful When Mikulski first came into the Senate, committee chairmen to get the funding requests she sought out mentors to help her navigate its SUN. & MON., OCT. 11 & 12 • 11AM–3PM of congresswomen heard. complicated and often arcane rules. She turned “They would say, ‘Now, what can I pass for to Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Paul NEW ORLEANS PIANO • HURRICANE HOWIE From what was a record high of seven female senators elected in 1992, you girls that won’t cost us any money and will Sarbanes, her Senate colleague from Maryland, BREAKFAST CAFE • BAR make all the women love us?’” she says. calling the two Democrats her “Sir Galahads.” women have gained in numbers – and seniority No one asks those kinds of questions when They helped her land a seat on the powerful LUNCH • DINNER BOOKSTORE women hold the gavel. Since 1992, Senate Appropriations Committee. “Best Bookstore” women have increased funding for breast cancer Knowing that the first few weeks in office PATIO DINING —Washington City Paper, BY LISA LERER research by 700 percent, child care by 68 percent can make or break a Senate career, Mikulski RAIN OR SHINE Washington Blade and small-business lending to women by 86 established a roundtable for new female percent, and they have tripled federal funding colleagues. She wrote a guidebook for the 1517 CONN AVE NW • DUPONT METRO/Q STREET • KRAMERS.COM for domestic violence shelters, according to data Democratic women who joined the Senate in Menendez). Political scientists say the compiled by their offices. 1992, giving them tips on how to respond to hen Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski first walked into the Senate chamber number is so low partly because in the past “There’s safety in numbers,” said Sen. Blanche constituent mail and secure good committee 20 years, political redistricting has tended Lincoln (D-Ark.), who last month became the first assignments. after winning her election in 1986, it was a step back in time. to concentrate minority populations into woman to head the Agriculture, Nutrition and Today, she still hosts “power workshops” for single districts — and the positions minority Forestry Committee. Being the chairwoman “just new female members of both parties. Her staff The turbulent social changes that swept the country in the 1970s and '80s Congress members take when representing really makes sure the perspective of a woman organizes regular bipartisan dinners, where the POLITICO those districts often do not have broad gets recognized in a lot of the discussions that female senators get together without their staffs appeal, making election to statewide office had largely bypassed the Senate. On Capitol Hill, business was conducted happen.” for off-the-record, wide-ranging conversations more difficult. The mother of 13-year-old twin boys, Lincoln about legislative goals. W But there’s no question, say female available at D.C. area in the all-male gym, the Senate chamber had no women’s bathroom, and the two female says her life experience gives her a more intimate Kennedy and Sarbanes “showed me how to lawmakers, that female senators are living understanding of issues such as child nutrition, get on the best committees,” she says. “When in a groundbreaking period. prenatal care and school programs. the women of the Senate arrived, I showed them, senators — Mikulski and Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) — were each called “little lady.” “We are not at critical mass,” says former Lincoln joins a short line of committee too.” Starbucks Colorado Democratic Rep. Pat Schroeder, chairwomen. The first to serve as a Senate To a large degree, the women of the Senate “I didn’t want to be one of the boys,” Mikulski, a Democrat, has said of that period. “I did one of the pioneering female politicians. chairwoman since World War II was Kassebaum, have hung together. While they often don’t “But holding the gavel on committees and who took the gavel of the Labor and Human agree on issues — even those traditionally want to be one of the gang.” having some real power to help each other Resources Committee in 1995. considered “women’s issues” like abortion — makes a huge difference.” But as women have gained seniority, they’ve they’ve maintained a strong bond. In 2001, nine Of course, when breaking through the Today, Mikulski’s hope seems modest: She’s not just one of the gang; she’s leading it. gained power. In the 109th Congress (2005-2006), female senators co-wrote a book detailing their glass ceiling, it’s easy to get cut by the women chaired two committees: Snowe chaired shards. Committee chairwomen often face experiences. They did a joint appearance on tougher scrutiny than their male colleagues, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship CNN’s “Larry King Live,” where they vowed not they say, and they’re frequently expected to Committee, and Collins chaired the Committee to campaign against other female senators. Women now hold some of the most powerful Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman gains of 1992, it took time to accumulate that represent not only their constituents and on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. “I think the impressive thing is that the women posts in the Senate. Five of 20 committees — of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says most precious of congressional commodities: their committee but all of womankind. The first Democratic women to head major in the Senate try hard to work together,” says Environment and Public Works, Intelligence, it’s not just the number of women that has longevity. “We know that party is a much better committees took power after their party regained Schroeder. “You don’t see them out name-calling Agriculture, Ethics and Small Business — are changed but attitudes. “The Senate is noted “The biggest change is that we have gained predictor of how someone votes than control of the Senate in the 2006 elections, and attacking each other, and you see them doing headed by women. Washington Democratic for being an old boys’ club, and there is a male seniority,” says Feinstein. “We’ve shown that gender, so to even place this on the plate and today they chair five of the Senate’s 20 key very powerful things.” Sen. Patty Murray is conference secretary, a ethos that still, to some extent, comes out from we can be effective; therefore, you now have of women in general is an unfair standard,” committees. In fact, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) And today, they even have a bathroom. leadership position that makes her the fourth- time to time,” she said. “But I would have to women that are in leadership positions or said Jennifer Lawless, director of the ranking Democrat in the Senate. As two of the say, increasingly, it does not dominate.” chairmen of committees — and particularly Women & Politics Institute at American chamber’s most moderate Republicans, Maine Women have come a long way in the some big committees.” University. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins exert Senate since 1992, an election heralded by Today, women make up 17 percent of the Staffers for female senators often gripe a huge amount of influence over every major commentators as the “year of the woman” Senate — far from gender parity, even though that they don’t get the same level of respect They would say, ‘Now, what can I pass for you bill. And Mikulski is now the 17th-most senior because the four who were elected helped they vote in greater numbers than men. as their male counterparts. “ senator, outranking colleagues such as John push the number of women in the next Senate Still, women have fared better than “If Olympia Snowe were a man, the girls that won’t cost us any money and will McCain (R-Ariz.), budget chief Kent Conrad term to seven — a record high. minorities in the Senate, which has two Asian- media and others would refer to her as make all the women love us?’ (D-N.D.) and even Senate Majority Leader Until then, there were rarely more than one Americans (Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, the ‘venerable’ Olympia Snowe, like they Harry Reid (D-Nev.). or two female senators at any given time, and both Democrats from Hawaii), an African- always called [retired Virginia Republican] — Former Rep. Pat Schroeder “Women senators are not a caucus; we’re a most were handpicked to replace husbands American (Illinois Democrat Roland Burris) Sen. John Warner,” said David Snepp, a force,” Mikulski says. who had died in office. But after the historic and a Hispanic (New Jersey Democrat Robert former spokesman for Snowe. “The fact ” 36 POLITICO POLITICO 37.