“Powerful Women: The 25 Most Influential Women in Congress” is a must-have for history POWERFUL WOMEN: THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN CONGRESS | EMILY ETHRIDGE CQ ROLL CALL lovers, political bufs and anyone curious about power brokers and female leaders in America. From a lone legislator in 1917 to their power plays today, women in Congress have changed the culture of U.S. politics. Forging alliances across regional and ideological lines, vying for prominent roles, and crafting new policy discussions, women in the House and Senate are carving a new path. This brief CQ Roll Call guide highlights the 25 most influential women who wield political power in the 114th Congress. The profiles, which include a biography and photos, are based on CQ Roll Call’s interviews and analysis. Readers will get a history of how women have made their mark in Washing- ton, D.C., and exclusive personal profiles of leading female Democrats and Republicans including: SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, D-MASS., a favorite of many progressives who has been urged to run for president in 2016 REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF., House minority leader and the first female speaker SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI, D-MD., the “dean of Senate women” and the longest-serving woman in Congress SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, D.-N.Y., an almost unknown in her state when she took over Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat in 2009, is now considered a future presidential candidate SEN. KELLY AYOTTE, R-N.H., a rising voice on national security matters who gained promience when she argued a parental notification abortion case at the Supreme Court And a bonus section of five freshmen on the rise including: Republican Joni Ernst, the first woman elected to the Senate from Iowa and the first female combat veteran in the Senate, and Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, the first black Republican woman to serve in Congress CQ Roll Call, the expert on Congress, has been POWERFUL covering Capitol Hill longer than any other Washington, D.C, media outlet. Its non-partisan political journalism is trusted by political power brokers and is a source of timely news and analysis on legislative policy and congressional politics. WOMEN The 25 Most Influential Women in Congress BY EMILY ETHRIDGE A N D CQ R O L L C A L L S T A F F POWERFUL WOMEN: THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN CONGRESS ! ! ! By Emily Ethridge and CQ Roll Call ! ! Copyright © CQ-Roll Call, Inc. CQ Roll Call spring 2015 edition This ebook download is intended to comply with the informational materials exception to the Congressional gift rules. All material within is copyrighted. All rights reserved. CQ Roll Call, Inc., does not convey any license, right, title or interest in any information — including information provided to CQ Roll Call from third parties — transmitted via any CQ Roll Call publication or electronic transmission unless previously specified in writing. No part of any CQ-Roll Call publication or transmission may be republished, reproduced, transmitted, downloaded or distributed by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction or transmission of CQ-Roll Call copyrighted material is a violation of federal law carrying civil fines of up to $100,000 and serious criminal sanctions or imprisonment. Chief Content Officer: David Ellis Editors: Georganne Coco, Mike Christensen, Jay Hunter, Sara Smith, Kevin Whitelaw, Chris Wright Design Director: Marilyn Gates-Davis Data Editor: Ryan Kelly Principal photographers: Bill Clark and Tom Williams CQ Roll Call, 77 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4681 cq.com,!rollcall.com ! ! CONTENTS Chapter 1: THE LONG ROAD 1 Chapter 7: DEALMAKERS 66 Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. Chapter 2: PATHS TO POWER 3 Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Chapter 3: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. NEW POLICY ISSUES 7 Chapter 8: POLICY ACES 84 Chapter 4: PARTY POWER 10 Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas Rep. Nita M. Lowey, D-N.Y. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Rep. Cynthia M. Lummis, R-Wyo. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-N.Y. Chapter 9: Chapter 5: MEDIA SAVVY 27 ONES TO WATCH 102 Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. R-Wash. Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Chapter 10: Chapter 6: DEBATE SHAPERS BONUS PROFILES AND SWING VOTES 45 FRESHMEN ON THE RISE 119 Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md. Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif. Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y. ! ! At Procter & Gamble, we focus on creating brands and products that improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come. Beginning with our founders more than 175 years ago, the development and advancement of all women, in both our company and our communities, has been and continues to be an organizational priority. We are proud that P&G continues to be recognized for this sustained commitment to development that has resulted in the most diverse workforce in our company’s history, with women represented at the highest levels ever across our company. We applaud the 25 Most Influential Women recognized in this eBook for their accomplishments. In the spirit of the groundbreaking campaign from P&G’s Always brand, we congratulate you for leading #LikeAGirl. Chapter 1 THE LONG ROAD Men had a 128-year head start on women in Congress, and in an institution that rewards seniority and tenure, women are still playing catch-up. As the longest-serving woman on Capitol Hill, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski knows well what female lawmakers face. “But the challenges have changed because when we came, there were so few of us and we were considered a novelty,” the Maryland Democrat, first elected in 1976, has said. Although women have expanded their ranks – a record 104 serve in the 114th Congress – Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., remains the only woman elected Speaker, and no woman has been Senate majority leader. Many committees have never been led by a woman. And with a few notable exceptions, female lawmakers as a group aren’t as prominent on major issues such as defense, immigration and taxes. Still, along with their growing ranks, women have increased their influence on the legislative agenda over their nearly 100 years in Congress. In their first few decades of service, women often became lawmakers through the so-called widow’s mandate, an unofficial tradition to appoint or elect a widow to directly succeed her husband in office. Of the 20 women who served in Congress from 1917 to 1934, eight were widows who replaced their husbands. The longest- serving woman in the House, Edith Nourse Rogers, began her 35-year career in 1925 after filling the vacancy left by her husband’s death. Others came from political families or had husbands who served years before they ran for office. Women then had individual projects, and a few became sought-after speakers, but they rarely had the opportunity to set the legislative agenda or be power players. Part of this was due to a lack of seniority. Nearly half of the 36 women elected or appointed from 1935 to 1954 served one term or less, according to the House historian’s office. It was not until the 1970s that women began coming to Congress in larger numbers, with more advanced education and professional experience, giving their presence added heft. They began to breach the top ranks the same way men did — by logging hours, building alliances, developing areas of expertise and being forceful when necessary. They also were more likely than men to forge bipartisan alliances and at times worked together to set an agenda on so-called women’s issues. 1 CQ ROLL CALL Today, women lawmakers are leveraging other ways to gain and exert influence. They now include skilled deal-makers, masters of the media and lawmakers with extensive policy expertise. They work behind the scenes crafting legislation and often force others to tailor bills to their liking with crucial swing votes. Some women speak out and set policy markers in debates that others can navigate from. Others seek out overlooked issues and elevate them. Female lawmakers no longer band together to work solely on so-called women’s issues, such as when several were involved in talks that helped end a 2013 government shutdown. But they realize, too, that they can draw attention to certain issues by combining their strengths even if they disagree on a solution. They have helped bring new emphasis to pay equity, military sexual assaults and equal coverage of health care services. They also have incorporated a focus on women within larger issues, including the economy and education. Although women still make up only about 20 percent of Congress, they continue to clear new paths. STATE TRACK RECORDS In 1917, three years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, Montana made history by electing the first woman, Republican suffragist Jeannette Rankin, to Congress. In the nearly 100 years since, Montana has not elected another woman to the House or Senate. California leads all states, having sent 39 women to Congress and by having 21 of its 55 seats filled by women in the 114th Congress.