17 November 2006
U.S. Midterm Elections Increase Women’s Congressional Clout
Women win record number of seats; Pelosi to be first female speaker of the House
Washington -- The election of at least 71 women to the U.S. House of Representatives -- a few more might be added when still-contested races are settled -- and 16 to the U.S. Senate in the 2006 midterm election sets a new record for women in the U.S. Congress. This display of women’s growing political power also made history by elevating the first woman to the third most important post in the U.S. government.
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California and the current House minority leader, was confirmed by the Democratic Caucus November 16 as speaker of the House for the 110th Congress, which will convene in January 2007.
She will be second in line for the presidency of the United States. According to U.S. law, should the president be rendered unable to serve, the vice president takes control. Should the president and the vice president both be unable to perform their duties, the speaker of the House assumes the presidency.
“We’ve had our differences in our party. We’ve come together,” Pelosi said after her selection, asserting future party “unity for a new direction for our country.”
Pelosi has been a unifying force in the Democratic Party, bringing members together on key issues and votes. Known for her ability to organize and her tenacity in pursuing issues, she has mobilized legislators to block major Republican initiatives, such as the administration’s Social Security proposals. She voted against the Iraq war, but later voted to fund it.
She will hold the highest office in the 435-seat House of Representatives, the legislative body that reflects the wishes of the American people on a regional basis. The speaker of the House has tremendous political influence, sets the legislative agenda, refers bills to committee for consideration and appoints officers of that chamber.
Pelosi is a trailblazer for women in politics. Representative for the Eighth District in San Francisco since 1987, she was voted leader of the House Democrats in 2002, the first woman to hold that position. Before that, she directed her party’s legislative strategy as Democratic whip. Pelosi grew up with politics. Both her father and brother served as mayors of Baltimore.
With Pelosi at the helm, it is likely that more women will move up to important leadership roles in the House. More women also are expected to assume critical posts in the Senate, such as chairing influential committees.
CURRENT U.S. POLITICAL CLIMATE BENEFITTED WOMEN IN MIDTERMS
Barbara Palmer, affiliate faculty member of the Women in Politics Institute at American University, told USINFO that the current political climate helped women overcome the “incumbency effect,” which limits opportunity in a male-dominated Congress. “We don't have a parliamentary system and parties have very little control over who runs, and that’s what makes us so different than everybody else. It’s very difficult to get any turnover,” Palmer said.
But voter dissatisfaction with congressional performance over issues of ineffectuality and corruption caused a shake-up in 2006.
“Any corruption is a big issue. Women are perceived as being less corrupt. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, but that’s how they are perceived,” Palmer said. “Women are not perceived as part of the old-boy network.”
Women also bring different priorities to the table. In 2006, the concerns of the electorate corresponded to those of women candidates: health care, education, a higher minimum wage and a resolution of the war in Iraq. This benefited women, bringing them a much larger-than-average increase in seats.
Women work hard in Congress. “The women senators are … a force. We hold powerful leadership and committee positions, and work in coalition to get things done with civility and respect. We believe that every issue is a women’s issue,” Maryland Democratic Senator Barbara A. Mikulski said at her recent bipartisan Senate Women Power Workshop. She began the workshops in 1992 to prepare new women senators for their demanding jobs.
According to Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics, more women ran for office in 2006 than ever before. “If you look at the 40 most competitive races in the country, women were running in almost half of them,” Palmer said. “Women candidates were a big part of the Democrats having as big a margin as they did in the House.”
The message to women, Palmer says, is “Individuals can make a difference. If you feel passionate about something, your voice needs to be heard.” Women can succeed, she said. “They can have a tremendous impact on elections and policy.”
For more information on U.S. policy, see Women in the Global Community and 2006 Midterm Elections.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
