August 2009
August 2009 Newsletter
Leading in every branch: Women take power in the Obama era
When he selected his cabinet, President Barack Obama was able to draw on something previous presidents did not have: a bigger pool of qualified women leaders who have served in elected office.
Of the seven women holding cabinet-level posts in the Obama administration, four are pro-choice Democratic women who were elected to office with support from EMILY’s List: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. senator from New York; Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona; Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, a former congresswoman from California; and Secretary
of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, the former governor of Kansas.
“Bill Clinton had more women in his cabinet than any president before him,” says Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY’s List, “but none had the direct political experience of the women in the Obama cabinet. There simply weren’t as many women officeholders. Today, because of
EMILY’s List, President Obama had a broader selection of qualified women to choose from — women with direct experience crafting legislation and making progress in the political arena.”
The women in the Obama cabinet are at the forefront of the most critical debates facing our nation. The prominence of Clinton, Napolitano, and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice on Obama’s national security team lays to rest the canard that women lack gravitas as leaders on foreign policy, diplomacy, and public safety. Sebelius is the point person on health care
reform, the president’s top domestic priority. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson is shaping policy on global warming and energy independence. Christina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, is developing economic initiatives to bring the nation out of recession. And Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is restoring strength to the Labor Department after eight years of neglect — advancing policies that will create jobs, protect
workers, and strengthen the economy.
“It’s great to see these women in charge, but let me be clear: I’d like to see more women serving in national posts,” says Malcolm. “And I believe the best way to achieve that is to redouble EMILY’s List’s efforts to fill the pipeline with qualified women and help them gain the experience they’ll need to climb higher.”
Taking Charge in the Senate
While women in the cabinet advance the goals of the Obama administration, Democratic women in Congress are fighting in the legislative arena for health care reform, the environment, reproductive freedom, equal pay, civil rights, stronger schools, and other progressive
priorities.
When Sen. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) took the reins of the Environment and Public Works Committee after the 2006 election, it signaled a dramatic shift in priorities, particularly on climate change. Boxer has since presided over
more than 40 hearings and briefings on global warming and is leading Senate efforts to pass a comprehensive energy bill that will lessen
dependence on foreign oil, foster clean energy technology, and address global warming.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.), the most senior woman in the Senate, sits on
the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and
is one of three senators heading up the committee’s health care reform work group, working specifically on quality of care. She is joined on the HELP Committee by North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan. Sens. Maria Cantwell (Wash.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), members of the Senate Finance Committee, are also playing major roles in shaping health care reform. Stabenow has launched the Health Care People’s Lobby to give ordinary citizens “a voice in this debate.” Cantwell recently introduced legislation to increase efficiency and expand access to care.
At this writing, the Senate is about to begin confirmation hearings on Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. As the only Democratic women on the Judiciary Committee, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) will be front and center in the fight to confirm the nation’s first Hispanic justice.
A former prosecutor, Klobuchar pushed back against conservative attacks on Sotomayor’s record, particularly complaints that, as a judge, Sotomayor was unduly tough. “I was hoping we’d get to a point …where we would get appointed rough, to-the-point female justices, just as we’ve appointed male judges” with similar characteristics, she told the American
Constitution Society.
Feinstein defended Sotomayor against right-wing claims that she is an “activist” judge, refreshingly stating the obvious: judges have always made policy. “If there is no precedent, an appellate court judge will, in
effect, by their opinion, make policy,” Feinstein said.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), the newest woman senator and the mother of two young children, is seeking to ease the burden on working families during tough economic times. Among her priorities: the Right Start Child Care and Education Act to increase tax credits and other incentives for businesses to help workers secure child care; and the Family Work Flexibility Act to encourage telecommuting and other family-friendly initiatives.
Women Rise in the House
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics and the most powerful member of Congress. Behind her stands a growing contingent of strong-minded Democratic congresswomen, many of whom have years of experience and seniority in the House.
Cong. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.) is the first woman chair of the Rules Committee, which determines what bills make it to the floor for a vote. A microbiologist, Slaughter has fought for federal support for stem cell
research. She sponsored the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which prohibits workplace and insurance discrimination based on genetic information. Slaughter co-chairs, with Cong. Diana DeGette (Colo.), the bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, which made sure the federal budget included funding for family planning programs.
As chair of the House Small Business Committee, Cong. Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.) is playing a leading role in plans to revive the economy and reform the health care system. The first Latina to head a congressional committee, Velazquez is also chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 111th Congress.
The Congressional Black Caucus is also chaired by a pro-choice Democratic woman: Cong. Barbara Lee (Calif.). Cong. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.) is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues; Cong.
Gwen Moore (Wisc.) is a vice chair.
“Women in Congress are leading the way to a more progressive America,” says Malcolm. “But we are in danger of losing seats in 2010. Republicans are coming after our most vulnerable members.” Targets
include freshmen Cong. Mary Jo Kilroy (Ohio), Betsy Markey (Colo.), Ann Kirkpatrick (Ariz.), Debbie Halvorson (Ill.), Dina Titus (Nev.), and Suzanne Kosmas (Fla.), and second-term Cong. Carol Shea-Porter (N.H.). “Helping re-elect these women is a high priority for EMILY’s List,” she adds.
Governors gain visibility
Governors wield tremendous power that has a profound effect on the lives of millions of Americans. They are frequently called upon to represent their states before a national audience and, as chief executives, are prime contenders for federal appointments. Obama’s cabinet includes two former governors besides Napolitano and Sebelius: Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (Wash.) and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (Iowa).
With 37 governors’ seats up for grabs in 2010, there are multiple opportunities to elect new women governors. One of the hottest races is in Florida, where EMILY’s List has endorsed Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. EMILY’s List also endorsed Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in New Mexico, and is working with potential and declared candidates in Vermont, Tennessee, Connecticut, and Minnesota, among others.
Britt Cocanour, EMILY’s List’s chief of staff, notes the critical role governors and legislators play in redistricting, which will take place after the 2010 census. “In addition to electing more governors, EMILY’s List’s Political Opportunity Program (POP) is working with Democratic caucuses and legislative leaders to recruit and train candidates who will help expand Democratic control before the redistricting process begins,” she says.
Women are more progressive
While many male politicians share our progressive values, Malcolm notes the following in making the case for electing more women to every level of office:
- Democratic women have an average 92.5 percent approval rating from the League of Conservation Voters for 2007; Democratic men, 79.6 percent.
- The Service Employees International Union 2006 scorecard gives Democratic women an average 92.9 percent approval rating; Democratic men, 85.8 percent.
- In 2006 Democratic women had a 98.8 percent average score with Planned Parenthood; Democratic men, 77.4 percent.
“These numbers tell a story,” says Malcolm. “If we want to rebuild a progressive America, we need more women in office.”
What's Cooking
Political news from Washington and around the country
Cong. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is taking aim at a new target: the census … Bachmann thinks it might be used to round up Americans and put them in internment camps …she says she’ll leave the form mostly
blank, which is a misdemeanor …Bachmann is setting an example that
might cost her … census counts are used to determine whether states
gain or lose seats in Congress …according to the Minneapolis Star
Tribune, Minnesota might lose a seat due to population shifts … if that
happens and Bachmann’s constituents follow her lead and boycott
the census, she could find herself without a district.
Congratulations to Ellen Tauscher… the former Bay Area congresswoman was sworn in as under secretary of state for arms control June 27 … the field to replace her in California’s 10th district is crowded …among the candidates is Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan … the winner of the Sept. 1 special Democratic primary will be heavily favored to win the Nov. 3 general election.
After the murder of Dr. George Tiller, the U.S. House unanimously passed a resolution condemning violence in places of worship … in the Senate, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (DMinn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.),
and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) added language condemning violence against women’s health care providers … an anonymous senator put a hold on the resolution …Klobuchar, Shaheen, and Boxer refused to remove the language …masters of understatement, the senators said, “condemning violence against women’s health care providers and agreeing not to use violence as a means of resolving differences are not objectionable viewpoints.”
Yes, Virginia, you could elect a woman lieutenant governor … Jody
Wagner is the Democrats’ choice to face GOP Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling in November … Wagner is supported by EMILY’s List’s Political Opportunity Program (POP) … if she wins, she’ll be Virginia’s first woman lieutenant governor.
Every time Democrats enact change, the National Republican Congressional Committee attacks …the NRCC is going after 14 House
Democrats who voted for the energy bill, including EMILY’s List freshmen
Betsy Markey (Colo.), Mary Jo Kilroy (Ohio), and Debbie Halvorson (Ill.) … according to factcheck.org, the NRCC doesn’t have its facts straight in the ad … not inclined to let the truth get in their way, the NRCC also launched robocalls against Suzanne Kosmas (Fla.) for a bill that cut funding for NASA — even though Kosmas fought against the NASA cuts …Halvorson and Kilroy were targeted after voting for President Obama’s budget, along with Congs. Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.), Loretta Sanchez (Calif.), Carol Shea-Porter(N.H.),
and Dina Titus (Nev.).
Kilroy’s 2008 opponent, Republican Steve Stivers, is getting ready
for a rematch in 2010 … and hoping that lower voter turnout will be his
ticket to victory … in the midterm election, “the urban turnout would be much lower, the university would be much, much lower, and the suburbs
would stay about the same,” Stivers told Roll Call … it’s a cynical scenario, but hardly far-fetched … a Democrat in a GOP-leaning seat, Kilroy will need every extra bit of help to win a second term in a non-presidential year.
The same creative geniuses who came up with the Hillary Clinton
nutcracker are apparently hard at work in the bowels of Republican
National Committee headquarters …the supposedly new, hip RNC
reached back to the 1960s to parody a very dated James Bond character (“Pussy Galore”) for an internet ad they called “Pelosi Galore” … the outcry was swift and the ad was pulled … desperate times call for
desperate measures.
Watch what I say, not what the banner behind me says … right-wing
pundit Pat Buchanan hosted a gathering of conservative Republicans in June to develop strategies for retaking power … speaking in favor of “English-only” legislation, Buchanan criticized Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic nominee to the Supreme Court, for re-reading children’s classics in college to improve her English … while behind him hung a banner that said, “2009 National Conferenece” [sic].
There’s been a baby boom in Congress… congratulations to Cong.
Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), who had baby Joaquin in May … U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) had baby Henry in May 2008, when she was a member of the U.S. House … Cong. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) had baby Zachary in December 2008
… Speaker Nancy Pelosi told ABC News, “more young moms in Congress, pretty soon more women leaders in the Congress” … we like
the sound of that … see how Gillibrand balances her busy life as a
working mom … we’ve got an annotated photo album on www.emilyslist.org.
Chu wins in California
EMILY’s List’s 80th House victory
Dr. Judy Chu won a decisive victory in the July 14 special election to replace Hilda Solis in California’s 32nd congressional district — becoming the 80th pro-choice Democratic woman EMILY’s List has helped elect to the House.
“This was a true EMILY’s List success story,” said Ellen Malcolm, president of EMILY’s List. “We had supported Judy for the legislature and the state Board of Equalization through our Political Opportunity Program (POP), so we already knew what an outstanding leader she was. When
this seat opened up, our political staff helped her set up a successful campaign operation in a very short period of time.” EMILY’s List WOMEN VOTE! sent out targeted mail emphasizing Chu’s deep roots and long history of leadership in this community.
In addition to being our 80th House victor, Chu is the ninth woman in California’s congressional delegation to get to Congress via special election — underscoring the importance of seizing these special
election opportunities when they arise.
“It’s important to celebrate these milestones and marvel at how far we’ve come since 1988, when there were just 12 lonely Democratic women in the House,” says Malcolm. “At 17 percent, women are still far from parity in the U.S. Congress, but every victory brings us one step closer.”
Candidate Spotlight: Robin Carnahan
Missourians are in for another exciting campaign in 2010, with an open U.S. Senate seat attracting national attention. Leading in the polls is two-term Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, daughter of Missouri’s first woman senator, Jean Carnahan, and the late Gov. Mel Carnahan. Her likely Republican opponent is seven-term Cong. Roy Blunt, a hard-nosed conservative who got his start working for John Ashcroft.
A reform-minded secretary of state, Carnahan has taken on fraud and abuse, cut costs and red tape for businesses, and safeguarded voting rights and the integrity of elections. EMILY’s List caught up with Carnahan by phone as she campaigned across the state to ask her a few questions about her race. Answers have been edited for clarity and to accommodate space restrictions. Read more online at www.emilyslist.org.
What does a Democrat need to do to win in Missouri?
Missouri is the purplest of purple states; it swings back and forth all the time. But I’ve succeeded in the last several election cycles and have a roadmap for doing that again in 2010. Campaigns are about getting out your base and persuading the folks in the middle who are politically
independent. These voters are spread out all over the state — so we just need to be everywhere.
[U.S. Senator] Claire McCaskill’s strategy focused on rural communities and small towns; will you do the same?
Yes; we need to run strong in the urban and suburban areas that are traditionally Democratic and improve our performance in the rural parts of the state. I come from Rolla, a small town in rural Missouri, and I still run my family’s 900-acre cattle farm there. In the last election I won 106 of 116 election jurisdictions, earning the most votes anyone’s ever gotten in Missouri. I’m out talking with voters, letting folks know I am going to be a voice for them in the national debates that affect their lives, whether it’s jumpstarting the economy or solving the health care crisis.
How has having been treated for breast cancer affected your views on health care policy and reform?
My diagnosis in 2006 was an eye opener. For the first 44 years of my life, I never really had to access the health care system — then all of a sudden, I did. I saw first-hand the dysfunction of a system that no one seems very happy with. I am blessed to have great doctors and a terrific support network, and I’m healthy now. But I saw a lot of people who didn’t have those blessings. The question we face as a society is, what are we going to do about that? I know that a health crisis can quickly turn into a financial crisis. I know the difficult decisions that have to be made.
And I also know how hard these decisions are for employers. Folks want to do right by their employees and provide health insurance, but the premiums go up and coverage goes down and they can’t afford it.
Health care is one of the only industries where the consumer is never told
or even asks about the price of the service. We shouldn’t be surprised when prices escalate — there is no competitive pricing pressure. One of the tasks we face is creating competition in the marketplace so that we get great care at a cost we can all afford.
Opponents of reform try to scare people by saying someone is going to
stand between a patient and their doctor. I wonder if the people who say that have been to a doctor lately! Because there already are people standing between you and your doctor: the insurance companies who decide what treatments will and won’t be covered. It’s a dysfunctional system that has been built up over many years. It won’t be fixed overnight. But I’m encouraged that it’s on the front burner.
What made you decide to follow your family into politics?
My mom and dad taught me that one person can make a difference in a community and that we are not just put on this earth for ourselves, but to help other people. I’ve been inspired by the number of people who have told me how my family has made a difference in their lives. That’s what public service is all about. Of course, the other chapters of my life — my work in business and global economics, in the law, and managing the farm — have also helped make me a better public servant.
If you had EMILY’s List members here, what would you say to them?
I would say thank you for helping me get to the point where I am able to
even run for the U.S. Senate! By investing in my early races and in Claire
McCaskill’s [through the Political Opportunity Program], you’ve put us in
a position where we can win higher office. I would urge you to continue
focusing on getting women in the pipeline, because that is the only way
we’ll have candidates ready to step up and run for Congress, the U.S. Senate, and governor. Missouri is a difficult state. If we can change things here, we can change them anywhere. And we’re on the cusp of doing that in this next election — and for a group dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women, it would be a great success to have two pro-choice Democratic women representing Missouri in the U.S. Senate!