The GOP Has a Congressional Gender-Gap
Politico reports:
You could look at Rep. Michele Bachmann's long-shot leadership bid as the first real test of the tea party versus the GOP establishment.
Or you could look at it another way: It's Bachmann versus John Boehner's boys — an early test of how newly empowered Republicans deal with a huge gender gap in leadership positions and chairmanships.
"It's important that leadership represents the choice of the people coming into our caucus. Whether it's gender or ethnicity, it'll be up to members to make that decision," Bachmann said in an interview with POLITICO. "Mine has been an effective voice. I've been energetic — a motivator and leader on many issues."
But while Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) has the inside track on the Republican Conference chairmanship, Bachmann's bid illustrates a long-running problem for the House GOP: Despite electoral gains in the lower ranks, women have had virtually no success penetrating the inner circle of the Republican congressional hierarchy. (See Bachmann: I Helped Put Gavel in Boehner's Hands)
There are already signs that Speaker-in-Waiting John Boehner (R-Ohio) is trying to do something — on Monday, the GOP created a special freshman leadership position, and the insiders' pick for that job is rising star Kristi Noem of South Dakota.
But the gender numbers are still startling: There are 56 female Democrats in the current House, and there will be 51 in the new chamber. There are just 17 Republican women in the House, with at least seven joining the new majority — only about 10 percent of the Republican Conference. There will be one GOP House chairwoman in the new Congress, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and one woman in the leadership ranks — Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who will keep the No. 5 slot as vice chairwoman. In the Senate, the record isn't much better: Lisa Murkowski, the only woman in Senate Republican leadership, resigned from the hierarchy last month. (See John Boehner’s Boys: The New Power Club)
"John Boehner doesn't have a problem [with women in the House]. He has a challenge. The Republican Conference needs to look more like America," said former Ohio Rep. Deborah Pryce, who served as Republican Conference chairwoman. "There are a lot of competent women who have potential, opportunity. They can serve in elected leadership, as chair of a committee or subcommittee, as an adviser, etc."
