Moms in Congress

Women make up just 16% of all members of Congress.  But women with small children are aneven smaller percentage of our Senators and Representatives.   Today's Washington Post ran a front page story on the ten women in Congress raising children under 13.

The story highlights the challenges these women face trying to run the country and their households.

In addition to juggling lawmaking with motherhood, women with small children face additional challenges in getting elected in the first place.  Democratic pollster Celinda Lake has tracked attitudes on candidates with small children for 20 years:


For male candidates, people think having young children is a total plus—people think, 'Oh, this is great, he's going to be concerned about family issues, he'll be more future-oriented,' A male with young kids, everyone likes it—men, women, seniors.

According to Lake for women, it's a different story.


If the kids are grown, then it can be a real positive. But if it's younger kids, people ask, "Who's taking care of the children?"

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz understands that challenge first hand.  A recent opponent of hers campaigned on the premise that she was a bad mother for leaving her three young children - twins aged 8 and a three year old daughter - at home with her husband while she worked in Washington. Her response:


I am no different than any parent I represent or any parent in this country struggling to balance work and family.

Last month, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke with us about her experiences running for Congress as a woman and a mother:




We need more women like Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz in public office.  You can help encourage a woman you know to run for office - from the school board to the Senate - by nominating her today.