Senators
John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) stated last week that their
female colleagues can take most of the credit for driving the compromise that
is expected to temporarily reopen the U.S. government and raise the debt
ceiling before Thursday's deadline.
"Leadership, I must fully admit, was provided
primarily from women in the Senate," McCain said after the bipartisan deal was announced.
Pryor said that people sometimes like to joke about
women in leadership, but he is a huge fan of his female colleagues after
watching them negotiate. "The truth is, women in the Senate is a good
thing," he said. "We're all just glad they allowed us to tag along so
we could see how it's done."
Following weeks of stagnation, The New York Times reported on Monday that a bipartisan group of women
senators was playing a crucial role in opening discussions between Republicans
and Democrats over how to move forward and reopen the government.
Out of the 14 senators on the bipartisan committee
that laid the framework for the debt deal, six were women. Susan Collins
(R-Maine) started the group, and Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Kelly Ayotte
(R-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Heidi Heitkamp
(D-N.D.) took part in negotiations.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that women were so
heavily involved in trying to end this stalemate,” Collins told The New York
Times. “Although we span the ideological spectrum, we are used to working
together in a collaborative way.”
Klobuchar said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" last week that the friendships the Senate women have developed will help them
work together to craft a long-term budget without the counterproductive barbs
that some politicians throw at each other when they don't agree.
“The 20 women in the Senate have formed such strong
friendships of trust, even though we come from different places, that I’m very
hopeful as we go forward with Patty Murray, head of the Budget Committee,
Barbara Mikulski, head of Approprations,” Klobuchar said. “Those relationships
are going to make a difference as we get into what matters, which is the
long-term budget.” Read more…
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