GOP women turn to relationship building amid DC dysfunction
The article discusses how Republican women in Congress are relying on relationship-building to navigate the challenges of a highly partisan, dysfunctional legislative habitat. Spending much of the year away from their families in washington, D.C., these women have formed supportive networks through social gatherings like dinners, wine nights, and breakfasts at the Capitol. Senators and Representatives emphasized that these friendships, especially among fellow mothers, provide emotional support and enhance their legislative effectiveness. Experts note that the shift of manny members commuting from their districts rather than living full-time in D.C. has weakened conventional interpersonal relationships within Congress, making these efforts among Republican women even more vital. Through collaboration and shared experiences, these lawmakers are fostering camaraderie that helps them work across party lines and achieve legislative successes, such as bipartisan bills addressing local issues. The piece highlights personal anecdotes demonstrating how these connections build trust, facilitate policy discussions, and create a sense of community in an frequently enough isolating political climate.
Republican women lean on relationship building during a time of dysfunction
Being a member of Congress from the outside may seem glamorous, but the reality of spending a large portion of the year in Washington, D.C., away from family, with constant eyes on them and the weight of the country on their shoulders, often leaves the job isolating and lonely.
In a time of deep partisanship, back-stabbing, dysfunction, and slim margins in Congress, Republican women have turned to each other for support both personally and legislatively.
Republican women, in a series of interviews with the Washington Examiner, shared their experiences of the relationships they have formed and ideas they have shared through dinner parties, wine nights, and breakfasts at the Capitol.
“Forming close relationships with my colleagues, especially fellow moms, while we’re away from home and our families makes what we do easier on a personal and professional level,” Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) told the Washington Examiner. “It builds a real sense of camaraderie that’s crucial to being effective as legislators—I’ve been truly fortunate to have a group to lean on who understands firsthand this unique experience.”
Relationships within a caucus and across the aisle are crucial for the governing body to form, as many members have made a shift to live in their districts and commute to Washington when the body is in session.
“The political incentive is to be in your district as much as possible, but governing is a skill,” Bipartisan Policy Institute Vice President of Democracy and Bipartisanship Matthew Weil told the Washington Examiner. “It’s a different skill than campaigning, and governing requires actually talking to people, actually knowing them.”
GOP strategist Dennis Lennox told the Washington Examiner that relationships in Congress have diminished due to members moving back to their districts while serving.
“There’s no question that the biggest challenge or issue facing Congress is the lack of relationships, both within the same party and across the aisle,” Lennox said. “Until somewhat recently, most members of both chambers spent more time in the capital. They didn’t fly in every Monday or Tuesday and fly home every Thursday. They went to the same churches, they golfed at the same courses, they ate at the same restaurants, their spouses did things together, they worshiped in the same pews, and their kids went to the same schools. There were genuine relationships. “
He continued: “It’s hard not to look at the rise of members sleeping on an office cot and deriding the whole institution as contributing to the downfall of relations in the way that Congress, for much of our country’s history, has operated.”
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) emphasized the need for women to “stick together,” as she talked about the importance of talking to other members about what is happening back home.
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), who served as the first GOP woman freshman class president, told the Washington Examiner about a group of bicameral appropriators, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME), who met for breakfast at the Capitol after she hosted a dinner to which she invited all Congressional Republican women.
“It was really funny, because there was one breakfast where some of the male senators came in and looked at the table and thought, oh, no, what’s happening? They were a little taken aback,” Bice joked.
“But it gives us the opportunity to share kind of what we’re seeing, what we’re hearing, what we think is going to happen, and also building the rapport so that we can bounce things off of each other and figure out how do we move the country forward,” she then continued.
Weil talked about the importance of sharing your preferences with other members, especially when margins are as tight as they are in the 119th Congress.
“Legislating is actually talking about what your preferences are,” he said. “Where are your red lines? Where is there overlap?”
The Oklahoma Republican shared a legislative win that she garnered with the help of her support group and mentors. Bice came across a local domestic violence organization struggling with funding, realizing Rep. Anne Wagner (R-MO) was a staunch advocate of the issue. From there, they partnered up on a bill. Wagner and Bice unveiled bipartisan legislation earlier this year to temporarily provide additional deposits into the Crime Victims Fund. The bill now has 316 co-sponsors.
Wagner has not only given Bice and other Republican women legislative advice, but she also shared a piece of advice that Bice said has always stuck with her when it comes to working on Capitol Hill.
“Be nice to your feet, because these hallways are tough on your feet,” Wagner told Republican women when they came to Congress. The Capitol building requires lots of walking on tough marble floors that are not conducive to heels.
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As many members look to each other for support, Hinson told the Washington Examiner that she has even begun thrifting for other members online, where she has recently found jackets for longtime Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC).
“Some of my lady colleagues in the House know that I have this habit that I like to thrift and I like to thrift online and put in low bids and see if I can get them, so now I’ve actually done some shopping for them,” Hinson said. “They’ll tell me their size and what brand they like.”
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