Record 14 women in Senate include Maine’s Snowe, Collins

WASHINGTON – In the old days, the “women of the Senate” were the wives of the men who traditionally ran the institution.

Times have changed.

With the election of two new female senators this year, there are a record 14 woman senators. In three states now – Maine, California and Washington – both Senate posts are held by women.

When the 14 met Thursday morning for coffee and photos, the gathering represented a powerful mix of committee chairmen, party leaders and even some political stalwarts who may have an eye on the presidency, just one glass ceiling away.

“It’s good that we do this, just get together to be supportive and to welcome them [the new woman senators] into the Senate,” said Sen. Susan M. Collins of Maine, who recalled the same treatment she got six years ago when she attended her first “women’s coffee” along with another newcomer, Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La.

Both Collins and Landrieu were re-elected in 2002, and two newcomers were added to the group – Sens. Elizabeth Hanford Dole, R-N.C., and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Neither one of the newcomers is likely to need the same kind of “help” to get acclimated. Dole has been around Washington for years and served in the Cabinet of President George H.W. Bush. Her husband, former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., served as Senate Republican leader and ran for president.

Murkowski succeeds her father, a three-term senator who was elected governor of Alaska, stepped down as a senator, and then named his daughter – a state legislator – to the vacant seat.

The other women of the Senate in the 108th Congress are Sens. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who again was host for the coffee as the senior woman now serving, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, the senior Republican woman. Others are Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.; Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine; Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

“Like any new member, the women want to feel like they’re not left out, and we’re just trying to say never mind party lines, we can work together,” said Snowe.

Clinton said it was a “historic time” when this many women could achieve such high office. And Landrieu, walking out of the coffee with Murkowski and Cantwell, said, “There’s a lot of energy power here. We’re all on the energy committee together.” Including Feinstein, the panel has four women – the most at any time for a single committee.

“We think we can work together in a zone of civility,” Snowe said. “We can use each other as a resource.”

Said Collins: “The women come from many different philosophies, yet we have a common bond. I just offered to help the new senators in any way I could.”

Murkowski quickly moved to a center of attention when she was named Wednesday as part of the deputy whip team for the 108th Congress. The deputy whips assist the GOP leadership in counting – and rounding up – votes.

Both Snowe and Collins have served in that capacity in the past, but they have moved on to other leadership positions. Collins this session will chair the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and Snowe will chair the oceans and fisheries subcommittee.

“Because we both have chairmanships, we meet with the top Republican leaders once a week, so we are no longer in the whip organization,” Snowe said.