Comments on: [update] No female Senators or Reps on stimulus package conference committee

By: Gerald

Gerald — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:27:05 +0000

i hope that those Stimulus Package coming from the government would really kick start the Economy. the economic recession has been very bad on my business. ~

By: Deciding Our Fate « The Apostate

Deciding Our Fate « The Apostate — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:04:56 +0000

[...] From Jill Miller Zimon: Senate Democratic leadership has announced who will be serving on the conference committee to iron out differences in the House and Senate versions of the stimulus bill. [...]

By: Keesha G

Keesha G — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:30:41 +0000

Agreed. The issue is not enough ranking women on important committees. Conference committees are generally made up of ranking members from both houses from the committees that considered the bills — in this case — House Appropriations, Senate Appropriations, and Senate Budget. No ranking women on these committees.

We still have a lot of work to do. Please support the work of Women’s Campaign Forum, Emily’s List and other organizations that work to fund women’s campaigns and to get more women into the political pipeline (which remains 86% male).

By: Jason R.

Jason R. — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:19:12 +0000

And it’s D-U-M-B

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:55:34 +0000

Jason – no – it’s the chairs of certain committees that have jurisdication over the bill. I don’t know all the ins and outs but for sure it has to do with getting women through the pipeline to those places, as well as a matter of having more women. I’m working on getting a better sense of the context but at a minimum, it’s another example of the work that needs to be done to keep the effort going.

By: Jason R.

Jason R. — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:52:22 +0000

Not even the two senators from Maine that helped pass the bill?

By: Michael Berger

Michael Berger — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:15:52 +0000

It definitely matters Jill, but the real problem behind this is who is made the Chairperson of these committees.

At best, Snowe is the ranking member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Forget about that mattering, because it didn’t when either chamber was drawing up this bill.

Collins is actually – despite/in spite of the economic disagreement or her influence – among the most qualified to be in this Conference, but isn’t even close to being a ranking Republican member of the Appropriations Committee.

Seniority has it’s place I’m sure, but among the rules changes bandied about for the Senate in particular (filibuster anyone?), the plum-Committee-assignment-process really needs to be looked into.

I’m 90% sure a few less good ole’ boys would do the Republic some good.

By: Tim Higgins

Tim Higgins — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:33:26 +0000

Jill,

I might have thought that this was simply the act of a gentlemen, permitting women not to soil their hands with such things. Then I remembered we were talking about Congress and dismissed that concept.

I think that the women representatives of this country will be saddled with enough of the guilt for this odious piece of legislatiion. I believe that asking them to take on more, in what will undoubtedly become a bad situation made worse, is more of a burden than any gender should be asked to carry.

By: Sam Grace

Sam Grace — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:05:19 +0000

I just blogged about this as well. It’s amazing to me that this happened and more people aren’t outraged about it.

http://averypoliticalwoman.com/?p=240

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:10:55 +0000

And it worked! I will also check my spam folder now to see if there’s stuff stuck in it from you. Sorry for the problems.