The Washington Post - Maryland Needs Women in its Next Congressional Delegation

Op-Ed

By Kathy Szeliga, Diana Waterman, and Amie Hoeber

Maryland is on the verge of a very disappointing precipice. After the November elections, the Maryland congressional delegation could have no female members -- for the first time since 1973. This is especially troubling in Maryland not only because women make up about 60 percent of the electorate but also because of Maryland's long history of supporting female elected officials.

As Marylanders, we pride ourselves on our diversity and inclusiveness. For more than four decades, we have understood the value of having women among those representing our state in Congress. That's why it's noteworthy that the Democrat congressional ticket has a glaringly obvious hole -- no women. In other words, if Democrats were to sweep all of the congressional elections except the 1st District, as some pundits are predicting, our congressional delegation would be made up entirely of men. That is why we agree with Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), who said, "What I want to know from my Democratic Party is …when will the voices of women . . . when will our voices be effective, legitimate equal leaders in a big-tent party?"

Maryland is filled with intelligent and successful women on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat, and Marjorie Holt, who, 40 years ago, was the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Maryland. Holt paved the way for other Maryland women to get involved in public service, including Reps. Helen Bentley, Beverly Byron and Connie Morella, Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey and our current female members of Congress, Edwards and Mikulski. All of these women paved the way for us. It is unbelievable that Maryland Democrats do not have even one of the many strong, capable, intelligent and thoughtful women in our state among their nominees. In stark contrast to Democrats, the Republican congressional ticket includes a woman running for Senate and a woman running for the House.

We are not here to play the "gender card" or tell Marylanders they should elect a woman simply because she is a woman. Being a woman should not be the only qualification for an elected official. But it should be valued: Women often make most of the household decisions, including the doctor their children visit and the food their family eats. One quarter of families in the United States are led by single mothers, and about 10 million companies in this country are woman-owned. Women bring unique perspectives and ideas to the table and their voices should be a part of the discussion.

So, while some politically motivated special interest groups attempt to put women into boxes as only caring about certain social issues, we know that all issues are women's issues. Women want to keep income taxes low so they have more money to provide for their families. Women worry about the growing national debt because of the effect it will have on their children and grandchildren. Women value a diverse and comprehensive education system that truly prepares our children for the job market they will face. Women want to promote a pro-growth economic agenda to ensure their families and friends have good jobs and can support their families. And women understand the importance of having a strong national defense and well-funded first-responders to keep their families safe. As women, these are the issues we value, and these are the issues we would promote as elected officials.

Women deserve a seat at the table because they bring added value to the discussion. The sentiment behind Edwards's speech is that women's voices are effective and should be heard; women are equal leaders and should be given the opportunity to lead. And we could not agree more.

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