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‘It is exhausting’: Women in Congress recount shared experiences

Political Theater, Episode 138

Massachusetts Rep. Katherine M. Clark recounted how early in her congressional career, staffers assumed she was a spouse, not a lawmaker. She is now vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus.
Massachusetts Rep. Katherine M. Clark recounted how early in her congressional career, staffers assumed she was a spouse, not a lawmaker. She is now vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Congress has a record number of women in its ranks, and it doesn’t matter if they are Democrats or Republicans, junior members or elected leaders: They share a common set of experiences about being talked down to, overlooked or outright scorned.

Heard on the Hill’s Kathryn Lyons spoke to some of them and recounts their stories in this edition of the Political Theater podcast. The idea came about after an ugly incident on the House steps between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman Democrat from New York, and Rep. Ted Yoho, a Florida Republican.

Lyons spoke to several members who discussed their own experiences, including the two women who co-chair the Congressional Women’s Caucus, Michigan Democrat Brenda Lawrence and Arizona Republican Debbie Lesko, who talked about how people in their past provided guidance on how to deal with the present.

Show Notes:

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