Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues

• remain bipartisan in order to be taken seriously by party leadership, women's special interest organizations, and the media • include many congresswomen to bring a diversity of ideas and connections • encourage negotiation and accommodation of diverse ideas • support among women legislators for policies about women's issues • physical space where congresswomen could interact • increase visibility of caucus through contact with White House, administration, and congressional leaders == Accomplishments ==

The list of the earliest legislative accomplishments of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues includes: • The Pregnancy Discrimination Act • The Child Support Enforcement Act • The Retirement Equity Act • The Civil Rights Restoration Act • The Women's Business Ownership Act • The Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act • The Mammography Quality Standards Act • The Family and Medical Leave Act • The Violence Against Women Act. The influence of the CCWI extends beyond their legislative accomplishments, including bringing international attention to women's issues around the world and representing Congress at U.N. world conferences on women and on population and development. CCWI also serves as role models for women parliamentarians around the globe. == History ==

Despite changes in party control, political climate, and ideology throughout time, the presence of women has consistently made a difference in shaping debate and public policy outcomes in Congress. Women interest groups have greatly impacted the policy process. During the 1960s, the parties began to converge on their views of women's issues, and there was a general consensus that women should have legal equality. Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 Two developments created through the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 significantly affected women's policy advocacy in Congress. Partisan leaders' influence grew and began to over power committee chairmen. Prior to the 1970s, committee chairs were chosen based on seniority and there were no term limits. By taking the power away from these chairs, it allowed for women to get rid of bills that had been protected by committee chairmen who were anti women's interests. The previous seniority system and very few women in Congress made it hard for women to be put into position of power that would actually influence policy creation. However, this may have eventually resulted in more harm than good for those seeking policies addressing women's interests. As the power shifted toward party leadership, the climate in Congress became one of partisanship, which made it more difficult for congresswomen to support their initiatives. The Legislative Reorganization Act also made committee hearings more open to the public. The records being publicly exposed made it difficult for women to seek support from members who may want their support to remain private. This divide between party alignment among the genders continued to the years of the Reagan administration, due to their perceived anti-women views of President Reagan and his supporters in Congress. Of the 74 legislative initiatives named in the summary, only 43, or 58%, came before the House floor. This resulted in a Republican majority determined to implement a conservative agenda. Informal House groups were a vulnerable target during the 104th Congress. Each female representative is considered a member of the CCWI unless she opts out. == Bipartisanship ==

The caucus was purposefully bipartisan because of this presumed role as collective representatives of the female experience. The climate of bipartisanship was maintained through unanimity rule, meaning that the caucus didn't take any action unless it was supported by every single member. As a result, some of the most controversial issues facing women, such as abortion, were not addressed by the caucus. However, members could individually support legislation on these issues. Although political parties hold the majority of power and there are rules that specifically limit caucuses' resources, legislators are given complete discretion over their caucus membership decisions, which allows them to tailor their memberships to include caucuses that address issues specific to their constituents. Although caucus membership may be indicative of legislators' own policy interests, legislators are typically interested in being members of caucuses that focus on issues of interest to their constituents. If their constituents have strong ties to an issue, legislators are who represent them are more likely to belong to caucuses devoted to that issue, even once they account for potential impact of party status, committee membership, electoral vulnerability, and their own opinions. Perception of Republicans' attitude toward women's issues Although once an advocate for equal legal rights for women (from suffragism to the 1960s), the Republican Party began a role reversal in the early 1970s by backing away from legal equality and not accepting the Supreme Court's stance on abortion rights. These issues didn't create a gender gap at the time, but did create a perception that Democrats were reaching out to women as constituents and Republicans were not. Comments like this, and other conservative policy agendas, like defunding Planned Parenthood, make it appear as though the Republican party works against women's issues. John Weaver, a senior Republican strategist, is quoted as saying, "We have a significant problem with female voters." Democrats are seen as making the entire Republican party as insensitive to women. However, Republicans' focus on social issues, such as proposals to defund Planned Parenthood and fighting against the Obama administration’s ruling that insurance companies must cover contraceptives, are what result in the creation of these perceptions. Women like Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, believes the perception of the Republican Party as a whole against women is a "myth manufactured by Democrats in Washington." She views the Republican Party as one of individual freedom and personal responsibility, and therefore the government shouldn't even be involved in issues such as abortion. Therefore, it is evident that not all Republicans are against women's issues, despite any perception that may be propagated in the media. However, there is a disparity between female voters for Republicans and Democrats: President Obama beat Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race by eleven points among women. == List of chairs and ranking members ==