Women on the Hill:: Challenging the Culture of Congress

In 1992, the 103rd Congress had 24 newly elected female representatives in the House and five female freshmen senators, which gave it a unique opportunity to pass legislation on women's issues. In this interesting and competently written study of four Democratic congresswomen of the 103rd, Bingham, a former White House correspondent for Newsweek, goes behind the scenes of our political system. Drawing on personal interviews and archival material, the author details how veteran representative Pat Schroeder (Colo.), first-time senator Patty Murray (Wash.), third-term representative Louise Slaughter (N.Y.) and first-term African American representative Cynthia McKinney (Ga.) struggled against an entrenched male leadership. Although they lost the battle for health-care reform, Bingham describes how hard-won legislative victories on family leave, sexual harassment and abortion were achieved by bringing a bipartisan women's support network to committee rooms and floor fights. (Jan.)