This International Women's Day, I’m thinking about why we need the voices of women in government. This fact paints a pretty clear picture: When I headed to Congressional orientation in 2018, there was a Beer Caucus and a Bourbon Caucus, but I was the only single-mom of school aged kids.
This year, a record number of women are serving, but still the U.S. House is made up of 29% women and the Senate just 25%. It’s no coincidence the issues of women and families have been put on the backburner for decades.
Women, myself included, bring a different lived experience to Congress than most of our male colleagues: I’ve made affordable childcare one of my top priorities in Congress, knowing how most families struggle to find reliable childcare that fits into their budget—because I’ve been there.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, I thought about how my own daughter has less autonomy than I did growing up.
As our country has recovered from the economic fallout of the pandemic, I’ve been a fierce advocate for making sure women are included in the recovery, after they left the workforce in record numbers.
I’m proud to be from a state with a history of electing trailblazing women to the United States Senate—Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and Kamala Harris. These leaders have carved a path that women in politics across the country continue to follow, myself included.
Thanks for your support, John, Happy International Women’s Day!
Katie Porter
