A Republican woman has never been House majority leader. That's sadly not going to change soon.

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

published 30 September 2015

With Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers dropping her bid for House majority leader on Monday, the GOP's leadership seems assured to go without a woman filling a top spot for awhile longer. In fact, McMorris Rodgers is already the farthest advanced woman ever among Republican leaders, holding a number four position as the House Republican Conference chair.

Even while more Republican women than ever before serve in Congress — 23 in the House and six in the Senate — Politico reports that there is no indication one of them will be assuming a top role in the future. In fact, most of them can't even get a committee chairmanship:

Out of 21 full committees in the House, Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.) is the only woman wielding a gavel. But Miller, who was appointed to that position by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), will retire at the end of this Congress. She was defeated by Texas Rep. Mike McCaul in a 2012 race to become head the Homeland Security Committee.Other women in GOP leadership include Reps. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, who serve as secretary and vice chair of the conference, respectively.In the Senate, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte is the lone woman in Republican leadership, serving as the appointed "counsel" to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Senate Energy Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is the sole woman atop a full committee. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) serves as chairwoman of the Special Committee on Aging. [Politico]

Among Democrats, representation is better: 14 women are in the Senate with 65 women in the House. Additionally, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the only woman to have served as House speaker, making her the highest-ranking female politician in the nation's history. Even so, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said in a book she published with Hillary Clinton last year that the Senate remains "an old boys' club without a doubt."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Speed Reads Us News

To continue reading this article...

Create a free account

Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.

Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.

Cancel or pause at any time.

Already a subscriber to The Week?

Unlimited website access is included with Digital and Print + Digital subscriptions.
with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.

Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox