So You Don't Like Women & Minorities - Enough Already

“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

~ President Abraham Lincoln: closing words of his Gettysburg Address, delivered on November 19, 1863

I don’t mean to go off on a rant but…

Let me get this straight: the Republicans had their asses handed to them during the last election by pretty much everyone but white Christian males. The incoming 113th Congress will be the most diverse one in the nation’s history (although it still remains comprised of a disproportionate number of angry, older white, Christian males than the general public).

So explain to me why House Speaker John “Power gives me a Bohner, Absolute power gives me an absolute Bohner” Boehner announced this week that ALL major House committee chairs will be white males? (And let’s go ahead and finish the story while we are at it – there are only 2 more committee chair positions of any importance to be announced – the Ethics Committee and House Administration Committee – and neither has any women or minorities serving on them.)

Just to be clear: there isn’t a single woman or minority included in the mix of 19 House committee chairs announced this week by John “I can’t get a Bohner” Boehner. NONE

The 113th Congress will be more representative of the United States when it comes to representation by women with a total of 77 females in the House of Representatives and 20 in the senate.

Women will be the majority for the first time in history of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives.

Tammy Baldwin was elected the first female ever to fill a Wisconsin Senate seat and is also the country’s first openly gay U.S. Senator.

Tammy Duckworth of Illinois will become the first Thai-American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress and will be the first disabled woman to serve in the United States legislature. Duckworth lost both of her legs in combat in the Iraq war and severely damaged her right arm. She is determined to make a difference, telling the Associated Press “On my first day, I will remind Congress we are here to serve the people.” She will be only the ninth disabled person ever elected to the United States legislature.

Tulsi Gabbard will be the very first practicing Hindu to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and Mazie Hirono, also of Hawaii, will be the first Asian-American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.

In New Hampshire voters formally elected the first all-female delegation in the country’s history. Maggie Hassan was elected to serve as governor, and Ann McLane-Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter will serve in the House of Representatives, with Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte serving in the Senate.

So with all this in mind, it seems that Lincoln’s America has perished from this earth!

Take a look below to see the diversity of new Congressional members:

Age

Born in the 1980s
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-REP)
Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA-REP)
Patrick Murphy (D-FL-REP)
Eric Swalwell (D-CA-REP)

Gender

Women
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-SEN)
Joyce Beatty (D-OH-REP)
Susan Brooks (R-IN-REP)
Cheri Bustos (D-IL-REP)
Julia Brownley (D-CA-REP)
Suzan DelBene (D-WA-REP)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL-REP)
Elizabeth Esty (D-CT-REP)
Deb Fischer (R-NE-SEN)
Lois Frankel (D-FL-REP)
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-REP)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND-SEN)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI-SEN)
Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-REP)
Ann Kuster (D-NH-REP)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM-REP)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA-REP)
Grace Meng (D-NY-REP)
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-REP)
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-REP)
Dina Titus (D-NV-REP)
Ann Wagner (R-MO-REP)
Jackie Walorski (R-IN-REP)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA-SEN)

Race

African American
Marc Veasey (D-TX-REP)
Steven Horsford (D-NV-REP)
Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ-REP)
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-REP)
Latinos
Joaquin Castro(D-TX-REP)
Tony Cardenas (D-CA-REP)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM-REP)
Juan Vargas (D-CA-REP)
Joe Garcia (D-FL-REP)
Pete Gallego (D-TX-REP)
Ted Cruz (R-TX-SEN)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA-REP)
Filemon Vela (D-TX-REP)
Raul Ruiz (D-CA-REP)
Asian American
Grace Meng (D-NY-REP)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI-SEN)
Mark Takano (D-CA-REP)
Ami Bera (D-CA-REP)*
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-REP)

Religion

Non-theist
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-REP)
Only Unitarian Universalist
Ami Bera (D-CA-REP)
First Hindu
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-REP)
First Buddhist Senator
Mazie Hirono (D-HI-SEN)

Sexual Orientation

LGBT
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-SEN)

Sean Maloney (D-NY-REP)
Mark Pocan (D-WI-REP)
Mark Takano (D-CA-REP)
First bisexual
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-REP)
First openly gay person of color
Mark Takano (D-CA-REP)

*- Ahead, but the race has not been called at the time of posting

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So You Don’t Like Women & Minorities – Enough Already – We Get It!