101 Facts About 100 Women of the House and Senate

Yesterday, a record 101 women were sworn in as members of the US House of Representatives and Senate, which means that now, a mere 80% of federal elected officials are male. Woo! Girl power! It’s the end of men! But before we get ahead of ourselves celebrating women’s total 20% domination of the legislative branch, let’s take a minute to get to know a cocktail party fact about each of the 101 women who will be spending at least the next several weeks pretending to usher in a new era of bipartisanship in Washington.

Glowing, hopeful writeups of the 113th Congress describe the lawmakers sworn into office as the most diverse group in the history of the country. Still, 19 states — Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia — didn’t send any women to the House of Representatives this time around and all of those states except Alaska, Louisiana, Nebraska, and North Dakota are without female Senate representation as well. Still, both of California’s Senators are female and the entirety of New Hampshire’s Washington legislative delegation are women. So, progress. Kind of.

And now, without further ado, here are some fascinatingly share-able tidbits about the ladies who legislate, from Allyson Schwartz to Zoe Lofgren.

1. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D) PA Schwartz served as the executive director of a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood clinic from 1975 until 1988.
2. Amy Klobuchar (D) MN Sen. Klobuchar’s senior thesis at Yale was about the politicking around the building of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, ex-home of the Minnesota Twins and the world’s crappiest place to watch a sporting event.
3. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) AZ Kirkpatrick was raised on an Apache Indian reservation.
4. Ann McLane Kuster (D) NH Her great-grandfather was elected Governor of New Hampshire in 1904.
5. Ann Wagner (R) MO Wagner is the former ambassador to Luxembourg and currently occupies Todd Akin’s old House seat.
6. Anna G. Eshoo (D) CA Eshoo has served in Congress since 1993, and has never won with less than 57% of the vote.
7. Barbara Boxer (D) CA When she ran for a seat in the House of Representatives in 1982, the future Senator Boxer won with the campaign slogan “Barbara Boxer Gives a Damn.”
8. Barbara Lee (D) CA Lee was the only member of either house of Congress to vote against authorizing use of force after the September 11th attacks.
9. Barbara Mikulski (D) MD Rumor has it that Bill Clinton wanted Al Gore to choose Mikulski as his running mate during the 2000 elections rather than Sen. Joe Lieberman.
10. Betty McCollum (D) MN McCollum has caused conservatives to flip their shit twice in the last couple of years — once when she supported an amendment to a bill that would have stopped military sponsorship of NASCAR teams and once when she was recorded on video omitting the phrase “Under God” from the pledge of allegiance. SOMEONE FETCH ME THE FOX NEWS SMELLING SALTS!
11. Candice Miller (R) MI Candice Miller did not graduate from college.
12. Carol Shea-Porter (D) NH Volunteered in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina and was so disgusted by the federal government’s slow response to the disaster that she ran for Congress.
13. Carolyn Maloney (D) NY This tough-ass broad is the one who asked “Where are the women?!” during that infamous all-male panel on birth control last year.
14. Carolyn McCarthy (D) NY Her husband was killed and son severely injured in a mass shooting on the Long Island Railroad in 1973.
15. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) WA Rep. McMorris Rodgers has given birth twice while in office.
16. Chellie Pingree (D) ME Has authored and produced five books on knitting.
17. Cheri Bustos (D) IL Is in the Illinois College Sports Hall of Fame for kicking ass at volleyball and basketball.
18. Claire McCaskill (D) MO Sen. McCaskill was elected homecoming queen in high school.
19. Colleen Hanabusa (D) HI Is one of three Buddhists in the US House.
20. Corrine Brown (D) FL In 2004, Rep. Brown accused the Bush administration of racism in its approach to Haiti and referred to them as “a bunch of white men.” A Mexican member of the administration took offense, and Brown replied “you all look alike to me.” Brown later apologized.
21. Cynthia Lummis (R) WY Her family owns a gigantic fucking ranch.
22. Deb Fischer (R) NE Only spent $100,000 on her Senate Primary campaign; her opponent spent $1 million.
23. Debbie Stabenow (D) MI Once told a newspaper that she knows global warming is real because she can feel it when she’s flying in airplanes.
24. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) FL Is the first Jewish Congresswoman ever elected from Florida.
25. Diana DeGette (D) CO Wrote a bill that bars protesters from blocking access to abortion clinics. DeGette’s “Bubble Bill” was found constitutional by the Supreme Court in 2000.
26. Diane Black (R) TN When a congressional aide in Black’s employ was caught forwarding around a racist anti-Obama email, Black only reprimanded the employee and didn’t take further action. She can’t be racist! Her last name is Black!
27. Dianne Feinstein (D) CA In the 2012 election, Senator Feinstein received 7.5 million votes, the most popular votes ever received by a Senator.
28. Dina Titus (D) NV “Dina” is a nickname derived from Titus’ given first and middle names — Alice Costandina.
29. Donna Edwards (D) MD Was one of six black women in her class at Wake Forest University.
30. Doris Matsui (D) CA Rep. Matsui was born in a Japanese internment camp in Arizona during World War II.
31. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) TX When she assumed office in 1993, she became the first Registered Nurse elected to Congress.
32. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) DC (del) She and Stephen Colbert are famously frenemies.
33. Elizabeth Esty (D) CT Was a stay-at-home mother after the birth of her first child.
34. Elizabeth Warren (D) MA Warren was born in Oklahoma and in high school was named top high school debater in the state.
35. Frederica Wilson (D) FL Has a fucking incredible hat collection.
36. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D) CA One of Rep. McLeod’s biggest fans is New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, whose PAC gave $5 million to her campaign.
37. Grace F. Napolitano (D) CA She is not related to Janet Napolitano.
38. Grace Meng (D) NY Don’t tell your mom that Grace Meng, at 37, is a married mother of 2 and a Congresswoman. You’ll never hear the end of it.
39. Gwen S. Moore (D) WI Awesome/scary double fact shot: The first African-American elected to Congress from Wisconsin, Moore once lived two blocks away from Jeffrey Dahmer and was among the most vocal individuals calling for an investigation into his actions.
40. Heidi Heitkamp (D) ND Won election to Senate by less than 1%.
41. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) FL Ros-Lehtinen is the most senior Republican woman in the US House.
42. Jackie Speier (D) CA Speier’s given name is Karen Lorraine, but she goes by “Jackie” because when she was confirmed, she picked “Jacqueline” as her confirmation name, after Jackie Kennedy. If I knew switching your name was that easy, I would have changed my name to Grundgetta ages ago.
43. Jackie Warlorski (R) IN She attends a “charismatic megachurch.”
44. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) WA Got her political start as an aide for another Republican Congresswoman from Washington — Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
45. Janice Hahn (D) CA Hahn has walked picket lines with striking unionized workers.
46. Janice Schakowsky (D) IL The Nation wanted Schakowsky to get the Vice Presidential nomination in 2004; John Kerry picked Jon Edwards instead. AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT TURNED OUT.
47. Jeanne Shaheen (D) NH Shaheen is the first woman in US history to be elected both a Governor and a Senator.
48. Jo Ann Emerson (R) MO Was one of seven Republican US House members who voted to condemn South Carolina idjit/Congressman Joe Wilson for shouting “YOU LIE!” at President Obama during the State of the Union.
49. Joyce Beatty (D) OH Former Vice President for Outreach and Engagement at Ohio State, which means that we can never watch football together.
50. Judy Chu (D) CA When she first ran for Congress in a 2009 special election, her Republican opponent’s last name was also Chu.
51. Julia Brownley (D) CA Was named the YWCA’s Woman of the Year in 2006.
52. Karen Bass (D) CA Gun nuts hate Karen Bass — both the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund and The Gun Owners of California have given Bass “F” grades.
53. Kathy Castor (D) FL Is a Tri-Delt.
54. Kay Granger (R) TX Rep. Granger has an elementary school named after her in Forth Worth, Texas.
55. Kay Hagen (D) NC Senator Hagen defeated Elizabeth Dole in 2008, becoming the first woman to defeat a female incumbent in a Senate race.
56. Kelly Ayotte (R) NH One of Ayotte’s most noteworthy achievements before being elected to Senate was a borderline-zealotous defense of New Hampshire’s parental notification laws for minors who wish to receive abortions.
57. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) NY Gillibrand was an Asian Studies major and is fluent in Chinese. Her adopted Chinese name is Lu Tian Na.
58. Kristi Noem (R) SD Noem dropped out of college to help take care of her family ranch after her father was killed. In May of last year, she finally completed her bachelor’s degree.
59. Kyrsten Sinema (D) AZ Sinema is the first openly bisexual member of Congress.
60. Linda Sanchez (D) CA Sanchez has famously accused states that pass restrictive immigration laws like Arizona’s of having ties to white supremacy groups. Was named “funniest celebrity in Washington” in 2006.
61. Lisa Murkowski (R) AK In 2010, became the first Senator since 1954 to win an election through write-in votes.
62. Lois Capps (D) CA Is allegedly one of the nicest members of Congress.
63. Lois Frankel (D) FL Served two successful terms as mayor of West Palm Beach.
64. Loretta Sanchez (D) CA Is the older sister of Linda Sanchez (D-CA). The two are the first pair of sisters to serve simultaneously in Congress.
65. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D) NY Is literally a coal miner’s daughter.
66. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) CA Roybal-Allard is the first Mexican American woman to serve in Congress.
67. Lynn Jenkins (R) KS Prior to her election to Congress, Jenkins served as Kansas State Treasurer and was active an the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST)— a boring-sounding group with a hilarious-sounding acronym, especially if you pronounce the “T” separately from the “NAS.”
68. Marcia Fudge (D) OH Is not a character from Candyland.
69. Marcy Kaptur (D) OH Ross Perot asked her to be his running mate in 1996.
70. Maria Cantwell (D) WA In 2007, Cantwell cosponsored the Prevention First Act, which sought to expand access to family planning in order to reduce unplanned pregnancies.
71. Marsha Blackburn (R) TN Resigned from Mitt Romney’s 2008 Presidential campaign to endorse Law & Order’s Fred Thompson for President. LOL.
72. Martha Roby (R) AL Once served on the board of the embarrassingly-named crisis pregnancy center “Sav-a-Life.”
73. Mary Landrieu (D) LA Her father, the former mayor of New Orleans, goes by the name “Moon.”
74. Maxine Waters (D) CA Waters has 12 brothers and sisters.
75. Mazie Hirono (D) HI Senator Hirono moved to Hawaii from Japan as a child.
76. Michele Bachmann (R) MN Became a Republican because she thought Gore Vidal was smug.
77. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) NM Newly-elected Rep. Grisham’s grandfather was Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.
78. Nancy Pelosi (D) CA Can make objects move with her brain.* (*not verified, suspected)
79. Niki Tsongas (D) MA Received a 100 percent approval rating from Planned Parenthood.
80. Nita M. Lowey (D) NY Once appeared at a Congressional hearing flanked by Sesame Street Muppets Bert and Ernie.
81. Nydia Velázquez (D) NY Skipped a grade and began attending high school at age 13; promptly began participating in protests that forced the school to shut down until it was less unsanitary and horrible.
82. Patty Murray (D) WA Was a Phys. Ed. major in college.
83. Renee Ellmers (R) NC Was the former clinical director of a Wound Care center in North Carolina, hated Obamacare so much that she quit nursing to run for office.
84. Rosa L. DeLauro (D) CT Used to be the executive director of EMILY’s List before running for office in 1991. Full circle!
85. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) TX Once compared the Tea Party to the KKK during a speech at the NAACP convention.
86. Shelley Moore Capito (R) WV Moore Capito is a pro-choice Republican woman. AKA a unicorn.
87. Susan Brooks (R) IN Used to work for a law firm called “Ice Miller,” which is an awesome name for a law firm.
88. Susan Collins (R) ME Senator Collins is also a pro-choice Republican woman.
89. Susan Davis (D) CA Did you know that it was once difficult for women to see an OB/GYN without a referral from their primary care physician? I didn’t, I guess, partially due to work done by Susan Davis to legally enshrine a woman’s right to see a vagina doctor without getting permission from her main doctor first.
90. Suzan DelBene (D) WA Before working in politics, DelBene had a long, illustrious career working high profile positions for tech companies.
91. Suzanne Bonamici (D) OR Lawyer-cum-politician. IMAGINE THAT.
92. Tammy Baldwin (D) WI The first openly gay elected member of the Senate.
93. Tammy Duckworth (D) IL Rep. Duckworth is a double amputee who sometimes wears a tee shirt that says “Dude, where’s my leg?” High five, Duckworth.
94. Terri Sewell (D) AL Was once selected as one of the “Top Ten Collegiate Women in the Country” by Glamour magazine.
95. Tulsi Gabbard (D) HI Took the oath of office over the Bhagavad Gita.
96. Vicky Hartzler (R) MO The good news is Hartzler is a strong proponent of making adoption easier for couples. The bad news is that Hartzler is a strong opponent of same-sex marriage. Save the babies for the straights, gays!
97. Virginia Foxx (R) NC For a good time, google “Virginia Foxx quotes.” You won’t be disappointed. She’s hilarrible.
98. Yvette Clarke (D) NY Born and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Clarke currently represents much of the central part of the borough, including the strollermommies of Park Slope.
99. Madeleine Bordallo (D) Guam (del) Bordallo is half of what might best be described as Guam’s premiere political power couple.
100. Donna Christian-Christensen (D) Virgin Islands (del) Christian-Christen is a longtime physician and former Virgin Islands Commissioner of Health.
101. Zoe Lofgren (D) CA Spent a portion of her early career working to impeach Richard Nixon.

[Reuters]