NEW YORK TIMES: …In the 90 years since Rebecca Felton of Georgia became the first woman in the United States Senate — sworn in for a mere 24 hours — women remain an anomaly in the upper chamber. But with 20 female senators now in office, an all-time high, women have morphed from the curiosity they were for much of the 20th century into an important new force on key committees and legislation.
A record nine women now lead committees, including some of the most powerful ones. For the first time there is a woman — Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat — in charge of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which dispenses billions of dollars annually throughout the government and has long been particularly dominated by men. Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, is the first chairwoman of the Budget Committee and is charged with shaping the Democratic strategy in the fiscal battle dominating Capitol Hill.
One of the biggest bills to pass the Senate last year was farm legislation led by Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who presides over the agriculture committee. Senator Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who is chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, shepherded the highway bill… (more)
