Midterms and the ‘other women’s issues’

Presented by the American Council of Life Insurers: Your definitive guide to women, politics and power.

Nov 18, 2022 View in browser   By Eleanor Mueller Presented by POLITICO illustration/Photo by iStock Good morning, rulers! I'll be filling in for Katelyn today. Thanks to Sophie Gardner for her help with this newsletter! Let's get into it… In the days since the midterm elections, one thing has become exceptionally clear: It wasn't just abortion that drove more women than expected to the polls for Democrats. Paid leave and child care also played a similarly significant — and surprising — role in propelling candidates to victory. Organizations like Paid Leave for All and MomsRising Together that backed candidates running on so-called care policies report that they did better than expected, reiterating the policies as make-or-break for key voters, particularly suburban women. That bolsters hope for pushing such policies through Congress down the road, said Kristin Rowe-Finkbauer, CEO and co-founder of MomsRising. "The pundits were saying abortion doesn't matter anymore, and care doesn't matter anymore — but we were hearing it loud and clear," Rowe-Finkbauer said. "The big takeaway from this election is that moms and parents really care about being able to decide if, when and how many children to have — and really care about the fact that we don't yet have a care infrastructure." Of the 20 or so candidates that MomsRisings contributed to, "many of them did way better than we expected," Rowe-Finkbauer said. Democrat Chrissy Houlahan won an extremely tight race in the swing state of Pennsylvania with a campaign that zeroed in on paid leave and child care after a consultant for Paid Leave for All found an uptick of 1,700 percent in paid leave mentions on social media the month prior. "So much of the consultant class and the pundits still don't see these as economic imperatives," said Dawn Huckelbridge, director of Paid Leave for All. But "it's clear that the voters actually do." An August poll by the group found that 94 percent of women living in suburban battlegrounds support paid family and medical leave. Another survey, this one from September, found that when Republican candidates oppose both abortion and paid leave, that gives their opponent a 56-point edge with suburban women. The better-than-expected returns have emboldened advocates to keep pushing for federal investment in paid leave and child care after congressional Democrats slashed them from their party-line spending package earlier this year — despite the challenges posed by a divided House and Senate. "It made me feel like…we have a shot at the policy," said Reshma Saujani, CEO and founder of The Marshall Plan for Moms. "There is a bipartisan coalition that you can build." Members of Congress are taking notice — including Senate HELP Chair Patty Murray (D-Wa.), who brought up child care to President Joe Biden when he called to congratulate her on winning a tighter-than-expected reelection race. "Having been out on the campaign trail intensely, women in particular knew that Democrats were fighting for them — and it had to do with reproductive care and to do with the economic policies that impact them … and that included childcare and paid leave," Murray, a former preschool teacher, said in an interview. "So I just feel as strongly as ever that we have built the momentum toward this as an issue people are talking about. We need to look everywhere we can now to get something done." Murray, who recently announced her intent to seek the top job on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has said that she plans to pursue child care funding as a top priority. In her current role on Senate HELP, she's proposed enacting $1 billion for it as part of the current appropriations cycle. "This is what is holding women back from reaching their full potential," Murray said. "I'm disappointed we didn't get it in reconciliation, and that has not stopped me one second from saying, 'This is a top priority. We gotta keep going.' But what I know is that this now is an issue people vote on and that will have an impact on our ability to get something done here." In the meantime, groups like the National Partnership for Women and Families say they plan to collect data, conduct research and take other steps to illustrate the case for supporting paid leave and child care as vividly as possible to policymakers. "The lessons that I got from the midterms is the care agenda — paid leave, child care — they are necessary. They are popular with voters," said Sharita Gruberg, vice president of economic justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families. "The disconnect is with our elected officials really hearing that." "This was a historic midterm election," she added. "Voters expect Congress to listen."   A message from the American Council of Life Insurers: Financial security looks different for everyone. It can mean looking after a small business and its employees, paying back student loans or contributing to a 401(k) plan. Everyone has different financial priorities, and there's no single path to get there. That's why life insurers are working to advance SECURE 2.0/EARN to provide Americans with more ways to save and help create a future that's secure for all. Learn more here.   POLITICO Special Report Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images " Pelosi, first woman speaker, to depart Dem leadership in seismic shift ," by Sarah Ferris for POLITICO: "Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful speakers in modern U.S. history, will cede the helm of House Democratic leadership after 20 years and take on an unfamiliar role: Rank-and-file member. "Since she reclaimed the top gavel in 2018, the first woman speaker — whose legislative prowess has powered her party's agenda under four presidents — planned to give it up after this term. Yet her decision became more complicated, she has said, by the brutal assault of her husband Paul last month. "'I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,' Pelosi said to a packed chamber that remained pin-drop silent as members took in her decision. "The Democrats' better-than-expected midterm election prompted personal pleas for her to stay from the president and Senate majority leader. "But in a floor speech attended by nearly every member of her Democratic caucus, including plenty of teary allies, Pelosi declared it was time for a 'new generation' of leaders. Clad in stark white, the color of suffragists and her hue of choice for critical moments, the California Democrat delivered her farewell speech within a chamber where she has been a part of Washington's biggest moments for decades. "Recalling her first visit to the Capitol at age six, she name-checked her biggest political inspirations, from Abraham Lincoln to civil rights leader John Lewis, as she touted her 'fundamental mission to hold strong to our most treasured democratic ideals.'" " Bass elected mayor of LA over billionaire rival in historic win ," by Alexander Nieves and Lara Korte for POLITICO: "Rep. Karen Bass has become the first woman elected mayor of Los Angeles, defeating billionaire developer Rick Caruso who waged the most expensive campaign in the city's history. "The six-term congresswoman and former state lawmaker overcame Caruso's 10-to-1 spending advantage to win a close contest between two Democrats. She will lead a city simmering with anger over homelessness and the rising cost of living as well as recent displays of corruption and racism at City Hall. "Bass is the second Black person to win the mayor's seat in Los Angeles, which has a painfully divisive history demonstrated most recently by leaked audio of three City Council members using racist and disparaging language as they discussed manipulating voting districts. "The win represents a political homecoming for Bass, who started her professional life as a community activist fighting poverty and crime in South Los Angeles before embarking on a nearly 20-year political career that took her through the state Legislature and Congress — and landed her on President Joe Biden's shortlist of vice presidential contenders. "The veteran lawmaker jumped into the race last September and quickly gained widespread backing in the Democratic Party, entering the primary season as the favorite to win. Instead, Bass faced stiff competition through the finish line, as Caruso poured more than $100 million of his personal fortune into the race, dominating the advertising landscape and altering the trajectory of the campaign." " Your cheat sheet on the nation's 9 governors-in-waiting ," by POLITICO Staff: "Meet America's new class of governors — a diverse group of political newcomers and seasoned politicians who flipped party control, broke centuries-old barriers and helped deliver a record 12 female state executives nationwide. "They're historic firsts in their states and in the nation. They flipped governor's offices blue in Arizona, Maryland and Massachusetts. And in Nevada, Republican Joe Lombardo's upset win over Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak will reshape the balance of power in a key battleground state where Democrats run the statehouse. "The nine newcomers will join a group of governors who are seeing their power and prominence expand on public health, jobs, abortion and gun rights as the economy teeters on the brink of a recession." Number of the Week Read more here. MUST READS Sean Gallup/Getty Images " Women led climate talks' toughest topic: reparations ," by Seth Borenstein for the Associated Press: "Men usually outnumber and outrank women negotiators in climate talks, except when it comes to global warming's thorniest diplomatic issue this year — reparations for climate disasters. "The issue of polluting nations paying vulnerable countries is handed over to women, who got the issue on the agenda after 30 years. Whether this year's United Nations climate talks in Egypt succeed or fail mostly will come down to the issue called loss and damage in international negotiations, officials and experts say. It's an issue that intertwines equity and economics, balancing the needs of those hurt and those who would pay. "Nearly all of the key players are women and they and others say better gender representation could yield better results. "'I think what we need at this crucial time is empathy ... We need to think about our world in the sense of taking care of our world,' said Chilean Environment Minister Maisa Rojas. 'Maybe culturally, historically, they are seen as feminine values.' "Rojas, a climate scientist, and Germany special climate envoy Jennifer Morgan engineered a last-minute deal that got the issue of loss and damage on the agenda for the first time in 27 climate summits. "Now that it's on the agenda, the top people trying to get something meaningful done are women. And that provides hope, a top United Nations official said." " Ellen Levine, 79, Dies; Editor With Keen Sense of Women Readers ," by Ed Shanahan for The New York Times. " Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is the first woman to serve as a NASA launch director ," by Christine Chung for The New York Times: "'Go for launch.' "Words like these are often uttered when a rocket is seconds from heading to space. On Wednesday, after decades of American spaceflight and numerous launches, a woman will be saying them for NASA. "The Artemis I rocket, now on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and preparing to launch for the moon on Wednesday, is counting down to ignition. The final decision will be in the hands of Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, who has worked in spaceflight for more than 30 years. As launch director, she's the boss of the "firing room" during the countdown, and the buck stops with her." " CEO diversity slow to change even as U.S. boards hire more women and minorities ," by Rachael Levy and Ross Kerber for Reuters. QUOTE OF THE WEEK Read more here. TRANSITIONS Beth Jafari will join Kelley Drye & Warren's government relations practice upon leaving Sen. John Cornyn's (R-Texas) office, where she has served as chief of staff since 2007. … Bronwyn Lance is now chief of staff for Rep.-elect Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.). She most recently was comms adviser for Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). (h/t Playbook) … Radha Adhar is now special assistant to the president in the office of legislative affairs at the White House. She most recently was director of legislative affairs at the Council on Environmental Quality. (h/t West Wing Playbook) … Shana Mansbach is now speechwriter and senior adviser to the secretary at the State Department. She most recently was deputy director of comms for Pelosi. … Madeleine Westerhout is now executive director for operations at American Global Strategies. She most recently was executive assistant to the CEO of Starch Creative and is a Trump White House and RNC alum. (h/t Playbook)   Follow us on Twitter Katelyn Fossett @KatelynFossett   Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.