4 “Impeach the motherfucker” “Rashida Tlaib’s Expletive-Laden Cry to Impeach Trump Upends Democrats’ Talking Point,” New York Times, January 4, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/us/politics/tlaib-impeach-trump.html.
6 “We have to fix this shit” Rep. Katie Porter, interview with the author, March 1, 2019.
6 “A new breed of politician” John A. Lawrence, The Class of ’74: Congress after Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018), 5.
7 In the 2017 report The Trump Effect Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox, The Trump Effect (Washington, DC: Women & Politics Institute, June 2017), https://www.american.edu/spa/wpi/upload/the-trump-effect.pdf.
14 “Professional attire” Senator Amy Klobuchar, interview with the author, December 13, 2018.
16 “The best lemon pie in Montana” “First Congresswoman Makes Debut Here,” Baltimore Sun, June 4, 1917, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27070587/the_baltimore_sun/.
17 congresswoman rankin real girl “A Womanly Woman with Womanly Ambitions,” Whereas: Stories from the People’s House, Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, April 17, 2017, https://history.house.gov/Blog/2017/April/4-17-Womanly-Rankin/.
17 “ ‘Did she wear a hat?’ ” Matthew Wasniewski (House historian), interview with the author, January 28, 2019.
17 “How shall we answer their challenge” Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 99, June 13, 2019, https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2019/6/13/senate-section/article/s3457-1.
18 “As a woman I can’t go to war” “Rankin, Jeannette,” Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/R/RANKIN,-Jeannette-(R000055)/.
18 “They just weren’t going to hear her” Oral history interview with Rep. John Dingell Jr., Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, February 3, 2012, https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/People/The-Honorable-John-D--Dingell,-Jr-/.
18 “Never for one second” “Rankin: Courage Finally Honored,” Washington Post, May 18, 1985, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/05/18/rankin-courage-finally-honored/af69ee33-0e4b-4be1-95c0-a170a81897f4/.
18 Bootlegging jailed spouse Hope Chamberlin, A Minority of Members: Women in the U.S. Congress (New York: Praeger, 1973), 64.
19 “I am no lady” “Norton, Mary Teresa,” Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/19024.
20 “Deviation from the expected” Wendy Mink (daughter of Rep. Patsy Takemoto Mink), phone interview with the author, May 31, 2019.
22 “A man’s voice” “Chisholm, Shirley Anita,” Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/10918.
22 “Unbought and unbossed” “Lauren Underwood on Stunning Upset Against 4-Term GOP Congressman: ‘Together We Have Built a Movement,’ Chicago Tribune, November 7, 2018, https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/elections/ct-met-illinois-14th-district-randy-hultgren-lauren-underwood-20181106-story.html.
22 “A celebrity so like AOC” Barbara Winslow (Shirley Chisholm Project founder), phone interview with the author, April 25, 2019.
22 Neither the black movement nor women’s liberation “Shirley Chisholm,” Say It Plain, Say It Loud: A Century of Great African American Speeches, American RadioWorks, http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/schisholm.html.
23 “When I ran for the Congress” “Shirley Chisholm, ‘Unbossed’ Pioneer in Congress, Is Dead at 80,” New York Times, January 3, 2005, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/03/obituaries/shirley-chisholm-unbossedpioneer-in-congress-is-dead-at-80.html.
23 “Bring a folding chair” “Before Hillary Clinton, There Was Shirley Chisholm,” BBC News, January 26, 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35057641.
23 “A soul tie” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, email exchange with author, June 7, 2019.
24 “Not running in the midst of a feminist movement” Debbie Walsh (Center for American Women and Politics director), phone interview with the author, April 19, 2019.
24 “Talk softly and carry a lipstick” “Bella Abzug Was ‘Alive to Her Fingertips,’ ” Toronto Star, April 12, 1998.
24 “This woman’s place is in the House” “Abzug, Bella Savitzky,” Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/A/ABZUG,-Bella-Savitzky-(A000018)/.
26 “This is about Chivas Regal” “Patricia Schroeder,” Los Angeles Times, December 1, 1996, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-01-op-4631-story.html.
27 “Even though we wanted to scream” Oral history interview with Rep. Ronald V. Dellums, Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, April 19, 2012, https://history.house.gov/People/Detail?id=12109.
28 “I’m sure it was just an oversight” “Lindy Boggs, Longtime Representative and Champion of Women, Is Dead at 97,” New York Times, July 28, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/us/politics/lindy-boggs-longtime-representative-from-louisiana-dies-at-97.html.
30 “The ladies understand” “Members Only,” Whereas: Stories from the People’s House, Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, March 20, 2017, https://history.house.gov/Blog/2017/March/3-20-Members-Only/.
30 “ ‘The [women’s] gym equipment is terrible’ ” Oral history interview with Rep. Nancy Lee Johnson, Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, December 3, 2015, https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/Women/Representative-NJohnson/.
32 “ ‘We don’t tell personal stories on the floor’ ” Senator Patty Murray, interview with the author, June 26, 2019.
33 “An airhead” Marc Sandalow, Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi’s Life, Times, and Rise to Power (New York: Modern Times, 2008), 79.
33 “It is clear to me” Sandalow, Madam Speaker, 80.
33 “Proper preparation” “From the 60 Minutes Archives: Nancy Pelosi,” 60 Minutes Overtime, April 14, 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/from-the-60-minutes-archives-nancy-pelosi/.
36 “ ‘Girl, it’s you,’ ” Rep. Lauren Underwood, interview with the author, January 30, 2019.
37 Men are 15 percent more likely Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox, Girls Just Wanna Not Run: The Gender Gap in Young Americans’ Political Ambition (Washington, DC: Women & Politics Institute, March 2013), https://www.american.edu/spa/wpi/upload/girls-just-wanna-not-run_policy-report.pdf.
39 “Bring it up naturally” Rep. Angie Craig, interview with the author, January 22, 2019.
42 “I aim to be the very best congresswoman” “In 14th District, Political Newcomer Underwood Defeats GOP Rep. Hultgren,” WTTW News, November 6, 2018, https://news.wttw.com/2018/11/06/14th-district-political-newcomer-underwood-defeats-gop-rep-hultgren.
44 “Booty calls” “Katie Hill’s Most Millennial Campaign Ever: She’s Running Ep. 1,” VICE News, YouTube video, May 14, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2MeTpDByEw&feature=youtu.be.
44 “I invested a lot more in field” Katie Hill (former congresswoman), interview with the author, June 5, 2019.
45 Sniffed one reporter “Katie Hill: Can ‘America’s Most Millennial Candidate’ Win?” Guardian, October 23, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/22/millennial-candidate-midterms-katie-hill-25th-district.
47 “Two hundred fifty incarcerated black men” Pressley, interview with the author, March 7, 2019.
48 “The people closest to the pain” “Ayanna Pressley Upsets Capuano in Massachusetts House Race,” New York Times, September 4, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/04/us/politics/ayanna-pressley-massachusetts.html.
48 “I was at a bar” Amy Pritchard (campaign consultant), phone interview with the author, May 29, 2019.
49 “It’s not just good enough” “ ‘Change Can’t Wait’: Ayanna Pressley Defeats 10-Term Rep. Michael Capuano in Democratic Primary, September 4, 2018, Boston.com, https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2018/09/04/ayanna-pressley-defeats-michael-capuano-massachusetts-democratic-primary.
49 “You devalue the life of the immigrant” “Rep. Ayanna Pressley Rips into Trump in First House Floor Speech,” Essence, January 9, 2019, https://www.essence.com/news/ayanna-pressley-house-floor-speech/.
49 “Refrain from engaging in personalities” “Rep. Ayanna Pressley,” Essence.
50 “You just need to settle down” “Jahana Hayes Was Told She ‘Had No Chance.’ She, and Voters, Beg to Differ.” New York Times, August 15, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/nyregion/jahana-hayes-democrat-connecticut-primary-congress.html.
51 “I found it maddening” Senator Chris Murphy, phone interview with the author, May 13, 2019.
52 “When I saw these kids” Speech by Rep. Jahana Hayes, 2019 John F Kennedy Jr. Award and Lecture, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, YouTube video, May 23, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKT3jPA7YBU.
53 “People are strong” “Viral Videos Are Replacing Pricey Political Ads. They’re Cheaper, and They Work.” New York Times, September 10, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/us/politics/midterm-primaries-advertising.html.
54 “Force people to think differently” Rep. Jahana Hayes, interview with the author, April 2, 2019.
56 “Women like me aren’t supposed to run” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC), Twitter, May 30, 2018, https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1001795660524457985.
57 “They see themselves” Rep. Peter Welch, interview with the author, January 30, 2019.
58 “Identify stories and literature” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “Brook Avenue Press,” YouTube video, October 16, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pFAayEMqDM.
58 “Rather than think of it as somewhere to run from” “Diverse Group of Startups Thriving at City-Sponsored Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator in Hunts Point,” New York Daily News, July 17, 2012, https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/diverse-group-startups-thriving-city-sponsored-sunshine-bronx-business-incubator-hunts-point-article-1.1115489.
59 “Social entrepreneur in residence “The Surprising Entrepreneurial Roots of the Democrats’ Rising Star, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” Inc., July 20, 2018, https://www.inc.com/zoe-henry/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-surprising-entrepreneurial-roots-run-for-congress.html.
59 “I felt ready to dedicate my whole self” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, interview with the author, June 11, 2019.
60 “People who really led” Saikat Chakrabarti (Brand New Congress cofounder), interview with the author, June 11, 2019.
60 “America can be so much more” Alexandra Rojas (Brand New Congress cofounder), phone interview with the author, February 7, 2019.
60 “Looking for leaders” “Our Mission,” Brand New Congress, accessed October 14, 2019, https://brandnewcongress.org/nomination/.
61 “We realized things are fucked-up” Hill, interview, June 5, 2019.
62 “Something special there” Corbin Trent (Brand New Congress cofounder), phone interview with the author, June 12, 2019.
65 “This is for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” “Watch Rep. Joe Crowley Pick Up a Guitar and Dedicate ‘Born to Run’ to Primary Winner Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” The Week, June 26, 2018, https://theweek.com/speedreads/781483/watch-rep-joe-crowley-pick-guitar-dedicate-born-run-primary-winner-alexandria-ocasiocortez.
65 “.@repjoecrowley stated on live TV” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC), Twitter, July 12, 2018, https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1017394155268575232.
68 “The first day of high school” Rep. Sharice Davids, interview with the author, January 2, 2019.
68 “Pretend I was there to see Amy” Craig, interview, January 22, 2019.
69 “Basically a small business” Rep. Donna Shalala, interview with the author, January 10, 2019.
69 “Pretty content-free” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, interview with the author, January 23, 2019.
71 “Trump got elected on her watch” “For Rashida Tlaib, Palestinian Heritage Infuses a Detroit Sense of Community,” New York Times, August 14, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/us/politics/rashida-tlaib-muslim-congress.html.
72 “The first thing we do is we thank” “Is Nancy Pelosi’s Fight to Become Speaker Again a Referendum on Gender?” Time, November 16, 2018, https://time.com/5457010/nancy-pelosi-speaker-fight-gender/.
72 “Thirty million dollars on veterans” Jon Soltz (VoteVets.org chair), interview with the author, June 21, 2019.
74 “A wrecking ball” Rep. Veronica Escobar, interview with the author, November 27, 2018.
74 “Future of our children” “Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker as Democrats Take Control of House,” New York Times, January 3, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/us/politics/nancy-pelosi-speaker-116th-congress.html.
75 “Unexpected for me” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, telephone interview, Nov 29, 2018.
76 “A totally different political background” Rep. Debbie Dingell, interview with the author, July 9, 2019.
77 “The dysfunction in our own caucus” Underwood, interview, January 30, 2019.
79 “A lot of antiabortion protesters” Underwood, interview with the author, February 20, 2019.
81 “What’s been a big surprise” Hill, interview with the author, January 30, 2019.
82 “Resting bitch face” Katie Hill Is a New Kind of California Democrat. Can She Help Flip the House?” New Yorker, June 12, 2018, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/katie-hill-is-a-new-kind-of-california-democrat-can-she-help-flip-the-house.
83 “You, my colleagues” “House Passes Bill to Ban Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” Washington Post, May 17, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-passes-bill-to-ban-discrimination-based-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity/2019/05/17/aed18a16-78a3-11e9-b3f5-5673edf2d127_story.html.
85 “Prove you belong here” Hayes, interview.
86 “If I waited my turn” Hayes, interview.
89 “ ‘I hear you have two children’ ” Pat Schroeder (former congresswoman), phone interview with the author, April 29, 2019.
90 “Having two moms” Porter, interview.
90 “I didn’t leave Congress because I did not enjoy it” Interview with Yvonne Burke, National Visionary Leadership Project, February 19, 2004, https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/09/excerpts-from-the-national-visionary-leadership-project-feb-19-2004/.
91 “Just a mom in tennis shoes” “Another Win By a Woman, This One ‘Mom,’ ” New York Times, September 17, 1992, https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/17/us/another-win-by-a-woman-this-one-mom.html.
91 “Bring her baby on the floor” Murray, interview.
94 “The dysfunction has to change” Press conference, January 15, 2019.
96 The video meme “Where’s Mitch?” “ ‘Where’s Mitch?’ Dems Look to Deliver Letter,” Associated Press, January 16, 2019, YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYRrnThq6Es.
96 “A ‘public relations event’ ” U.S. Congresswoman Elaine Luria, “Congresswoman Elaine Luria Statement on Congressional Delegation to Afghanistan,” news release, January 17, 2019, https://luria.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-elaine-luria-statement-congressional-delegation-afghanistan.
98 “Um, Larry who?” “Gov.-Elect Larry Hogan, a Republican, Stands Tall in Democratic Maryland,” New York Times, November 13, 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/us/politics/republican-governor-elect-larry-hogan-stands-tall-in-democratic-maryland.html.
99 “The defining image of today’s Democratic Party” “What Republicans Need to Know as We Move Toward the 2020 Election,” Public Opinion Strategies, June 2019, https://pos.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Republicans-and-the-2020-Election-June-2019.pdf.
100 “Let’s not get yourself carried away” Clip of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi news conference, C-SPAN, June 27, 2018, https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4749510/nancy-pelosi-downplays-alexandria-ocasio-victory-they-made-choice-district.
100 A January 2019 Gallup poll “U.S. Still Leans Conservative, but Liberals Keep Recent Gains,” January 8, 2019, Gallup, https://news.gallup.com/poll/245813/leans-conservative-liberals-keep-recent-gains.aspx.
102 “Galvanized the college-educated gentrifiers” “The Democrats’ Culture Divide,” Politico Magazine, November/December 2018, https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/30/democratic-party-culture-divide-wars-working-class-blue-collar-221913.
102 “The Bernie Bros” “The Democrats’ Culture Divide,” Politico Magazine.
102 “You’re supposed to be perfect” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio2018), “Pep Talk,” Instagram video, October 2018, https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17961047563098936/.
103 “A very headstrong group of freshmen” Hill, interview, June 5, 2019.
103 Politico popped a story “Ocasio-Cortez Weighs a New Primary Target: Hakeem Jeffries,” Politico, December 18, 2018, https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/18/ocasio-cortez-hakeem-jeffries-2020-primary-1067107.
105 “People love Hakeem” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, interview with the author, February 6, 2019.
107 “The Green Dream” “Nancy Pelosi Just Threw Some Serious Shade at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ‘Green New Deal,’ ” CNN Politics, February 8, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/07/politics/pelosi-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-green-new-deal/index.html.
107 “I had made very specific requests” “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the 2020 Presidential Race and Trump’s Crisis at the Border,” New Yorker, July 10, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-on-the-2020-presidential-race-and-trumps-crisis-at-the-border.
108 “Easy to hijack the narrative” Interview with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “AOC Unfiltered,” Skullduggery, Yahoo News, April 14, 2019, https://play.acast.com/s/skullduggery/d929e3d4-4b4f-4ddf-91c6-bd225bb91445.
109 “I choose to forgive you” “Michael Dunn Sentenced to Life without Parole for Killing of Florida Teenager,” Guardian, October 17, 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/17/michael-dunn-sentenced-life-without-parole-florida.
112 “The gotcha amendment” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC), Twitter, March 2, 2019, https://twitter.com/aoc/status/1101834036249530368.
115 A camo-esque blouse “Hunt,” Xochitl for Congress, October 1, 2018, YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHViPTnf3lQ.
115 “Not coming from districts like mine” Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, interview with the author, March 14, 2019.
116 “The dangers they pose” “User Clip: Rep. Debbie Dingell on Gun Safety,” March 1, 2019, C-SPAN, https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4783577/user-clip-rep-debbie-dingell-gun-safety.
116 “Lucy didn’t get her big day” Craig, interview with the author, April 23, 2019.
117 “We are not afraid of her” Underwood, interview, February 20, 2019.
118 “Required to fill 34,000 beds” “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Misrepresents ICE’s Detention Bed Quota,” PolitiFact, July 6, 2018, https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/jul/06/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-misrepresents-ices-detent/.
118 “Massive accounting fraud” Twitter, December 2, 2018.
119 “Being precisely, factually, and semantically correct” “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The Rookie Congresswoman Challenging the Democratic Establishment,” 60 Minutes, January 6, 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-the-rookie-congresswoman-challenging-the-democratic-establishment-60-minutes-interview-full-transcript-2019-01-06/.
120 “A completely depraved lifestyle” “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Talks Popcorn, Politics and DIY with Instagram Followers,” Guardian News, YouTube video, April 4, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQd62qQ-Q5w.
122 “Winning young people by thirty points Hill, interview, June 5, 2019.
123 “Do you know what an REO is?” “Video: Ben Carson Doesn’t Know What An REO Property Is, Thinks He’s Being Asked about Oreos,” Newsweek, May 21, 2019, https://www.newsweek.com/video-ben-carson-oreo-reo-porter-1431982.
125 “Hats off to Ms. AOC” “Trump Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow: Hats Off to AOC, She ‘Nailed’ Her Questions to Fed Chair,” Fox News, July 11, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-economic-adviser-larry-kudlow-hats-off-to-aoc-she-nailed-her-questions-to-fed-chair.
125 “Did the president ever provide inflated assets” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Newsweek (@Newsweek), video on Twitter, February 27, 2019, https://twitter.com/Newsweek/status/1100962545014267904.
125 “I watched my baby girl die” “Yazmin Juarez: ‘I Watched My Baby Girl Die Slowly and Painfully,’ ” C-SPAN, YouTube video, July 10, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAevxfrcFyA.
126 “I’ve been so deeply haunted” “ ‘Tinderbox of Violence’: Ocasio-Cortez Tears into Stephen Miller over Family Separation,” video on Politico, July 12, 2019, https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/12/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-stephen-miller-family-separation-1414008.
126 “I cannot unsee what I’ve seen” “Ayanna Pressley,” video clip of House hearing on migrant children and border security, C-SPAN, July 13, 2019, https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4807161/ayanna-pressley&start=0.
127 “ ‘You’re out of time, ma’am.’ ” “Commerce Secretary Ross on the 2020 Census,” video, C-SPAN, March 13, 2019, https://www.c-span.org/video/?457414-1/commerce-secretary-ross-2020-census&start=92.
127 “Something about us three” Tlaib, interview with the author, July 8, 2019.
128 “Exactly where I’m supposed to be” Pressley, interview with the author, August 27, 2019.
128 Demanded of Alexander Acosta “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Blasts Labor Secretary Acosta over Women’s Contraceptives: ‘The Mediocrity Is Astounding,’ ” Newsweek, May 2, 2019, www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-birth-control-labor-secretary-1412463.
129 “An appalling accusation” “Democrats Clash with Homeland Security Secretary Over Migrant Children Deaths,” All Things Considered, NPR, May 22, 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/05/22/725845379/democrats-clash-with-homeland-security-secretary-over-migrant-children-deaths.
129 “I’m also a former CIA officer” “Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Testifies on Border Security,” C-SPAN, March 7, 2019, https://archive.org/details/CSPAN_20190307_090200_Homeland_Security_Secretary_Kirstjen_Nielsen_Testifies_on_Border_Security/start/6420/end/6480.
130 “Pictures of babies in cages” “Nielsen Testifies on Border Security,” C-SPAN, March 7, 2019, https://archive.org/details/CSPAN_20190307_090200_Homeland_Security_Secretary_Kirstjen_Nielsen_Testifies_on_Border_Security/start/6540/end/6600.
130 “Can you explain to me the disconnect” “Spanberger Demands Accountability on U.S. Arms Sales to Saudi-Led Coalition,” Rep. Abigail Spanberger, YouTube video, June 12, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TofisaoHkPM&=&feature=youtu.be.
132 “The textbook that I wrote” “How Freshman Rep. Katie Porter Puts Wall Street in the Hot Seat,” HuffPost, April 21, 2019, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/katie-porter-wall-street-dimon_n_5cb6470be4b0ffefe3b889db.
132 “Would you recommend” “One Exchange during a Congressional Hearing Laid Bare the CEO-Employee Pay Disparity,” Analysis, Washington Post, April 12, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/12/one-exchange-during-congressional-hearing-laid-bare-ceo-employee-pay-disparity/.
132 “Exposing this kind of information” “Congresswoman Asks Equifax CEO for His Personal Data as She Hammers Company’s Legal Moves,” MarketWatch, February 26, 2019, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/congresswoman-asks-equifax-ceo-for-his-personal-data-as-she-hammers-companys-legal-moves-2019-02-26.
133 Pushed her into a wall “Katie Porter Survived Domestic Abuse, Only to Have It Used against Her in Her Campaign,” HuffPost, May 11, 2018, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/candidate-survived-domestic-abuse_n_5af47e3ce4b0859d11d15299.
134 “Mental health issues know no boundaries” Susan Wild, “ ‘I Do Not Want Anyone Else to Suffer’: Pa. Congresswoman Shares Story of Partner’s Death by Suicide to Spur Awareness,’ ” Perspective, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 27, 2019, https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/susan-wild-suicide-speech-mental-health-care-20190627.html.
135 “Lead with compassion” Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib), Twitter, October 15, 2019, https://twitter.com/rashidatlaib/status/1184124950455689216.
135 Which lawmaker is sniffling “John Boehner Crying Again? Pictures of the House Republican Getting in Touch with His Feelings over the Years,” International Business Times, September 25, 2015, https://www.ibtimes.com/john-boehner-crying-again-pictures-house-republican-getting-touch-his-feelings-over-2114734.
136 “Your mom made her choice” Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter), video on Twitter, June 9, 2019, https://twitter.com/RepKatiePorter/status/1137764920714547201.
136 “They’re Cole Haan” Porter, interview.
140 “I have not come to this easily” “California Democrat in Swing District Calls for Trump Impeachment Inquiry,” Hill, June 17, 2019, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/449000-california-democrat-in-swing-district-calls-for-trump-impeachment.
144 Captioned simply “Squad” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio2018), November 12, 2018, Instagram, www.instagram.com/p/BqGTlEPBXXD/.
144 “Pit us against each other” Pressley, interview, March 7, 2019.
145 “Can get swallowed up” Tlaib, interview with the author, July 8, 2019.
147 “Since when did the Problem Solvers Caucus” “Five Takeaways from the Border Aid Vote,” New York Times, June 27, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/us/politics/border-aid-vote-takeaways.html.
147 “Certainly seem hell bent “Top Ocasio-Cortez Aide Becomes a Symbol of Democratic Division, New York Times, July 13, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/us/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-democrats.html.
147 “Their public whatever and their Twitter world” Maureen Dowd, “It’s Nancy Pelosi’s Parade,” Opinion, New York Times, July 6, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/opinion/sunday/nancy-pelosi-pride-parade.html.
147 “Just astounding to me” Rep. Abigail Spanberger, interview with the author, July 16, 2019.
148 “To see a toddler with her little arms” Moment of Silence Honoring Migrants Who Have Died Attempting to Reach the Shores of the United States, Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 109, June 27, 2019, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2019-06-27/html/CREC-2019-06-27-pt1-PgH5243.htm.
151 “There will be many tests for all of us” Escobar, interview.
152 A private Facebook group for Border Patrol agents “Inside the Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group Where Agents Joke about Migrant Deaths and Post Sexist Memes,” ProPublica, July 1, 2019, https://www.propublica.org/article/secret-border-patrol-facebook-group-agents-joke-about-migrant-deaths-post-sexist-memes.
152 “Racist words and venom” ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics), Twitter, July 1, 2019, https://twitter.com/abcpolitics/status/1145795774904537088.
153 “I will never stop speaking truth to power” Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Migrants ‘Treated like Cattle’ in Detention Centers,” Detroit Free Press, July 8, 2019, https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/07/08/rashida-tlaib-migrant-detention-border-patrol-camps-texas/1635978001/.
157 A photo of the two of them in Africa Ilhan Omar (IlhanMN), photo on Twitter, August 1, 2019, https://twitter.com/ilhanmn/status/1157005661311557633.
159 “I myself came here as a refugee” Speech by Ilhan Omar at the United Way Iowa Refugee Summit, October 6, 2017.
159 “We will keep fighting” Omar speech.
160 “Israel has hypnotized the world” Bari Weiss, “Ilhan Omar and the Myth of Jewish Hypnosis,” Opinion, New York Times, January 21, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/opinion/ilhan-omar-israel-jews.html.
161 “I don’t know how my comments would be offensive” “Trump’s and Miller’s Attacks on ‘The Squad,’ ” FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, July 23, 2019, https://www.factcheck.org/2019/07/trumps-and-millers-attacks-on-the-squad/.
161 “The anti-semitic trope I unknowingly used” Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN), Twitter, January 21, 2019, https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1087580652231446528.
162 “Very segregated from other people” Omar speech.
165 “Like ‘rock stars’ ” Farhana Khera (Muslim Advocates executive director), interview with the author, July 10, 2019.
166 “A voice for the many Muslim Americans” Rep. André Carson, interview with the author, July 8, 2019.
166 “Tweet was ‘unfortunate and offensive’ ” “Jewish Democrats on Foreign Affairs Committee Not Concerned over Ilhan Omar’s Membership,” Haaretz, January 24, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/jewish-dems-not-concerned-over-ilhan-omar-s-membership-on-foreign-affairs-committee-1.6870433.
167 “Having more women in Congress matters” Rep. Ilhan Omar, interview with the author, January 7, 2019.
168 Repeated racist and anti-Semitic remarks “Letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan regarding Rep. Steve King,” ADL, November 1, 2018, https://www.adl.org/news/letters/letter-to-house-speaker-paul-ryan-regarding-rep-steve-king.
168 Trying to buy the election “House Majority Leader Deletes Tweet Saying Soros, Bloomberg, Steyer Are Trying to ‘Buy’ Election,” CNN Politics, October 28, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/28/politics/tom-steyer-mccarthy-tweet/index.html.
168 Secretly funded by Soros “Gosar Accuses Soros of Funding White Supremacist Rally in Charlottesville,” Roll Call, October 6, 2017, https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/gosar-accuses-soros-funding-white-supremacist-rally-charlottesville.
168 The term “white supremacist” “Before Trump, Steve King Set the Agenda for the Wall and Anti-Immigrant Politics,” New York Times, January 10, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/steve-king-trump-immigration-wall.html.
168 Notorious far-right internet troll “Why a Florida Congressman Invited a Notorious Alt-Right Troll to SOTU,” Politico, January 31, 2018, https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/31/gaetz-florida-right-wing-troll-380577.
168 “It’s all about the Benjamins” “Chelsea Clinton Slams Rep. Ilhan Omar for Anti-Semitic Tweet’ about Israel before Accepting Democratic Congresswoman’s Invite to Discuss the Issue, Daily Mail, February 11, 2019, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6690073/Chelsea-Clinton-slams-Ilhan-Omar-anti-Semitic-tweet-Israel.html.
169 “Deeply hurtful to Jews” “Dem Lawmaker: Omar’s Statements ‘Deeply Hurtful to Jews,’ ” Hill, February 10, 2019, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/429358-dem-lawmaker-omars-statements-deeply-hurtful-to-jews.
170 “Omar’s use of anti-Semitic tropes” Democratic Leadership Statement on Anti-Semitic Comments of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, February 11, 2019, https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/21119.
170 “I unequivocally apologize” Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN), Twitter, February 11, 2019, https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1095046561254567937/photo/1.
170 “That caucus can’t be chickenshit” “Dem Rep. Max Rose: GOP ‘Can’t Be Chickensh*t in the Face of Anti-Semitism Either,’ ” Daily Beast, February 11, 2019, https://www.thedailybeast.com/dem-rep-max-rose-gop-cant-be-chickensht-in-the-face-of-anti-semitism-either.
172 Festooned with graffiti “FBI Investigating Graffiti Targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar,” Minnesota Public Radio, March 2, 2019, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/03/02/fbi-investigating-graffiti-targeting-ilhan-omar.
172 Someone hung a poster “An Anti-Muslim Poster of Ilhan Omar Led to Chaos in the West Virginia Capitol,” March 3, 2019, BuzzFeed News, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/ilhan-omar-west-virginia-poster.
172 “Our country rescued Ilhan Omar” “Tucker Carlson: US Rescued Ilhan Omar,” Fox News, Opinion, July 10, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-america-rescued-ilhan-omar.
172 “More clear today than ever before” Khera, interview.
173 “What people are afraid of” “What Did Ilhan Omar Say?” Institute for Policy Studies, March 6, 2019, https://ips-dc.org/what-did-ilhan-omar-say-heres-the-full-transcript-of-her-response-to-a-question-about-anti-semitism/.
174 “The daughter of Palestinian immigrants” “House Overwhelmingly Condemns Movement to Boycott Israel,” New York Times, July 23, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/23/us/politics/house-israel-boycott-bds.html.
175 “Rashida has always been Rashida” Dingell, interview.
176 “It’s love-hate, I guess” Tlaib, interview, July 8, 2019.
176 “I never heard the term ‘anti-Semitism’ ” “Can Ilhan Omar Overcome Her Prejudice?” Opinion/Commentary, Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-ilhan-omar-overcome-her-prejudice-11562970265.
179 “The same thing when the Mueller Report came out” Hayes, interview.
180 “As a black person in this business” Michael Hardaway (chief aide to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries), interview with the author, April 6, 2019.
182 “The two loudest Muslim women in the country” “Muslim Members of Congress Host Ramadan Feast at the Capitol,” Washington Post, May 20, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/05/21/muslim-members-congress-host-ramadan-feast-capitol/.
182 “Why don’t they go back” Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump), Twitter, July 14, 2019, https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1150381395078000643.
183 “No excuse for the president’s spiteful comments” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski), Twitter, July 15, 2019, https://twitter.com/lisamurkowski/status/1150824131576905728.
183 “Despite the occupant of the White House’s attempts” “Freshmen Congresswomen Denounce Trump’s Attacks as a ‘Distraction’: ‘We Will Not Be Silenced,’ ” CNBC, July 15, 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/15/freshmen-congresswomen-denounce-trumps-attacks-as-a-distraction.html.
185 “What’s it like to be a role model?” Davids, Kansas City event, April 25, 2019.
188 “Something symbolic” Christian Grose (political science professor), phone interview with the author, August 15, 2019.
189 “Call every person you’ve ever met” Davids, event at the Wing in Washington, DC, March 5, 2019.
189 “A college student who was in here” Davids, interview with the author, July 12, 2019.
190 “The only hairstyle I was ever allowed to have” Rep. Deb Haaland, interview with the author, July 15, 2019.
192 “I don’t believe Sharice is a racist person” “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief of Staff, Spokesman Leave Her Office,” Politico, August 2, 2019, https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/02/aoc-staff-saikat-chakrabarti-climate-1445478.
192 “Can you believe” Rep. Deb Haaland, interview with the author, January 2, 2019.
193 Davids tweeted a photo of the two of them Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids), photo on Twitter, September 10, 2019, https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1171423431000297472.
194 “Haaland has made a point of saying” Michele Swers (government professor), interview with the author, August 3, 2019.
195 “Very effective coalition builders” Pressley, interview, August 27, 2019.
196 “Framing Muslims as the enemy” Khera, interview.
197 “I love when a Muslim father” “Rashida Tlaib, Activist, Attorney, and Congresswoman (D-MI),” Makers, November 6, 2018, https://www.makers.com/profiles/5bbdfbf833132d0d110d3b32/5bbd461fc2ec101d534dfdee.
197 “The presence of new female candidates” Christina Wolbrecht and David E. Campbell, “Role models Revisited: Youth, Novelty, and the Impact of Female Candidates,” Politics, Groups, and Identities 5, no. 3 (2017): 418–34, https://doi.org/10.1080/21565503.2016.1268179.
198 “Madam Chair, before I get started” “Rep. Deb Haaland Makes History, Gets a Bipartisan Standing Ovation on the House Floor,” Daily Kos, March 8, 2019, https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/3/8/1840542/-Watch-the-U-S-Congress-give-Rep-Deb-Haaland-a-standing-ovation-in-a-historical-moment
198 “Very serious, real barriers” Davids, interview, July 12, 2019.
199 “Exactly one century after Congress passed” “The Women in White: Praise from Trump, and Chants of ‘U.S.A.!’ ” New York Times, February 5, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/us/politics/women-in-white-state-of-the-union.html.
199 “The Republican women’s message” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, interview with the author, March 1, 2019.
200 “How did you go bankrupt?” Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises: The Hemingway Library Edition (New York: Scribner, 2016), 109.
201 “The suburban woman voter” Mimi Walters (former congresswoman), phone interview with the author, July 18, 2019.
201 “So few elected women in the Republican Party” Laurel Elder (political science professor), email exchange with the author, July 3, 2019.
203 “The fact that I was a woman” Rep. Martha Roby, interview with the author, September 25, 2019.
205 “Nearly identical to the 16-point gender gap” Lawless and Fox, Girls Just Wanna Not Run.
205 “Stay home with my kids” Walters, interview.
206 “Like a lot of Republican women” Barbara Comstock (former congresswoman), phone interview with the author, July 16, 2019.
206 “Thirty to forty years ago” Melanie Gustafson (history professor), email exchange with the author, February 12, 2019.
207 “Well-funded and well-organized” Elder, email exchange.
207 “Pooled their money” Walters, interview.
208 “My biggest donors are Republican men” Rep. Susan Brooks, interview with the author, September 9, 2019.
208 “The creation of the Women’s Caucus” Oral history interview with Rep. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Office of the Historian, US House of Representatives, July 22, 2015, https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/Women/Representative-Burke/.
209 “A great opportunity for women to come together” Connie Morella (former congresswoman), phone interview with the author, July 25, 2019.
210 “The 103rd Congress produced more legislation” Irwin N. Gertzog, Women & Power on Capitol Hill: Reconstructing the Congressional Women’s Caucus (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2004), 43.
212 “Perceived to be more liberal” Michael Luethy (political consultant), phone interview with the author, August 2, 2019.
212 “A man campaigning with me” Joan Perry (congressional candidate), phone interview with the author, August 5, 2019.
212 Virginia politician associated with white nationalists “White Nationalists Love Corey Stewart. He Keeps Them Close.” New York Times, August 5, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/05/us/politics/corey-stewart-virginia.html.
213 “We have got to rid ourselves” Comstock, interview.
213 Shak Hill, who associated himself “It’s Not Just Democrats. Rep. Barbara Comstock Also Faces a Challenge from the Right.” Washington Post, August 6, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/its-not-just-democrats-rep-barbara-comstock-also-faces-a-challenge-from-the-right/2017/08/06/e4cf9274-73dd-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html.
213 A large photo essay “Redefining Representation: The Women of the 116th Congress,” New York Times, January 14, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/14/us/politics/women-of-the-116th-congress.html.
214 “If that’s what Elise wants to do” “After Big Losses, a N.Y. House Republican Clashes with Her Party,” New York Times, December 20, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/nyregion/elise-stefanik-republican-women.html.
214 “NEWSFLASH” Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik), Twitter, December 4, 2018, https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1069950316483874816.
215 “Trying to take in this information in every way possible” Spanberger, interview, July 16, 2019.
216 “A grave moment” Spanberger, interview with the author, September 26, 2019.
216 “ ‘This can’t be true” Rep. Elaine Luria, interview with the author, September 26, 2019.
220 “An impeachable offense” “Seven Freshman Democrats: These Allegations Are a Threat to All We Have Sworn to Protect,” Opinions, Washington Post, September 23, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/24/seven-freshman-democrats-these-allegations-are-threat-all-we-have-sworn-protect/.
221 “I believe the next step is” “Mueller Report, Health Care Underscore Angie Craig Town Hall,” RiverTowns.net, April 25, 2019, https://www.rivertowns.net/niews/4604201-mueller-report-health-care-underscore-angie-craig-town-hall.
222 “If this were a Democratic president” “Nancy Pelosi’s Long Road to Impeachment,” Politico, September 26, 2019, https://www.politico.eu/article/us-speaker-of-the-house-nancy-pelosi-long-road-to-impeachment-president-donald-trump/.
222 “A sense of extreme credibility” Rep. Cedric Richmond, interview with the author, September 25, 2019.
223 “This president is undermining our national security” “At This Hour,” Transcripts, CNN, September 25, 2019, http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1909/25/ath.01.html.
223 “This is a different set of circumstances” Rep. Abigail Spanberger, TV interview, September 25, 2019.
223 “Not why we ran for Congress” Rep. Mikie Sherrill, interview with the author, September 26, 2019.
224 “A really solid and grave responsibility” Houlahan, interview with the author, September 26, 2019.
227 “With a broken heart” Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA), Twitter, October 28, 2019, https://twitter.com/KatieHill4CA/status/1188869986116227076.
228 “We must ensure a climate of integrity” “Pelosi Statement on Resignation of Congresswoman Katie Hill,” Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, October 29, 2019, https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/102719-2.
228 “I wanted to show young people” “See Katie Hill Give Her Resignation Speech on House Floor,” CNN, YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEUUxk9Wg3U.
232 “Since we launched our Black Maternal Health Caucus” Underwood, interview with the author, May 16, 2019.