Why Donald Trump Should Appoint More GOP Women to His Administration

Mackenzie Eaglen

Politics, United States

It’s time for the GOP to dust off its “binders full of women” and get to work.

In his victory speech, President-elect Trump promised all Americans that he would provide them with the opportunity of realizing their fullest potential. To achieve this goal, the Republican Party would be wise to fix its structural and decades-long problems with women. It’s time for the GOP to dust off its “binders full of women” and get to work. Not only is it the party’s disconnect with female voters, it’s also a product of the lack of Republican women in powerful positions. Running circles around the GOP in this regard, the Democratic Party has succeeded in promoting its female senators and representatives effectively, and had Secretary Clinton prevailed, she promised to appoint a half-female cabinet. By contrast, Mr. Trump has floated a cabinet almost entirely composed of male CEOs and politicians, and the prospects for Republican women in Congress are not much better.

Although women comprise more than half of the U.S. population, they represent only 20 percent of Congress. Moreover, Democrats disproportionately prop up that number, outnumbering the GOP 76 to 28. Not only does the GOP field fewer congresswomen, but those few are also in less powerful positions than their Democratic counterparts. Democrats have had Nancy Pelosi as speaker and minority leader since 2003, while only three of 42 committees are led by women in the current Republican-controlled Congress.

Worse yet, there is no next generation of Republican women politicians to welcome into the ranks of power. The dearth of female politicians in the GOP isn’t just at the top — the lack of Republican women actually worsens as you look to the open House seats that serve as a “farm system” for political parties.

Republican leaders are also responsible for failing to promote qualified women already in government. Democratic women led eight of 20 Senate committees in the last Congress, including key committees such as appropriations, budget, and intelligence. Once again, the problem is worse for the GOP, as Republican women are nearly absent from leadership and control just 3.5 percent of discretionary spending in this GOP-controlled Congress. By comparison, Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski controlled the entire discretionary budget in the last Congress as chair of the full appropriations committee.