Today the Senate will make history, swearing in a record-breaking 20 female senators -- four Republicans and 16 Democrats -- in office.
As the 113th Congress is sworn in today on Capitol Hill, ABC "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer has an exclusive joint interview with the historic class of female senators.
Diane Sawyer's complete interview will air on "World News" and "Nightline" tonight.
"I can't tell you the joy that I feel in my heart to look at these 20 gifted and talented women from two different parties, different zip codes to fill this room," Sen. Barbara Mikulksi, D-Md., said while surrounded by the group of women senators. "In all of American history only 16 women had served. Now there are 20 of us."
INFOGRAPHIC: The Senators Give Their Advice to Young People on Politics and Life - CLICK HERE
Senator-elect Deb Fischer, R-Neb., today becomes the first women to be elected as a senator in Nebraska.
"It was an historic election," Fischer said, "But what was really fun about it were the number of mothers and fathers who brought their daughters up to me during the campaign and said, "Can we get a picture? Can we get a picture?' Because people realize it and -- things do change, things do change."
Martin H. Simon/ABC
When the 113th Congress is sworn in it will... View Full Size
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The women senators all agree that women will be getting things done in this new Congress, a sign of optimism felt for the new Congress, after the bruising battles of the 112th Congress.
"We're in force and we're in leadership positions, but it's not just the position that we hold. I can tell you this is a can-do crowd," Mikulski said of both Democrats and Republican senators in the room. "We are today ready to be a force in American politics."
And while the number of women in the Senate today makes history, many of the women agreed that they want to keep fighting to boost those numbers.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said that women are still "underrepresented" in the Senate.
"I think that until we get to 50, we still have to fight because it's still a problem," Boxer said. "I think this class as you look around, Republicans and Democrats. ... I think that because of this new class and the caliber of the people coming and the quality of the people coming, I think that hopefully in my lifetime -- and I really do hope and pray this is the case -- we will see 50 percent. "
No Sorority Here, Even With the Will to Work Together
The cooperation does not make them a "sorority," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says. There are real differences in ideology and personality and they don't want their gender to define them as senators.
But the women also admit that they believe having more women in the room would help in fierce negotiations, compromise and legislating on Capitol Hill, traits they say do not come as naturally to their male colleagues in the Senate. That sentiment enjoys bipartisan support among the women of the Senate.
"What I find is with all due deference to our male colleagues, that women's styles tend to be more collaborative," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said by nature women are "less confrontational." Sen-elect Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, says that women are "problem solvers."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., says that women have a camaraderie which helps in relationships that are key to negotiations on Capitol Hill, something she says comes natural to women more than men.
"I think there's just a lot of collaboration between the women senators and... advice and really standing up for each other that you don't always see with the men," she said.
Feinstein said that women are more effective working in Congress because of these traits that they bring to the table.
"We're less on testosterone," Feinstein said. "We don't have that need to always be confrontational. And I think we're problem solvers, and I think that's what this country needs."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, agreed.
"Maybe it is the testosterone that you speak to, Dianne, or the ego that is attached there. But I look at what I have been asked to do by the people of Alaska, and it's pretty serious stuff. And it's not the title, but it's the responsibility that comes with the service that I think makes a difference," Murkowski said.
In the combative halls of Congress, McCaskill argued that for all these reasons women can get beyond "team mentality" of Democrats vs. Republicans and work towards a better goal.
"Having us in the room... not only do we want to work in a bipartisan way, we do it," McCaskill said. "We actually work together, Republicans and Democrats, and women- try to look at solving the problem rather than just going political points."
But the women agree that just because their natural tendencies lean toward problem solving, camaraderie and compromise it does not mean they don't fight for what they believe in, which at times can be markedly different from their female counterpart on the other side of the aisle.
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"That doesn't mean that we think alike, and it doesn't mean that we don't span the ideological spectrum," Collins said. "I always push back the idea that there are women's issues. Because every issue from war to taxes to education affect women in this country. And that's why the point of having women be represented on all committees and leading many of them is so important."
Reproductive rights
One of those ideological differences that often divides the two parties, and oftentimes women as well, is the issue of reproductive rights.
Last year the issue took a center stage in the 2012 presidential campaign as well as in races across the country during the congressional elections as a highly polarized and emotionally charged topic.
The senators showed there is disagreement among them on abortion, reproductive health decisions and even disagreement as to what leadership role women and Congress should play in the debates ahead.
"I'm pro-choice," Collins said. "But I think those issues should be settled and should not be the main focus of debate. To me those issues, Roe v. Wade, is settled law and I don't know why we would want to keep bringing those issues up. I think we should be focusing like a laser on job creation, the economy, health care, education, foreign policy, national security. Those issues to me are settled."
Sen-elect Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., disagreed, saying Republicans put those issues onto the Congressional radar screen.
"I don't think they are entirely settled," Warren said, "I have to say I was really shocked that those are powerful issues in 2012. I would like to think those things are settled. But they were forced forward as issues by people who thought that women should not have that kind of access. And boy, if that's the case, then we better stand up and we better speak out."
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article source:abcnews.go.com
