Parker: Can female lawmakers clean House of its gridlock?

To begin to answer these questions, four women — two from each party — created a one-day, bipartisan confab — the “Elevate” summit — to discuss issues on which women can find common ground. The organizers recognized that social issues remain divisive, but a myriad of other concerns provide opportunities to work together, including caregiving, health care and workplace issues.

Tuesday’s summit, where I moderated a panel, was attended by leaders from government, media, industry and national organizations such as AARP. Some of the other familiar names included female executives from Facebook, Johnson & Johnson and Best Buy, as well as Susan Spencer, editor of Woman’s Day, the largest-circulation women’s magazine in the country.

On the eve of the summit, a reception offered a peek at a selection of female leaders eager to share a glass of wine and exchange business cards. Afterward, a much smaller group — including summit panelists, moderators, legislators and business leaders — sat down to a dinner of loaves and fishes to test the waters for bipartisan opportunities.

Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., broke down the woman-to-woman dynamic with a sports analogy. This is Washington, after all. The congressional women’s softball team is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. As teammates, the girls play together — and against another team, comprised of Washington’s female press corps.

On the other hand: A corresponding group of congressional men play against themselves — Democrats versus Republicans. To Bustos, this difference in their respective rosters speaks loudly to the way they conduct the nation’s business. Women are more naturally team players; men tend to be more oppositional.

Finding common cause

Sarah Chamberlain, whose Republican organization aims to discover what suburban women care about, reported that between 2012 and 2017, most were concerned mainly about jobs and the economy. Then, as of January 2017, the emphasis shifted to health care, especially coverage for pre-existing conditions. One can easily deduce what caused this sudden refocusing of priorities.

Spencer, whose magazine’s 20 million readers tend to live in states between the coasts, echoed that health care is a top concern among women. Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s executive vice president of social impact, spoke of the challenges faced by caregivers, 60 percent of whom are women. Not only do women disproportionately shoulder the burdens/joys of caregiving (though the gap has closed significantly in recent years), they also often lose income and, correspondingly, receive lower Social Security benefits down the line.

Time will tell whether women are as mutually supportive once reality sets in and they have to contend with their own caucuses. On one issue, meanwhile, we can be certain of bipartisan accord. There aren’t enough restrooms for so many women — only four stalls outside the House chambers. Now there’s an issue on which all women can find common cause.