We have so few women in Congress. We are so underrepresented and whether we like it or not, we are in area - in an era that still the women, the handful that are there, have two jobs: they represent the constituency that they're from, and they also represent the women of the nation or the state or sometimes as Maloney has done, of the world.
Eleanor SmealI mean, how many men would have gone on to the floor of the House as Carolyn Maloney did and wear a burkha to show the fight of Afghan women.
Eleanor SmealCarolyn Maloney is really constantly thinking, "How do we improve things?" You know, sees the glass always half-full, and you have to be an optimist to work in Washington. So that's what I - we admire so much about her.
Eleanor SmealWe would like, still the numbers to increase, and so we're hoping that there's far - there will be many more women in the cabinet. It appears there will be and we're hoping that will happen. And - but the ones that have been picked, by and large, we have worked with. There's a couple that we haven't, but there - they look like their bio's are great and so we're - we're pushing on.
Eleanor SmealCarolyn Maloney identifies with the possibility of being raped, that's why she hung in there for the Debbie Smith Bill. So it - it's essential that in New York, if we can't get a prominent woman in New York, where can we? I mean there's so many states that have never even had a woman senator. We're still on our first this and our first that.
Eleanor Smeal