POLITICS

Pelosi Boastful of Dems' House' Diversity

By

Updated: November 14, 2012 | 10:25 a.m.
November 14, 2012 | 10:06 a.m.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi applauds a House mix of at least 57 female Democrats (and 20 female Republicans) and a record 28 Hispanic representatives. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

In her first Capitol Hill apperance since Election Day, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi boasted about the diversity of her caucus on Tuesday.

(RELATED INTERACTIVE: New Faces of the 113th Congress)

The House Democratic Caucus is, for the first time, mostly compromised of women and non-white members. Pelosi, flanked by members-elect, said they “will make our House Democratic Caucus the first caucus in the history of civilized government to have a majority of women and minorities.”

(RELATED NEXT AMERICA MAP: Winners/Losers Among Minority Candidates)

We’re not sure about the “history of civilized government” bit—there is a country called Sweden where nearly half of parliament is made up of women.

But Democractic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel tried to highlight his party's achievements in diversity vis-a-vis the GOP, quipping that “if you look at the Republican caucus, it looks like a rerun of Mad Men. Our caucus looks like America, the most diverse caucus in the history of Congress.”

Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.


Read & Post Comments
More By This Writer
Elahe Izadi's Pic
Elahe Izadi | Politics Writer
eizadi@nationaljournal.com | Follow:    
Leave A Comment
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus
@TheNextAmerica
twitterLogo
What is Next America?
Virtually every issue the United States contends with promises to be affected by deep currents of change illuminated by demographic shifts. With The Next America, National Journal unveils an unprecedented effort to explore the significant political, economic and social impact of profound racial and cultural changes.

The initiative includes polls, national and local events with thought leaders, magazine supplements and launch of a full website May 1.


The Story That Started It All

In 2010, Ronald Brownstein wrote The Gray and the Brown: A Generational Mismatch about America’s shift to an older, more ethnically diverse population and how these changes affect us as a nation.