AP News
Politico
538
As the Senate hearings to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court Justice continue, the nation is divided among those in support of Kavanaugh and those in opposition. Furthermore, women in the US and in the Senate are finding themselves in an even more difficult decision.
Since 2017, the #MeToo movement has sparked survivors of sexual assault to speak up about their experiences and bring to light this incredibly pressing issue, especially in the workplace. Supporters of the movement are opposed to Kavanaugh's confirmation, as they stand with and believe the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, his accuser. Yet, many women are finding themselves at a crossroads between their party affiliation and their support for #MeToo. However, for four out of the six Republican-affiliated women in the Senate, their Republican status was the deciding factor in their support for Kavanaugh, exceeding the influence of the #MeToo movement. The other two Republican women have not yet decided their vote.An important statistic in this subject is the percentages of male to female in the Republican and Democratic parties. Women make up only 11.76% of Republican seats on the Senate, whereas women make up a whopping 36.17% of Democrat seats. Every Senate member is voting with its party (Independents with the Democrats), with the exception of the four members that are likely to vote either way on Friday. To most Democrats, it is surprising how Republican women choose their party over their gender and possibly even their own experiences.
Do you think that the government should make efforts to decrease the huge gap between the percentages of females to males in Congress?
How likely is it that the two Republican women on the fence will vote no on Kavanaugh's confirmation?
1. I don't think the government should actively make an effort to elect more women to the Senate. I think that political parties should nominate more female candidates, but it definitely shouldn't be mandatory for Congress to have an equal amount of female and male senators. Ultimately, senators are elected officials, and the people should be able to determine who they want to represent them without restrictions based on gender.
ReplyDelete2. It is hard to determine whether or not Sens. Murkowski and Collins will vote no on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Both women are under a great deal of pressure due to the looming midterm election and Trump's recent comments ridiculing Ford. Neither have said how they will vote, or even if they believe Ford's allegations. As of right now, their decisions are up in the air and nearly impossible to predict how they will vote. All we know is that they are under a great deal of pressure from the public and their party.
Sophia McMaster
ReplyDelete1. I think that citizens should vote for the elected officials that they believe would be best in their position. The ratio of male to female is not as important of a subject rather than who fits the job best. Making it a priority to have an equal number of males to females in congress would distract from the initial importance of their credibilities.
2. The two republican women have a difficult decision with voting yes or no for Kavanaugh. They have to differentiate their beliefs from the #MeToo movement and their stance as republicans. It is hard to predict their votes due to their silence on the subject matter thus far. Because we have seen the results already, collins voted yes, which shocked many people and Murkowski voted no.
1) I don't think it is up to the government to close the gap between women and men in congress, but I think action can by the public to support more females. I agree with the comment above that ensuring an equal number of men and women would be distracting to their competence. I think that the amount of women in congress is a social issue rather than governmental.
ReplyDelete2) I don't think i was likely for the two women to vote no, i think that they looked at him more objectively rather than socially. They choose to focus on the credentials of Kavanaugh rather than the allegations.
1) I do not think that it is appropriate in ANY way to suggest that the government try to get people of any minority- or majority- voted into offices. That is not the government's job and should not be. It should be up to the voters to decide who best represents them. Let society take its natural course
ReplyDelete2) I think that the Republican women will vote 'yes' because midterms are around the corner and if they want to win, they'll do what the majority of their base wants.
1. While the difference between the amount of women and men is quite large in Congress, I don't think specific government action is necessary. It has shown that women are slowly gaining more representation in Congress in comparison to past years, so I think some progress has already been made and the government should not interrupt that.
ReplyDelete2. The two Republican women will probably still vote yes on the basis of their political party.
1. The government isn't qualified to make such changes to Congress. If our society is built on a democracy, it should be up to the people without government influence.
ReplyDelete2. It's likely that the two Republican women will vote yes because they'll do what the majority wants since the 2018 Midterm Elections are coming up.
No I dont think that it is the governments responsibility to try to close the gap of the number of females, and males in congress. Government should not be obligated to try to vote in more of a minority group just because they are underrepresented. The two republican women will likely vote yes based on the political party
ReplyDelete