Pat Schroeder was one of the first women with young children to serve in Congress upon her election in 1972. When asked how she could juggle parenting and lawmaking at the same time, Schroeder replied,“I have a brain and a uterus and I use both.”
From there, Schroeder became a trailblazer for women on Capitol Hill throughout her 24 years in the House. She secured a seat on what was otherwise an all-male House Armed Services Committee, arguing that “when men talk about defense, they always claim to be protecting women and children, but they never ask the women and children what they think.”
Schroeder quickly encountered hostility from her colleagues. The chairman of the Armed Services panel made Schroeder share a seat with a Black lawmaker during an organizational meeting because, as she recalled him saying, “women and Blacks were worth only half of one regular member.”
He was ousted a few years later, while she remained on the committee for the rest of her time in Congress.
Schroeder was instrumental in passing legislation to promote women’s rights and help support working families. She helped pass the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which banned employers from firing women for being pregnant, as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act, which ensured workers could take unpaid leave to care for family members.
By the time she retired, Schroeder cautioned that women should still expect an uphill battle in Congress.
“I think women still should never kid themselves that they’re going to come [to Congress] and be part of the team,” Schroeder said.
— Cristina Marcos
photo: file photo