<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c059852499ade577c20edb1-2400/house%20of%20representatives%20before%20and%20after%202x1.png" border="0" alt="house of representatives before and after 2x1" data-mce-source="Susan Montoya Bryan/AP Photo; Paul Morigi/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Brian Ach/Getty Images; Brian Snyder/REUTERS; Bill Pugliano/Getty Images; Evan Semon/REUTERS; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Business Insider"><p class="source"><span>Susan Montoya Bryan/AP Photo; Paul Morigi/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Brian Ach/Getty Images; Brian Snyder/REUTERS; Bill Pugliano/Getty Images; Evan Semon/REUTERS; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><p>The 116th Congress will be sworn into office on Jan. 3rd - and the incoming House of Representatives is shaping up to be the most diverse House in history.&#xa0;</p></li><li>There will be more women, women of color, openly LGBT members, and millennials serving in the House than ever before. Those gains in representation, however, are largely concentrated among Democrats.&#xa0;</li><li>See how the demographics of the House will change in January with our interactive graphic.&#xa0;</li></ul><p>The 116th Congress will be sworn into office on Jan. 3rd - and the incoming House of Representatives is shaping up to be the most diverse House in history.&#xa0;</p><p>The 2018 midterms saw historic gains in Congressional representation for women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and younger candidates - with the vast majority of those gains coming from Democratic candidates.&#xa0;</p><p>A record 103 women were elected to serve in the 116th House, an increase of 22% over the 84 women who served in the 115th House. Combined with five new female Senators and ten female Senators not up for re-election,<a href="https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/women-in-116th-congress/401/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a total of 131 women will serve in the 116th Congress.&#xa0;</a></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong></em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2018-midterm-election-records-early-voting-women-lgbt-candidates-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12 records the 2018 midterm elections smashed</a></p><p>While <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/28/us/politics/congress-freshman-class.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">52% of the 67 incoming House Democratic freshmen are female</a>, only two, or 4.5% of the 44 incoming Republican freshmen are women - West Virginia's Carol Miller and Arizona's Debbie Lesko. Lesko won a special election earlier this year to replace Rep. Trent Franks, who resigned in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal.&#xa0;</p><p>Republicans saw their roster of female House representatives <a href="https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/1065033957035642885" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gutted 43% from 23 members to 13</a>, as many Republican women either stepped down to run for higher office - like Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee and Kristi Noem in South Dakota - or were unseated by Democratic challengers.&#xa0;</p><p>As the blue wave swept through suburban America, it unseated many Republican women in its wake, including Karen Handel in the Atlanta suburbs, Barbara Comstock in the DC suburbs of Northern Virginia, and Mimi Walters in Orange County, California - formerly reliable Republican areas.&#xa0;</p><p>The 116th House will also boast more women of color than ever before, including the first Native American women to serve in Congress and the first African-American women to represent Illinois and Massachusetts in the House, respectively.</p><p>As with gender, the gains in representation for people of color <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/28/us/politics/congress-freshman-class.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are heavily concentrated in the Democratic Party</a>. A full 34% of the incoming House Democrats but 2% of their Republican colleagues identify as people of color. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio will be the only incoming non-white freshman Republican.&#xa0;</p><p><strong><em>Read more</em>: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/differences-between-new-republicans-and-democrats-headed-to-congress-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2 photos show the stark difference in the new representatives Democrats and Republicans are sending to Congress</a></p><p>Furthermore, four of the 15 Republican representatives who were identified as Hispanic or African-American in the 115th House either retired or lost-re-election to Democratic challengers, including Florida's Carlos Curbelo and Utah's Mia Love. Among the 200 Republicans in the 116th House, 90% will be white men.&#xa0;</p><p>While two of the 115th House's LGBT members, Krysten Sinema of Arizona and Jared Polis of Colorado, resigned to pursue higher office, four new Democratic LGBT candidates were elected: Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Sharice Davids of Kansas, Angie Craig of Minnesota, and Katie Hill of California. There have been no openly LGBT Republicans in the House or Senate since 2006.&#xa0;</p><p>The 115th House <a href="https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/the-115th-congress-is-among-the-oldest-in-history/175/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was one of the oldest in history,</a> but 2018 midterms also ushered in a wave of younger Gen X'ers and Millennials elected to Congress. Come January, the average age of a member of the House will decrease a full decade from 57 to 47.&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><div><div style="position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 140%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none" id="experience-5bdc48d600ef6"><iframe allowfullscreen="" src="//view.ceros.com/business-insider/seat-map-of-house-115th-to-116th" style="position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%" frameborder="0" class="ceros-experience" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><script type="text/javascript" src="//view.ceros.com/scroll-proxy.min.js"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-scaramucci-trump-press-economy-2018-11">Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/L1GsGzGe-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

This one graphic shows how much more diverse the House of Representatives will become in January

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58c959066ad50a58018b4f17-1280/gettyimages-649341198.jpg" alt="Paul Ryan" /><p class="source"><span>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Paul Ryan presents the American Health Care Act.</p><p>House Republicans <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ahca-vote-count-passes-trump-paul-ryan-2017-5">narrowly passed the American Health Care Act</a> in a contentious vote on Thursday afternoon. </p><p>The legislation passed <span>217-213, with 20 Republicans and all Democrats voting against it. The bill begins the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare, though it faces a tough battle in the Senate.</span></p><p><span>Last-minute negotiations between moderate congressional Republicans and the hardline House Freedom Caucus pushed the bill over the top, though not every Republican was on board. </span></p><p><span>Here are all the Republicans who voted against along with each district's partisan voting index (a measure calculated by averaging the Democratic or Republican Party's share in the past two elections, compared to the country as a whole):</span></p><ul><li><span>Michael R. Turner (Ohio, 10th district) R+4</span></li><li><span>David Joyce (Ohio, 14th district) R+5</span></li><li><span>Andy Biggs (Arizona, 5th district) R+15</span></li><li><span>Mike Coffman (Colorado, 6th district) D+2</span></li><li><span>Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida, 27th district) D+5</span></li><li><span>Thomas Massie (Kentucky, 4th district) R+18</span></li><li><span>Walter B. Jones (North Carolina, 3rd district) R+12</span></li><li><span>Frank A. LoBiondo (New Jersey, 2nd district) R+1</span></li><li><span>Christopher H. Smith (New Jersey, 4th district) R+8</span></li><li><span>Leonard Lance (New Jersey, 7th district) R+3</span></li><li><span>Dan Donovan (New York, 11th district) R+3</span></li><li><span>John Katko (New York, 24th district) D+3</span></li><li><span>Ryan Costello (Pennsylvania, 6th district) R+2</span></li><li><span>Patrick Meehan (Pennsylvania, 7th district) R+1</span></li><li><span>Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania, 8th district) R+2</span></li><li><span>Charlie Dent (Pennsylvania, 15th district) R+4</span></li><li><span>Will Hurd (Texas, 23rd district) R+1</span></li><li><span>Barbara Comstock (Virginia, 10th district) D+1</span></li><li><span>Jaime Hererra Beutler (Washington, 3rd district) R+4</span></li><li><span>Dave Reichert (Washington, 8th district) Even </span></li></ul>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hasan-minhaj-roasts-donald-trump-the-white-house-correspondents-dinner-jokes-daily-show-2017-4">Watch Hasan Minhaj roast Trump at the White House correspondents' dinner</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

Here are all the House Republicans who voted against the healthcare bill

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a0b4d553dbef41e008b5f96-1280/gettyimages-803514282.jpg" alt="Women lawmakers" data-mce-source="Drew Angerer/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Congresswoman Jackie Speier and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi" /><p class="source"><span>Drew Angerer/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Congresswoman Jackie Speier and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Women on Capitol Hill have a "creep list" of their male colleagues and superiors who are notorious for sexual misconduct, according to a CNN report.</strong></li><li><strong>The women say they abide by a set of unwritten rules regarding their interactions with male bosses. </strong></li><li><strong>Lawmakers, aides, and political operatives say there's a pervasive culture of harassment and coercion of younger staffers on Capitol Hill by powerful men. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Female lawmakers, staffers, and interns have an informal word-of-mouth list - known as the "creep list"- of male lawmakers and staffers who are notorious for sexual misconduct, ranging from making inappropriate comments to pursuing sexual relationships with younger aides, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/politics/sexual-harassment-congress/index.html">CNN reported on Tuesday</a>. </p><p>CNN spoke with more than 50 lawmakers, aides, and political operatives who testified to a pervasive culture of harassment and coercion of young women, in particular, by men in positions of power on Capitol Hill. Nearly every person who CNN spoke to said they had personally experienced sexual harassment on the Hill or know others who have. </p><p>"Amongst ourselves, we know," a former Senate aide told CNN of sexual harassers. "There is a certain code amongst us, we acknowledge among each other what occurs."</p><p>Women on the Hill say they abide by a set of unwritten rules regarding their interactions with male colleagues. These include avoiding solo elevator rides with male lawmakers and interns, remaining vigilant at late night meetings or events where alcohol is served, and not reporting harassment in order to hold on to a job. </p><p>"People [are] using their power without any self-control," a former House staffer <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/politics/sexual-harassment-congress/index.html">told CNN</a>. "There are a lot of tales of these guys going out and behaving very badly with younger staffers."</p><p>Another Senate aide called Congress "a sort of old school, Wild West workplace culture that has a lot of 'work hard, play hard' ethos and without the sort of standard professionalism that you find in more traditional workplaces."</p><p>In recent weeks, several female lawmakers have spoken openly about harassment they faced from male lawmakers. On Monday, 1,500 former congressional aides <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qO5r8yJ3USjWb9tZamBgjn5KtJMTDQ8I/view">signed an open letter</a> calling for mandatory sexual harassment training for all lawmakers and staff and for a stronger system to handle allegations of abuse.</p><p>On Tuesday, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/congresswomen-tell-stories-of-sexual-harassment-and-grill-congress-2017-11">two congresswomen accused sitting male lawmakers of sexual harassment</a> and misconduct during a House hearing on sexual harassment policy.</p><p>Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Virginia Republican, told the story of an unnamed congressman who asked a female aide to deliver work materials to his home, greeted her dressed in towel, and proceeded to expose his genitals to her. The aide quickly left the congressman's home and later quit her job.</p><p>Rep. Jackie Speier, who <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/women-from-many-industries-speak-about-sexual-abuse-as-part-of-metoo-2017-10">recently came forward with her own story of being sexually assaulted</a> as a young congressional staffer, has introduced legislation to reform the House's policies regarding sexual misconduct. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/speech-barack-obama-mccain-elected-media-reaction-president-2008-2016-11">Relive the historic moment Obama won the 2008 election</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/m2ZZ1zVE-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Capitol Hill staffers have a 'creep list' of male lawmakers who are known for sexual misconduct

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59e8d80990992428008b56c9-1543/gettyimages-862035566.jpg" border="0" alt="mitch mcconnell donald trump" data-mce-source="Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Republicans in tough 2018 midterm races are talking less and less about the new GOP tax law, the biggest legislative achievement of President Donald Trump's presidency.</strong></li><li><strong>The shift in focus away from the tax law comes after polling showed that the bill is generally unpopular.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Right after Republicans in the U.S. Senate passed their income tax overhaul in December, delivering tax cuts to businesses and most American taxpayers, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was buoyant.</p><p>Surrounded by jubilant fellow Republicans, he told reporters, "If we can't sell this to the American people, we ought to go into another line of work."</p><p>Four months later, McConnell's attempt at levity could prove prophetic. </p><p>The most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the tightest congressional races in the November elections are talking less and less about the tax cuts on Twitter and Facebook, on their campaign and congressional websites and in digital ads, the vital tools of a modern election campaign, a Reuters analysis of their online utterances shows. </p><p>All told, the number of tax messages has fallen by 44 percent since January. For several congressmen in tough reelection fights, Steve Knight in California, Jason Lewis in Minnesota, and Don Bacon in Nebraska, messaging is down much more - as much as 72 percent.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5af061f319ee861c008b491c-1192/screen shot 2018-05-07 at 102538 am.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2018 05 07 at 10.25.38 AM" data-mce-source="Reuters" /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Right after the tax law passed, lawmakers piggybacked on a surge of corporate announcements of tax-cut fueled bonuses to employees, wage hikes and job creation plans to tout the benefits of the bill to voters.</p><p>As those corporate announcements trailed off in March and April, so did Republican politicians' messages about tax relief, the Reuters review found. With the exception of a flurry of news releases on or around April 17, when federal tax returns were due, few incumbents kept up the pace. The Reuters review did not capture candidates' email, direct mail or private conversations with donors or voters or stump speeches.</p><p>Most of the 13 Republican incumbents in the most competitive reelection bids, and their aides, declined to answer Reuters' questions on why they were communicating less online about the tax cuts. But a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from March 14 to 29 found that just 3 percent of American adults were aware of receiving a material benefit from the Republican legislation.</p><p>A poll from Morning Consult/Politico, released April 25, also showed that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-tax-law-no-pay-increase-poll-2018-4">just 22% of Americans reported an increase</a> in their take home pay, while 55% said they received no boost.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/596fa23fc50c29ac008b53fa-1777/gettyimages-818902750.jpg" border="0" alt="dean heller donald trump" data-mce-source="Getty Images/Pool" /><p class="source"><span>Getty Images/Pool</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist, said that is why his party's candidates need to energize voters by talking about other issues, too, like restricting immigration and stopping Democrats from taking control of the House of Representatives so that they cannot impeach President Donald Trump.</p><p>Jesse Hunt, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, acknowledged there "has been a downtick in what voters are hearing from members and businesses on the tax reform front." He said it was because lawmakers had moved on to other issues.</p><p>"Candidates and members need to make sure that they stay focused on what is our signature achievement in this Congress," Hunt said.</p><p>Five of the 13 candidates who did respond to Reuters said they do talk regularly to voters at events.</p><p>The Republican tax law sharply cut the corporate tax rate, encouraged corporations to repatriate overseas income at lower rates, and at least temporarily, cut taxes for the wealthy and most other Americans. Many of the benefits to individuals won't become obvious until they file their tax returns in early 2019, and that is long after the congressional elections.</p><h2>Koch spending</h2><p>The election cycle is still in its early stage, so the volume of talk on the tax overhaul could always increase. And even if politicians are reluctant to tout it, conservative financial supporters are showing an eagerness to fill the gap. Billionaires Charles and David Koch are spending $20 million to promote the benefits of the tax cuts in battleground states with digital ads and even door-to-door canvassing.</p><p>Some polling results suggest that taxes are not the burning issue for voters that Republicans hoped they would be. A Quinnipiac University poll released in March said only 8 percent of voters thought taxes was the most important issue in deciding how to vote in the congressional elections. It was fifth, behind healthcare, the economy, gun policy and immigration.</p><p>It is also harder for Republicans to talk about lower taxes in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-tax-plan-elimination-of-salt-deducation-2017-11">states with high local taxes</a> like New Jersey, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-tax-law-new-york-state-local-taxes-salt-deduction-2018-4">New York</a>, Pennsylvania and Virginia. That also happens to be where 10 of the 17 most competitive congressional races are.</p><p>Many taxpayers in those states will pay more in federal taxes because the new law reduces the deduction for state and local tax payments. About one in four Americans expect their state and local income taxes to rise because of the Republican tax law, while only 11 percent expect them to fall, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.</p><h2>Struggling to gain popularity</h2><p>In addition to not being on the top of voters minds, when asked about the law many Americans disapprove of the changes.</p><p>Recent polling has shown that the tax law is declining in popularity and many polls show that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-trump-gop-tax-law-elections-2018-4">more people disapprove of the law</a> than approve of it.</p><p>A Gallup poll released April 16 found that 39% of people approved of the law while 52% disapproved. A NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll released the same day found that 27% of people thought the tax law was a good idea, and 36% said it was a bad idea.</p><p>Even Republican enthusiasm for the bill has begun to slip. In<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-tax-law-poll-republican-voters-2018-5"> a recent poll from Monmouth University</a>, only 38% of Republican voters strongly supported the law, down from 49% in a January poll.</p><p>While GOP voters still approved of the law overall, the party is already facing an enthusiasm gap and tepid support for the biggest legislative achievement of Trump's term is concerning.</p><h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a133a99f914c35b018b51ad-910/gettyimages-462703022.jpg" border="0" alt="Barbara Comstock" data-mce-source="Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Rep. Barbara Comstock." /><p class="source"><span>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Rep. Barbara Comstock.</p></div><p></p></div></div>What they do say</h2><p>Barbara Comstock, locked in a tight race for reelection in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, says she talks about the tax overhaul at campaign events.</p><p>The Reuters analysis shows that though she mentioned the benefits of the tax cuts 36 times in January in social media, she did so only 13 times in March and then 22 times in April. She said in an interview that she is reacting to constituents, whose interests have moved on to other issues.</p><p>Don Bacon, of Nebraska's 2nd district, sees economic growth, and the threats posed by North Korea and Islamic State as the election-winning issues for Republicans. "Taxes will be one of the pillars of our campaign, but more indirectly. In the end, it's going to be about an economy that's growing."</p><p>Republican Mike Coffman, whose reelection prospects are rated a toss-up in his Denver-area congressional district, has not been visible at all on taxes via social media. But his campaign spokesman, Tyler Sandberg, said Coffman talks about tax cuts regularly with supporters via email and with small business owners.</p><p>When they do talk about taxes, Republic candidates prefer to talk about the tax law in the context of how it is really a form of financial assistance to help families cope with college tuition, buy new cars, make mortgage payments, or even pay for summer camp.</p><p>Democrats, meanwhile, are attacking the new tax law as a boon for corporations and the wealthy that will add $1.5 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade.</p><p>They received some unexpected help from Republican Senator Marco Rubio last week. Rubio, who is not facing re-election this cycle, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/marco-rubio-trump-gop-tax-law-hasnt-helped-2018-4">told the Economist magazine</a> that benefits are going to corporations instead of employees.</p><p>"They bought back shares, a few gave out bonuses; there's no evidence whatsoever that the money's been massively poured back into the American worker," he said.</p><p>Despite that criticism, some Republican incumbents are still making a determined effort to sell voters on the merits of the new tax law.</p><p>Dean Heller, 2018's most vulnerable Republican senator, has been far and away the most aggressive on tax messaging. He has sent out 380 messages in the first four months of the year, or almost one-third of a total 1,287 messages.</p><p>But even his communications have dropped by 44 percent since the end of January.</p><p>"Let me be very clear, our campaign moving forward will be based on lower taxes and less regulation," Heller said in an interview. "The trend you've seen in the first quarter of this year, I assure you, is not going to be the trend over the next six months."</p>     

The most vulnerable Republicans in the 2018 midterms are talking less and less about Trump's tax bill

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a26dc35f914c35b018b7fdf-1200/rtx2yiet.jpg" alt="elaine chao" data-mce-source="Reuters/Carlos Barria"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Carlos Barria</span></p><p class="caption">Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said she has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace but declined to name the perpetrator, saying the person is "still around."</strong></li><li><strong>Chao said that it isn't worth it to revisit her experience with harassment, arguing that it does women "a double injury" to focus on negative experiences.</strong></li></ul><hr><p><br>Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on Tuesday that she has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, but declined to talk about the experience or name the perpetrator, telling an audience of women&#xa0;<a href="https://www.politico.com/womenrulesummit17">at Politico's fifth annual Women Rule Summit</a>&#xa0;that "the person is still here and they're still around."&#xa0;</br></p><p>Chao, a longtime Washington insider who is married to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said she "will stand up for other women" who have been mistreated, but advised women to let go of their own past experiences, warning that focusing on them "holds you back."&#xa0;</p><p>"I will fight for other women and I will stand up for other women, but, of your own, you gotta let it go," she said. "Because otherwise, it's too corrosive, it's too negative, and it does you a double injury because it holds you back."&#xa0;</p><p>Chao said that her experience with harassment, which she said was "a dirty little secret that a lot of women have held for a long time," occurred when "the environment was very different."</p><p>"Things change, times change, and it's not worth my while to go back and revisit those negative moments," she said, urging women to have a&#xa0;"magnanimity of spirit" when dealing with abusive situations.&#xa0;</p><p>This comes as Capitol Hill is facing increasing scrutiny for its reportedly pervasive issues with sexual harassment and misconduct. On Tuesday, the longest serving member of Congress, Democratic Rep. John Conyers, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-conyers-steps-down-sexual-harassment-allegations-2017-12">announced his retirement</a> following multiple allegations that he sexually harassed former staffers.&#xa0;</p><p>Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Al Franken <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/army-vetera-al-franken-sexual-harassment-groping-2017-11">has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct</a> and reports emerged last week that Republican Rep. Blake&#xa0;Farenthold <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blake-farenthold-sexual-harassment-settlement-2017-12">spent $84,000 in taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim</a> brought by his former communications director in 2014.&#xa0;</p><p>In recent weeks, several female lawmakers have spoken openly about harassment they faced from male lawmakers. Two congresswomen - Democrat Jackie Speier and Republican&#xa0;<span>Barbara Comstock&#xa0;</span>- <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/congresswomen-tell-stories-of-sexual-harassment-and-grill-congress-2017-11">accused sitting male lawmakers of sexual harassment</a> and misconduct during a House hearing on sexual harassment policy.</p><p>Dozens of lawmakers, aides, and political operatives in Washington have spoken out - both anonymously and publicly - about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-hill-staffers-have-a-creep-list-of-men-2017-11">a pervasive culture of harassment and&#xa0;coercion&#xa0;of&#xa0;young women</a>, in particular,&#xa0;by men in positions of power on Capitol Hill.</p><p>Top lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Speaker Paul Ryan, have called for mandatory sexual harassment training for elected officials and staffers.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">At <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenRule?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomenRule</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecElaineChao?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecElaineChao</a> on her <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MeToo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MeToo</a> moment: "The person is still here and he's still around" <a href="https://t.co/LpWk4O05Ln">pic.twitter.com/LpWk4O05Ln</a></p>- POLITICO Live (@POLITICOLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/POLITICOLive/status/938066329969610753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hyeonseo-lee-on-life-under-a-dictatorship-north-korea-refugee-defector-2016-1">A North Korean defector tells us what life was like under a dictatorship</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/cEcg5tt3-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says she has a #MeToo sexual harassment story and advises women to 'let it go'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a144618f914c359018b542a-2400/ap332329248616.jpg" alt="John Conyers" data-mce-source="AP" /><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">John Conyers</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Rep. John Conyers settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee who said she was fired after she refused his sexual advances, BuzzFeed News reported Monday.</strong></li><li><strong>Conyers' office reportedly paid the woman $27,000 in a settlement that included a confidentiality agreement. </strong></li><li><strong>Former employees wrote in affidavits that they witnessed the congressman touch female staffers inappropriately and request sexual favors. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Democratic Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee who said she was fired after she refused Conyers' sexual advances, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/paulmcleod/she-complained-that-a-powerful-congressman-harassed-her?utm_term=.wi6Ajzpay#.qp0Q31lDj">BuzzFeed News reported</a> Monday. </p><p>Conyers' office reportedly paid the woman $27,000 in a settlement that included a confidentiality agreement. BuzzFeed published four signed affidavits from former employees who said they had witnessed the congressman touch female aides inappropriately and request sexual favors. </p><p>"I was basically blackballed. There was nowhere I could go," the woman, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, told BuzzFeed.</p><p>Conyers, a civil rights icon and ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, denies that he settled any sexual harassment complaints and said that he knew nothing of the claims until he read BuzzFeed's report on Tuesday morning, The <a href="https://apnews.com/d7e1192b89fa40d6a9c68d56e62cf2f8?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=AP">Associated Press reported</a>.</p><p>The 88-year-old congressman told the AP he's "been looking at these things with amazement."</p><p>BuzzFeed disclosed that it received the affidavits and other documents from right-wing activist Mike Cernovich, a right-wing internet personality, but independently verified their authenticity.</p><p>House Speaker Paul Ryan called the allegations "deeply troubling" in a Tuesday morning statement. </p><p>Congress's Office of Compliance, which handles sexual misconduct complaints, has paid $17 million in 264 settlements with federal employees over the past 20 years for violations including sexual harassment, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/11/17/over-the-past-20-years-congress-has-paid-17-2-million-in-settlements/?utm_term=.651b3005c887">The Washington Post reported last week</a>. </p><p>Lawmakers - including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat; Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat; and Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Virginia Republican - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/congresswomen-tell-stories-of-sexual-harassment-and-grill-congress-2017-11">have become outspoken</a> advocates of reforming Congress' system for dealing with sexual misconduct complaints. </p><p>They argue that the current process, which involves a mandatory nondisclosure agreement, 30 days of counseling, 30 days of mediation between the accuser and the accused, and a 30-day "cooling off period" before the complaint is formalized, discourages victims from coming forward and unfairly protects perpetrators. </p><p>"The present system may have been okay in the dark ages," Speier said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/congresswomen-tell-stories-of-sexual-harassment-and-grill-congress-2017-11">during a congressional hearing earlier this month</a>. "It is not appropriate for the 21st century."</p><p>House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said that she was previously unaware of Conyers' alleged settlement. </p><p>"The current process includes the signing of non-disclosure agreements by the parties involved," Pelosi said in a statement. "Congresswoman Jackie Speier has introduced legislation that will provide much-needed transparency on these agreements and make other critical reforms. I strongly support her efforts."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/president-donald-trump-symptom-failure-establishment-politics-yanis-varoufakis-greece-finance-minister-angela-merkel-2017-11">How Donald Trump rose to power in America, according to former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/cyUmosMo-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Longtime Democratic Rep. John Conyers denies sexual harassment settlements

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/590379a42f6ae433008b520a-2336/gettyimages-668257912.jpg" alt="donald trump" /><p class="source"><span>Joe Raedle/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Donald Trump.</p>Some Republicans aren't too happy with a key part President Donald Trump's tax plan.<p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-reform-cut-plan-proposal-2017-4">rough outline the administration released on Wednesday</a> said all deductions would be eliminated except for those from charitable donations and mortgage payments.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-cut-plan-eliminated-itemized-tax-deductions-2017-4">One of the deductions that faces the chopping block</a> is the state and local tax deduction (SALT). Americans can deduct the amount they pay in state and local taxes from their federal return, saving them money on that filing.</p><p>While eliminating the SALT deduction <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-reform-state-local-deduction-gary-cohn-2017-4">could save the federal government a massive amount of money</a>, it also benefits many people in three states: New Jersey, New York, and California. According to <a href="http://www.crfb.org/blogs/tax-break-down-state-and-local-tax-deduction">the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>, about a third of the benefit goes to those three states.</p><p>Those states have recently been three of the most Democratic-heavy during presidential elections. But it's Republicans in Congress from those three areas who have already started to push back about the provision's possible elimination, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-28/trump-s-tax-plan-hits-first-land-mine-blue-state-republicans">according to Bloomberg's Sahil Kapur</a>.</p><p>"<span>I think it's very important that it remain in the code," Rep. Leonard Lance, of New Jersey, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-28/trump-s-tax-plan-hits-first-land-mine-blue-state-republicans">told Bloomberg.</a></span></p><p><span>Reps. Chris Collins and Tom Reed of New York <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-28/trump-s-tax-plan-hits-first-land-mine-blue-state-republicans">also told Bloomberg</a> that they were looking at the SALT deduction and were not sure that they supported that element of the Trump plan.</span></p><p><span>Even Republicans outside of these states could find political benefit in fighting against the elimination of the SALT deduction.</span></p><p><span>As noted by the New York Times' Nate Cohn, the SALT dedication is used more heavily by people in "vulnerable Republican" districts. And as the GOP vote share decreases in a congressional district, the <a href="https://twitter.com/Nate_Cohn/status/857628141799567360">value of SALT deductions per filer generally increases.</a></span></p><p><span>That means GOP lawmakers in the House who may find themselves in tough reelection fights have constituents very interested in keeping the deduction intact. Members <a href="https://twitter.com/Nate_Cohn/status/857629461868666881">Cohn pointed to</a> include Rep. Barbara Comstock in Virginia, Rep. Erik Paulsen in Minnesota, and Rep. Randy Hultgren in Illinois, as well as some in the three blue-leaning states.</span></p><p><span>For instance, constituents in the district of Republican Rep. Peter Roksam of Illinois, the head of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on taxes, took the 10th highest value of SALT deductions per filer in Cohn's list and the third highest for a GOP member outside of California, New York, and New Jersey. When asked by Bloomberg about the deduction, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-28/trump-s-tax-plan-hits-first-land-mine-blue-state-republicans">Roksam replied</a>, "We're going to look at all that."</span></p><p><span>Conservative activist groups have long favored the elimination of the SALT deduction for some time.</span></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yale-professor-governments-use-disasters-control-society-george-bush-911-donald-trump-2017-4">A Yale history professor explains how governments can use disasters and tragedies to control society</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

A key part of Trump's tax plan just hit a roadblock with Republicans

<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a321ea9b0bcd5ab188b4b2a-1848/marcy kaptur.jpg" alt="marcy kaptur house democrat" data-mce-source="Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) lectures members of the news media while heading into a closed Democratic caucus meeting in the House Visitors Center on Capitol Hill June 14, 2011 in Washington, DC." /><p class="source"><span>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">US Rep. Marcy Kaptur.</p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><ul><li><strong>Democratic congresswoman Marcy Kaptur told her colleagues that "too many members dress inappropriately" which creates "an invitation" for harassment.</strong></li><li><strong>Kaptur also suggested that Capitol Hill should enforce a stricter dress code like that of the army.</strong></li><li><strong>She later said she did not mean to suggest women are responsible for sexual harassment.</strong></li><li><strong>A growing number of sexual misconduct allegations unsettled the worlds of <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword>, entertainment, news media, and Silicon Valley.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><span><br />Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio told her colleagues that "too many members dress inappropriately," which creates "an invitation" for sexual harassment, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/13/politics/congress-women-democrats-dress-kaptur/index.html">CNN reported</a> citing Democratic sources familiar with the discussion.</span></p><p><span>Kaptur, 71, made the comments on dress code during a closed-door meeting with House Democrats on Wednesday. The meeting was meant to discuss how to reform internal mechanisms for reporting sexual misconduct.</span></p><p><span><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/13/marcy-kaptur-womens-clothing-sexual-harassment-294974">Politico reported</a> that sources who were present for the meeting heard Kaptur say she saw a colleague "with cleavage so deep it was down to the floor," adding "what I've seen … it's really an invitation." </span></p><p>Kaptur also suggested that Capitol Hill should enforce a stricter dress code: <span>"Maybe I'll get booed for saying this, but many companies and the military [have] a dress code," she said. "I have been appalled at some of the dress of ... members and staff," according to Politico.</span></p><p><span>CNN's sources said people in the room were left "totally in shock" by Kaptur's assertion. </span></p><p><span>Kaptur defended her comments in a statement, saying she had become a "refuge" for female staffers who had been abused by their bosses, and did not mean to suggest women are responsible for sexual harassment. </span></p><p><span>"I shared the stories from my time here in the context of the 'Me Too' legislation and how we can elevate the decorum and the dress code to protect women from what is a pervasive problem here and in society at large," she said. </span></p><p><span>Kaptur began her service in 1983 and is the most-senior woman in the House.</span></p><p><span>Wednesday's meeting was convened by House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi in order to tackle the growing number of sexual misconduct allegations that have unsettled the halls and offices of the US Congress. </span></p><p><span>Three lawmakers: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/al-franken-resigns-2017-12">Al Franken</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-conyers-steps-down-sexual-harassment-allegations-2017-12">John Conyers</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trent-franks-resigns-surrogate-sexual-misconduct-2017-12">Trent Franks</a>, resigned this month following allegations of harassment and misconduct. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-demanding-trump-resign-sexual-misconduct-allegations-2017-12">Some Democratic lawmakers</a> have also called for President Donald Trump to resign over past allegations from 19 women who have accused Trump of varying degrees of sexual misconduct.</span></p><p><span>Last month, two </span>congresswomen <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/congresswomen-tell-stories-of-sexual-harassment-and-grill-congress-2017-11">during a hearing on Capitol Hill</a> accused sitting male lawmakers, whose identities they did not disclose, of sexual misconduct. </p><p>Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia and Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of California have led calls to reform the House's sexual harassment rules.</p><p><span>House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a radio interview on Wednesday that Congress </span>is working to create policy that would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/congress-sexual-harassment-settlements-2017-12">prohibit the use of taxpayer money to settle harassment claims against lawmakers</a>. </p><p>According to Reuters, <span>the same congressional office that handles employment disputes has also handled claims of sexual misconduct since 2013, and has paid for settlements in at least two cases. </span>Ryan's calls follow reports that Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold used <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blake-farenthold-sexual-harassment-settlement-2017-12">$84,000 of taxpayer money</a> to settle a 2014 sexual harassment claim leveled against him by his former communications director.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/putin-accuses-the-us-of-interfering-in-russias-presidential-election-2017-11">Russia has been banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics - Putin thinks the US is using the doping investigation to sway their election</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/uuAT0G9S-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Democratic congresswoman suggests female colleagues invite harassment because of the way they dress

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/590c884952b5d89d018b48cc-911/gettyimages-645278234.jpg" alt="Leonard lance" /><p class="source"><span>Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ)</p>The American Health Care Act <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ahca-vote-count-passes-trump-paul-ryan-2017-5">squeaked by the House</a> on Thursday, passing with a vote of 217 to 213.<p>The unanimous opposition by Democrats made up most of the "no" votes, but 20 Republicans also voted against their party's bid to overhaul the US healthcare system.</p><p>While there may be policy reasons for these members to vote against the bill - concerns over preexisting conditions, or the bill not going far enough in repealing Obamacare - there's also a compelling political reason, as well.</p><p>The Cook Partisan Voting Index, which takes the average margin of victory in a district over the past two election cycles and calculates the partisan lean of that area, shows that many of the "no" votes by Republicans came from representatives in vulnerable seats.</p><p>The average Cook PVI for the 20 Republicans against the AHCA was 3.6 points toward Republicans. But when you remove the districts of conservative Reps. Thomas Massie, Walter Jones, and Andy Biggs (who voted against the AHCA because they didn't think it went far enough in repealing Obamacare), the score drops to 1.6 points toward the GOP. In fact, four members that voted against the AHCA are in districts that, based on Cook's score, lean Democratic.</p><p>Here's a full list of Republicans that voted against the bill:</p><ul><li><span>Michael R. Turner (Ohio, 10th district) R+4</span></li><li><span>David Joyce (Ohio, 14th district) R+5</span></li><li><span>Andy Biggs (Arizona, 5th district) R+15</span></li><li><span>Mike Coffman (Colorado, 6th district) D+2</span></li><li><span>Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida, 27th district) D+5</span></li><li><span>Thomas Massie (Kentucky, 4th district) R+18</span></li><li><span>Walter B. Jones (North Carolina, 3rd district) R+12</span></li><li><span>Frank A. LoBiondo (New Jersey, 2nd district) R+1</span></li><li><span>Christopher H. Smith (New Jersey, 4th district) R+8</span></li><li><span>Leonard Lance (New Jersey, 7th district) R+3</span></li><li><span>Dan Donovan (New York, 11th district) R+3</span></li><li><span>John Katko (New York, 24th district) D+3</span></li><li><span>Ryan Costello (Pennsylvania, 6th district) R+2</span></li><li><span>Patrick Meehan (Pennsylvania, 7th district) R+1</span></li><li><span>Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania, 8th district) R+2</span></li><li><span>Charlie Dent (Pennsylvania, 15th district) R+4</span></li><li><span>Will Hurd (Texas, 23rd district) R+1</span></li><li><span>Barbara Comstock (Virginia, 10th district) D+1</span></li><li><span>Jaime Hererra Beutler (Washington, 3rd district) R+4</span></li><li><span>Dave Reichert (Washington, 8th district) Even </span></li></ul>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yale-professor-governments-use-disasters-control-society-george-bush-911-donald-trump-2017-4">A Yale history professor explains how governments can use disasters and tragedies to control society</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

There's a good reason why 20 Republicans voted against the GOP healthcare bill

<p>A major group backing Democratic candidates isn't letting Republican members of Congress off the hook for skipping the Republican National Convention.</p><p>Emily's List, a major political group that backs female Democratic pro-choice candidates, rolled out a new digital campaign on Wednesday, called "#TextsFromTrump," aimed at reminding voters that while many Republican candidates aren't attending Trump's convention, they share some of Trump's policy views.</p><p>A reference to the famous "Texts from Hillary" meme, the fake texts - the first of several batches the group will release - detail areas like raising the minimum wage and opposing equal page legislation where Trump is on the same page with candidates like Sen. John McCain, Kelly Ayotte, and Sen. Mark Kirk.</p><p>"Vulnerable Republican incumbents might try to run as far away as they can from Trump's convention, but they can't hide from their own party's dangerous agenda," said Marcy Stech, the organization's vice president of communications.</p><p>"While they may not be sharing the stage with Donald Trump, they share the same agenda: Banning abortion, ignoring equal pay and marginalizing women."</p><p>Many Republican candidates up for reelection in battleground states and districts have attempted to distance themselves from the Republican presidential nominee.</p><p>McCain offered his support for Trump, but has called on the real-estate magnate to apologize to veterans for his controversial comments about prisoners of war. Ayotte said earlier this year that she would "support" but not explicitly endorse Trump. Kirk outright refused to endorse Trump, saying that he will instead write-in former CIA director David Petraeus, who garnered bipartisan praise for creating the successful 20o7 troop surge in Iraq, but resigned after leaking classified information to his biographer.</p><p>Emily's List and other Democratic groups have focused much of their down-ballot campaign strategy on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-donald-trump-women-republicans-2016-3">tying the incumbent Republican candidates to Trump</a>.</p><p>The "Texts from Trump" are a part of a major $20 million joint effort between Emily's List and Clinton-aligned super PAC Priorities USA to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-emilys-list-millennials-2016-3">mobilize millennial female voters</a>.</p><p>Last week, the millennial-focused program kicked off with a $1.5 million digital ad buy in nine battleground states promoting a series of videos that highlight some of Trump's inflammatory statements about women and minorities.</p><p><strong>Read some of the sample texts below:</strong></p><h2>From Sen. John McCain:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578fa6dd88e4a779638b91c5-404" alt="donald trump emily's list" data-mce-source="Emily's List" data-mce-caption="Fake texts between John McCain and Donald Trump." /><p class="source"><span>Emily's List</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>From Sen. Kelly Ayotte:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578fa7d488e4a779638b91d0-405" alt="Kelly Ayotte" data-mce-source="Emily's List" /><p class="source"><span>Emily's List</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>From Rep. Mark Kirk:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578fa98188e4a7f4328b9407-402" alt="mark kirk emily's list" data-mce-source="Emily's List" /><p class="source"><span>Emily's List</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>From Rep. Barbara Comstock:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578f9aec4321f1f5018b978b-404" alt="emily's list texts from trump" data-mce-source="Emily's List" data-mce-caption="Some &amp;quottexts from Trump&quot; to Barbara Comstock drafted by Emily's List." /><p class="source"><span>Emily's List</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>From Rep. Mike Coffman:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578fa78e88e4a79f178b9560-401" alt="donald trump emily's list" data-mce-source="Emily's List" /><p class="source"><span>Emily's List</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-schwartz-donald-trump-former-collaborator-the-art-of-the-deal-coauthor-good-morning-america-2016-7">'The Art of the Deal' coauthor says Trump could 'end civilization as we know it'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="N3cXVzNDE6ZXVjYaKxyKj6THf5z8z-bQ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'N3cXVzNDE6ZXVjYaKxyKj6THf5z8z-bQ',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

A major Democratic group is trolling Republicans who skipped the RNC with fake 'texts from Trump'

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58e33e6f8af57828048b60ac-1333/undefined" alt="Paul Ryan" /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite</span></p><p class="caption">House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. discusses the Republican agenda as he faces reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 30, 2017.</p>The immediate politics of the latest <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/freedom-caucus-ahca-trumpcare-obamacare-repeal-2017-4" target="_blank">iteration of the Republican healthcare bill</a> make sense for some Republicans, particularly members of the House Freedom Caucus who would like to not be blamed anymore for the bill's demise.<p>But this new proposal is ugly for moderates, both substantively and politically, and they are likely to pay a political price if they support it.</p><p>There is nothing in this revision for those Republicans who opposed the AHCA. It would throw too many people off health insurance, disrupt healthcare markets too much, and expose people to too much risk if they get sick. In fact, this bill would be worse on the dimensions those members worried about before.</p><p>The latest proposal would allow states to waive out of Obamacare rules that require health insurance to cover core benefits like prescription drugs and hospitalization, and out of rules that prohibit insurers from charging you more if you have a preexisting condition.</p><p>That is, under this plan, insurers could sell plans that don't cover pregnancy, or don't even cover doctor's visits. It would ensure that everyone has "access to coverage" only in the sense that insurers would have to offer to sell a plan to anyone. They could set the premium at $10 million for people with preexisting conditions, and that offer of insurance at $10 million would constitute "access to coverage." </p><p>Last month, many members on the moderate end of the Republican House conference made on-the-record statements about why they opposed the AHCA that would seem to box them into opposing this version, too.</p><p>Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen of Florida said "too many of my constituents will lose insurance and there will be less funds to help the poor and elderly with their healthcare" if the AHCA were passed. This amendment does nothing to address those concerns.</p><p>Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey objected because of the bill's "<span>denial of essential health benefits in the individual market," as well as its cuts to Medicaid. Those issues remain substantially the same in the new bill.</span></p><p><span>Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia said she opposed the bill because of "uncertainties" it would create, but she said <a href="https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/comstock-statement-ahca">at least it required insurance to cover preexisting conditions</a> - a proviso that would no longer hold with the new version.</span></p><p><span>And Rep. David Young of Iowa <a href="http://www.bleedingheartland.com/2017/04/25/30-minutes-with-david-young/">said he doesn't</a> "think people should be discriminated on" preexisting conditions. This bill would allow insurers to do so.</span></p><p>If they vote for this new version, these members and many others will be subject to attack based on their own past statements - that they said the healthcare bill was unacceptable, and then they voted for it after it was made even more unacceptable.</p><p>That's not to say they can't change their minds. But I wouldn't assume they will.</p><p>Many of these "moderate" defections were unexpected the first time around, and came from members who aren't even that moderate - including Frelinghuysen, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and is close to leadership.</p><p>Frelinghuysen represents an affluent, highly educated suburban district, centered on Morris County, New Jersey, which has been Republican approximately forever but has trended toward Democrats in recent years. His choice to oppose the prior iteration of the AHCA was a signal that he, like many members, viewed a vote for the bill as a threat to his political survival.</p><p>There's little reason to expect this new version, which adds the evisceration of protections for people with preexisting conditions, would be less of a threat.</p><p>They should be afraid. The story will be that the bill was changed to placate extremists who want to hang sick people out to dry, and that these members went along with it.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Moderate Republican OH in the Capitol just now: "If I vote for this healthcare bill it will be the end of my career"</p>- Scott Wong  (@scottwongDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/857285713326460930">April 26, 2017</a></blockquote>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-plane-video-incident-twitter-reactions-2017-4">People on Twitter are roasting United Airlines after a passenger was forcibly dragged off a plane</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

You Searched For "barbara comstock" and got 11 results

This one graphic shows how much more diverse the House of Representatives will become in January

Grace Panetta,Samantha Lee

Here are all the House Republicans who voted against the healthcare bill

Jeremy Berke

Capitol Hill staffers have a 'creep list' of male lawmakers who are known for sexual misconduct

Eliza Relman

The most vulnerable Republicans in the 2018 midterms are talking less and less about Trump's tax bill

Reuters,Bob Bryan

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says she has a #MeToo sexual harassment story and advises women to 'let it go'

Eliza Relman

Longtime Democratic Rep. John Conyers denies sexual harassment settlements

Eliza Relman

A key part of Trump's tax plan just hit a roadblock with Republicans

Bob Bryan

Democratic congresswoman suggests female colleagues invite harassment because of the way they dress

Rosie Perper,Rosie Perper

There's a good reason why 20 Republicans voted against the GOP healthcare bill

Bob Bryan

A major Democratic group is trolling Republicans who skipped the RNC with fake 'texts from Trump'

Maxwell Tani

If moderate Republicans flip on the health bill, they will regret it

Josh Barro