Rep. Frankel Says a 'Pink Wave' is Coming: Trump Is 'Best Recruiter' Democrats Have
*By Max Godnick and Christian Smith*
A [record number of women](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/08/women-rule-midterms-443267) are running for political office, and one congresswoman thinks America has one man to thank.
"The best recruiter we've had, his name is President Donald Trump," Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL) said Wednesday in an interview on Cheddar.
"After the election in 2016, we have seen women agitated," she said. "They're raring to go."
Frankel, who has represented Florida's 21st Congressional District since 2013, cited 50 female Democratic candidates running in competitive swing districts, and predicted that her party could have between 25 and 40 new congresswomen in its ranks in 2019.
"Many of these women have never been in politics," she said. "Many are mothers ー they do not want their children growing up in the kind of environment they see that this president is creating."
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) echoed Frankel's optimism in a separate interview on Cheddar Wednesday.
"We're going to elect women in record numbers," Maloney said; America is entering the "decade of the woman," she added.
In total, 257 women won party nominations for the House of Representatives and Senate for this year's midterms ー 235 for the House and 22 for the Senate.
For Frankel, it's not just a matter of winning and losing.
Frankel is the co-chair of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus and has championed legislation for women's rights, including the "Keeping Girls in School Act" and the "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act." But only a fraction of the policy proposals garner support from both sides of the aisle.
The biggest roadblock to bipartisan cooperation among women in Congress might be the lack of women across the aisle.
"Unfortunately for the Republicans they do not really have that many women," Frankel said. There are just 23 Republican women serving in the House of Representatives, compared to the body's 61 Democrats.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/are-women-more-bipartisan-than-men).
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Cheddar's Michelle Castillo from South By Southwest to boost President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure legislation and talk about the big transportation issues of the day, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the future of public transit. "It means we have a huge wind at our back delivering on the kinds of transportation solutions that are going to define the 2020's 2030s, 2040s even," he said. "And that's what makes it exciting to come to South by Southwest and talk with some of the people who are following these technologies and ideas the most closely and talk about where we're headed." Buttigieg also touched on the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida, noting that such legislative pushes were likely coming from politicians deflecting from lacking answers to pressing economic concerns, in his opinion.
Following President Biden's executive order that could lead toward regulating digital currency in the United States. Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J. 5th District), the congressman responsible for proposing a bill to regulate stablecoins, digital assets backed by fiat currencies, joined Cheddar News to discuss the bill. "I just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to be helpful to encourage this innovation and growth here in the United States," he said.
European antitrust regulators gave Amazon approval for its MGM acquisition deal. Amazon expects MGM's collection of content will help it compete in the increasingly crowded world of streaming services.
Lisa Whalen, managing director of automotive and mobility analysis at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss Uber and Lyft's decision to enact price surcharges on riders.
Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) joined Cheddar News to talk about a range of topics including Sarah Bloom Raskin's recent withdrawal as a nominee to the Federal Reserve, the impact the Federal Reserve will have on inflation, and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. "I think it's unfortunate she had to withdraw. I think she was very, very qualified for the position by everything she's done in her past, especially in the area of cyber," he said. "She would have been good to have on the Fed."
With a zero-covid policy in China, country officials are imposing lockdowns in the region in an attempt to control the spread. With China being home to about one-third of global manufacturing, these lockdowns are wreaking havoc on the already fragile supply chain, causing disruption to production of phones and cars alike. Suketu Gandhi, Supply Chain Partner at Kearney joined Cheddar's Azia Celestino to discuss.
Markets opened higher this morning as oil prices fall and investors await a decision from the Federal Reserve. Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Officer, Fitz-Gerald Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on March 16, 2022, with updates on Ukraine and Russia, a container ship gets stuck in the Chesapeake Bay, Disney employees stage a walkout over the "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida, and NASA completes its first spacewalk of 2022.
With the Fed about to the announce a 25 basis point interest rate hike on Wednesday, what exactly does this mean for investors, consumers, and businesses?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has summoned the memory of Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 terror attacks in an impassioned video plea to Congress to send more help for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
