Politicswomen senatorsPoliticsCongress

Obama-Women Senators Dinner Set For Tuesday

Obama Hosting Female Senators For Dinner
Reuters
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WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has invited the 20 women elected to the U.S. Senate for dinner at the White House on Tuesday, another chapter in his effort to develop closer ties with Congress.

Since March, Obama has taken pains to reach out to lawmakers, trying to find common ground to end a two-year fight over federal deficits, and moving forward on top legislative priorities such as immigration reform.

Obama has held two dinners with small groups of Republican senators and one with Democratic senators.

He also traveled to Capitol Hill in March to meet with Democratic and Republican caucuses in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Tuesday's dinner will be the first bipartisan get-together. The White House did not give details on how many senators would attend.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said on Twitter that Obama had invited all women in the Senate. Senator Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican, confirmed the bipartisan invitation to Reuters.

November's election resulted in a record number of women in the Senate - a total of 16 Democrats and four Republicans.

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Before You Go

Women In The U.S. Senate
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)(01 of40)
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Served from: 2013 to present (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)(02 of40)
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Served from: 2013 to present (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)(03 of40)
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Served from: 2013 to present (AP Photo/Dave Weaver) (credit:AP)
Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) (04 of40)
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Served from: 2013 to present (AP Photo/Oskar Garcia) (credit:AP)
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) (05 of40)
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Served from: 2013 to present (Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)(06 of40)
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Served from: 2011 to present Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) (07 of40)
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Served from: 2009 to present Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)(08 of40)
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Served from: 2009 to present Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) speaks at a luncheon to mark the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on January 27, 2009 in Washington. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) (09 of40)
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Served from: 2007 to present Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) appears at a U.S. Travel Association press conference on May 12, 2011 (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) (10 of40)
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Served from: 2007 to present Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) holds a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 1, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) (11 of40)
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Served from: 2003-09Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) attends hearings in Washington on Dec. 5, 2006. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)(12 of40)
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Served from: 2002 to present Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) questions witnesses during a hearing on March 29, 2011 in Washington. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.)(13 of40)
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Served from: 2001-02Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.) raises her right hand on January 3, 2001 during a swearing in ceremony in Washington. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Newsmakers) (credit:Getty )
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) (14 of40)
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Served from: 2001 to present Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) attends the National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 on August 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) (15 of40)
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Served from: 2001 to present Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) speaks at a news conference on June 10, 2008 in Washington. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)(16 of40)
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Served from: 2001-09Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters after casting her vote on November 4, 2008 in Chappaqua, New York. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) (17 of40)
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Served from: 1999-2011Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) participates in a news conference on Capitol Hill on April 20, 2010 in Washington. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Susan Collins (R-Maine) (18 of40)
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Served from: 1997-presentSen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill February 1, 2011 in Washington. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Mary Landrieu (D-La.)(19 of40)
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Served from: 1997-presentSen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) holds a list of jobs while talking with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on September 20, 2011 in Washington. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sheila Frahm (R-Kan.) (20 of40)
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Served from: 1996Kansas Republican Senator-designate Sheila Frahm gestures during an interview on Capitol Hill Monday June 10, 1996. (AP Photo/John Duricka) (credit:AP)
Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) (21 of40)
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Served from: 1995-presentSen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) speaks at the 32nd Annual Women's Campaign Fund Parties of Your Choice Gala on April 2, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Women's Campaign Fund) (credit:Getty )
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)(22 of40)
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Served from: 1993-presentSen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) speaks to reporters on November 30, 2011 at Capitol Hill in Washington. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Patty Murray (D-Wash.) (23 of40)
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Served from: 1993-presentSen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) speaks during day two of the Democratic National Convention on September 5, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) (24 of40)
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Served from: 1993-99Carol Mosley Braun (D-Ill.), the first African-American woman U.S. senator, listens on Jan. 19, 1993 to Zoe Baird, U.S. President-elect Bill Clinton's nominee for U.S. Attorney General. (LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) (25 of40)
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Served from: 1992-presentSen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) takes the stage during day two of the Democratic National Convention on September 5, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) (26 of40)
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Served from: 1987-presentSen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) speaks on day two of the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 5, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. (STAN HONDA/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty)
Paula Hawkins (R-Fla.) (27 of40)
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Served from: 1981-87Florida Gov. Bob Graham, the Democratic challenger for the state's U.S. Senate seat, listens as incumbent Republican Sen. Paula Hawkins makes a point during their Oct. 20, 1986 debate. (AP Photo/Ray Fairall) (credit:AP)
Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-Kan.) (28 of40)
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Served from: 1978-97Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-Kan.) photographed in her office in Wichita, Kansas on Dec. 18, 1978. (AP PhotoJohn P. Filo) (credit:AP)
Maryon Allen (D-Ala.) (29 of40)
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Served from: 1978Sen. Maryon Allen (D-Ala.) pictured on June 23, 1978. (AP Photo/Croft) (credit:AP)
Muriel Humphrey (D-Minn.) (30 of40)
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Served from: 1978Muriel Humphrey sits at a desk in the Senate Office Building, vacated by the death of her husband, Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey. She was named by Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich to fill his seat and sworn in February 1978. (AP Photo/Peter Bregg) (credit:AP)
Elaine S. Edwards (D-La.) (31 of40)
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Served from: 1972 (credit:Getty File)
Maurine Brown Neuberger (D-Ore.) (32 of40)
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Served from: 1960-67Sen. Maurine Neuberger (D-Ore.) poses on March 19, 1963 in Washington. (AP Photo/hlg) (credit:AP)
Hazel Hempel Abel (R-Neb.)(33 of40)
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Served from: 1954A portrait of Sen. Hazel Hempel Abel (1888 - 1966). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Eva Kelley Bowring (R-Neb.) (34 of40)
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Served from: 1954 (credit:Getty File)
Margaret Chase Smith (R-Maine) (35 of40)
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Served from: 1949-73Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R-Maine) smiles on Jan., 5, 1949 in her Washington office. (AP Photo) (credit:AP)
Gladys Pyle (R-S.D.) (36 of40)
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Served from: 1938-39 (credit:Getty File)
Dixie Bibb Graves (D-Ala.) (37 of40)
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Served from: 1937-1938 (credit:Getty File)
Rose McConnell Long (D-La.) (38 of40)
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Served from: 1936-37Rose McConnell Long walks to work with Sen. Hattie Caraway, right, in Washington, April 20, 1936. She filled the unexpired term of her late husband, Huey P. Long. (AP Photo) (credit:AP)
Hattie Wyatt Caraway (D-Ark.) (39 of40)
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Served from: 1931-45Sen. Hattie Wyatt Caraway (D-Ark.), photographed in her Washington office on Oct. 22, 1942. She became the first female U.S. senator in 1933. (AP Photo/William J. Smith) (credit:AP)
Rebecca Latimer Felton (D-Ga.) (40 of40)
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Served from: 1922Rebecca Latimer Felton was the first woman to ever serve in the U.S. Senate. She was appointed by the state of Georgia to fill Sen. Tom Watson's place after his death. (AP Photo) (credit:AP)
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