Rep. Carolyn Maloney on Monday responded to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) endorsing Rep. Jerrold Nadler over her in the Democratic primary race for New York’s 12th Congressional District, saying that “the old boys network is very, very close.”
When asked by an NY1 Spectrum News reporter whether she was surprised by Schumer’s endorsement, Maloney said: “He doesn’t live here. It doesn’t surprise me. The old boys network is very, very close and they support each other.”
“And we know that women are very underrepresented in Congress, we’re 51 percent of the population but 24 percent of electeds across the country,” Maloney, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, continued.
Schumer endorsed Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, on Monday, calling him a “critical partner” who leads with “courage, conviction, and brilliant legislative effectiveness.”
Both Nadler and Maloney have served in Congress for decades in separate districts, but the two House heavyweights are now going head-to-head in the Aug. 23 primary due to redistricting.
Maloney continued discussing the importance of women in leadership during her interview on Monday, saying: “We need more women’s voices.”
“When women are in the room and part of the decisionmaking, the conversation changes and it focuses on children and families, health care, clean environment and investment in the future,” she said.