MOBAPP Badass Women of Washington

Editor’s Note:

This series was born during a lunch at Union Station in early 2017.

Hillary Clinton had lost the presidency. What did that mean for women?

The answer — and the need to broaden our lens — seemed clear: Women are already breaking barriers in a man’s town, muscling their way into power and staying there.

The women featured come from a wide range of backgrounds and generations, but each has shattered glass ceilings on her way up the ranks. Their stories show there are Badass Women all around Washington.

— Dana Bash, Abigail Crutchfield & Rachel Smolkin

From orphan to Army surgeon general

Lieutenant General Nadja West went from being an orphan to a three-star general. She is the highest-ranking woman to graduate from the US Military Academy.

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From orphan to Army surgeon general
05:29 - Source: CNN

‘I became mayor as a product of assassination’

Senator Dianne Feinstein opens up about her barrier-breaking five-decade career and the tragic double murder that put her on that path.

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The assassination that shaped Dianne Feinstein
07:04 - Source: CNN

A congresswoman’s quest to save her daughter

Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler introduces us to her miracle baby. Her daughter was born without kidneys but has survived thanks to her parents’ efforts.

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Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler's remarkable story of motherhood in Congress
05:14 - Source: CNN

From immigrant roots to a President’s Cabinet

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao opens up about immigrating to America on a cargo ship and how she made it to the top levels of the US government.

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From immigrant roots to a president's cabinet
06:29 - Source: CNN

How New Hampshire’s first female senator moved off the sidelines

Senator Jeanne Shaheen was behind the scenes running campaigns for male politicians for years, but they weren’t getting it done – so she ran herself.

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New Hampshire's pioneering senior senator
05:50 - Source: CNN

The Romney who leads Trump’s RNC

New Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel walks down hallways lined with rows and rows of pictures of the former RNC chairs – all but one of them, men.

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The Romney who leads Trump's RNC
05:19 - Source: CNN

The first Latina senator in American history

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is still learning her way around the halls of Congress but has already become an important symbol to Latinas everywhere.

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The first Latina senator in history
04:23 - Source: CNN
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For more on these seven trailblazers, check out Badass Women of Washington with Dana Bash.