8 Things I’ve Learned From Nearly 30 Years in Congress
When Ileana Ros-Lehtinen first arrived in the U.S. as an 8-year-old refugee, she wasn’t thinking of a career in politics. She and her family had fled Cuba, their home, after Fidel Castro took power. Although she didn’t speak any English when she arrived in Miami, she eventually became a teacher and then started a private elementary school. Hearing the problems of the parents and students—the need for better education, burdensome taxes—inspired her to run for office. She and her parents had no idea how to run a campaign, but at just 30 years old, she won election to the Florida House of Representatives—beating out male opponents with much more experience.
In 1989, Ros-Lehtinen became the first Hispanic woman and first Cuban American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She’s continued doing things her way ever since: In 2012, she became the first Republican in Congress to endorse gay marriage and has been a vocal advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. She’s also been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump since his campaign.
Ros-Lehtinen announced her retirement from Congress in April. By the time she leaves office, in 2019, she will have been in Congress for 30 years. Here, she reflects on what she’s learned in her long career in politics—and what young women should know as they consider running for office.
1. Listening is an underrated leadership quality.
When you participate in a congressional hearing, it is amazing to me how members are so quick to put in their opinion and their view and their analysis, and they’re not really taking the time to listen to what the witnesses are saying. And so many times—especially the male members, if it’s some topic that they’re not as familiar with—they just presume to know what the female witness is talking about. And I’m thinking, Did you not hear anything that this presenter said? Because it’s actually the opposite of what you’re portraying to us.
You’ve got to listen to what people are saying. That applies to constituents as well. We think we know what the person is coming into our office to get help on. “Oh, immigration! Oh, sure, well then, you’re born in Haiti and you want to get your family over here.” Well, how about listen to the person? That person is quite capable of explaining what the problem is. Many times, people think of leadership as setting a direction and making others follow you. Leading at any level involves listening to your family, community, and those around you to build the best solutions for the problems we face.
2. That includes listening to the experts.
I represent a coastal community of South Florida. Sea level rise due to climate change is a scientific reality. People who argue that it isn’t changing, that the sea levels are the same, are just delusional. I tell my party, “Look. We say that we’re the party of level thinkers. Well, look at the science. Listen to the scientists when they tell you what is going on with our climate.” And they will tell you that sea level rise is, in my district, one of the greatest threats we have to our livelihood because it will blow out the tourist industry and our hotels will be flooded. No one will be coming to South Florida unless we deal with the very real issue of climate change.
3. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind—even if it means going against your party.
I have a transgender son who was born Amanda but he is now Rodrigo. We call him Rigo. It’s a tough journey that any parent of a transgender child goes through, but love is love and family is everything. The issue of marriage equality, that was something the whole country had evolved on. Now it’s so accepted within our society, and I think it makes us a better country. If more members of our party listened to their hearts and acted on that, I think that we would be better off. They’re thinking that their constituents would not be in favor of marriage equality and I think that they will find that that’s not true. When I said that I was in favor of it, I expected a lot of backlash. And it is there. I’m not going to say that it isn’t. But by and large, people understand.
4. Or, for that matter, against your president.
I did not vote for President Trump. I don’t find that he is as inclusive or as positive a role model as I would like in the person who holds the highest office of the world. It’s difficult. I don’t want to be known as the critic of President Trump, because other things that he’s done, I agree with. His policy on Cuba and the Venezuelan dictator [Trump has vowed to roll back diplomatic relations with Cuba and has added Venezuela to his travel ban], he’s done good things there. But all in all, I’m not the president of his fan club.
5. Don’t tolerate mansplaining.
When I first got to Congress many years ago, there weren’t that many female members of Congress. And now there’s so many more of us, and I think the male members have understood the changing nature of society. They’re more cognizant that maybe what they’re thinking and their points of view are not the Magna Carta.
There came a time in my public service career where I really had the gumption to express my point of view and I felt like, Okay, don’t tell me about this issue of human rights. I really do know a lot about it and we can share opinions, but there’s certain facts that you need to know. That only comes once you master a subject and you feel like, Okay, I trust my instincts and I trust my knowledge, and boy, I’m not gonna let anybody mansplain to me. I’m gonna dig right in and I’m gonna get my point of view across. Having that sense of self is really a confidence builder. Hoo, boy, you just feel it in your bones. More and more, I think men are seeing, Oh, boy, this person knows what she’s talking about. And they’re a little more cautious than they used to be.
6. Never forget where you came from.
Be proud of your culture and your native language and your heritage, and understand how much of a factor it is in shaping the person you are today. All of us come from so many different places and have different experiences. What a great fabric America is; it’s made up of so many different threads and different colors. My passport says “Place of Birth: Havana, Cuba” and that’s a big part of my personality. Remembering where you came from will keep you humble and appreciative of the things you accomplish in life. Every time I look around at a committee hearing or on the floor of the House, I remember I’m only there because of the trust of my community and its priorities.
7. Criticism is a good thing.
I do get a lot of blowback for my positions. It is tough to get criticized, but if you’re not willing to get criticized, then you have no business being in public service. It’s a celebration of the diversity of thought that is America. I was born in Cuba when there was just no opportunity to dissent or disagree with the government, or you would be thrown in jail. And here, we have the opportunity to disagree with one another and with our government all the time. That’s wonderful. So I take criticism as a healthy sign of our vibrant democracy.
8. But being tough doesn’t mean being a jerk.
I wish that people would be more civil toward one another, including other members of Congress. We’re just sometimes so grumpy. I think, Gosh, you’ve got this great job where you get to represent your community and speak on the most important issues of the day and try to solve those problems. What are you so grumpy about? God gives us 24 hours every day. We can either use it to complain or to be happy and improve the world. I choose the latter.
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