A fighting spirit prevailed among WISH-endorsed Members of Congress gathered together for The WISH List's Annual Capitol Hill Reception on May 6, 2009.

The reception at the Capitol Hill Club celebrated all of WISH's elected Members of Congress -- and, in particular, welcomed Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) to the fold. Congresswoman Jenkins, who defeated an incumbent Democrat in a stunning upset victory last November, thanked The WISH List and its Members for strong support in that election.

"I honestly would not be a Member of Congress if it were not for the people in this room," she said. "It was that support that really shored me up and gave me the confidence to forge ahead."

Congresswoman Jenkins urged those gathered for the event to fight even harder going forward to increase the number of moderate GOP women holding public office. "We've got to fight!" she said.

Jenkins was officially welcomed to the ranks of WISH-endorsed women in the U.S. House by Former Congresswomen Nancy Johnson and Connie Morella, who were Honorary Co-Chairs and Co-Emcees of the event, and WISH President Pat Carpenter. The event was Co-Chaired by four loyal friends of The WISH List: Deborah Carstens, Tillie A. Fowler, Pamela Garvie and Victoria Toensing.

Several of The WISH List current and former officeholders in attendance spoke fervently about the vital need to expand the role that moderate women play in the Republican Party.

"People have to speak up and say, 'We are 52 percent of the electorate and our voices need to be heard!' " Morella said, adding that the GOP must be more tolerant and inclusive. "I think Senator Specter set the alarm clock, and I hope people will wake up and listen to that," she said, referring to the moderate Pennsylvania senator's recent party switch from Republican to Democrat in the face of right-wing opposition in the GOP primary.

Congresswoman Judy Biggert (IL-13), who had a tough re-election last year and anticipates another challenge in 2010, thanked WISH and its Members for their staunch support. You are so important," she said.

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito
(WV-02) told WISH Members that women need to play a much more visible role in the leadership of the Republican Party, and she pledged to "raise my profile" in order to help accomplish that. She said the GOP is "never going to get back to the majority without women pulling for us and with us."

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite
(FL-05) echoed Biggert's praise for The WISH List and its Members. She predicted that the 2010 Election would be tough but said "people are catching on" to the mounting federal debt being generated by the Democrats in Washington.