In 2016, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers will be the same age as President-elect, Barack Obama. If Rodgers continues to represent the people of Washington's Fifth Congressional District, she will have served in Congress for 12 years- fifteen states have term limits for their legislators, but Washington State is not one of them.

Already she is making headlines:

McMorris Rodgers Elected House GOP Conference Vice Chair “As a new mother and second youngest woman Member of Congress, my unique perspective will help our party as we build coalitions, redefine our agenda and develop and spread our party’s message,” McMorris Rodgers said.

McMorris launches Down Syndrome Caucus "It’s the goal of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus to allow every child with Down syndrome to reach their full potential. We’ll work to raise expectations and improve education, make it easier for people with Down syndrome to find jobs, and promote funding and research for effective treatments and therapies,” McMorris Rodgers said.

McMorris Rodgers Introduces Family-Friendly Workplace Act "...a worker who clocks 50 hours during the week – 10 hours beyond the 40 hour workweek – could simply be paid for the extra time, equaling pay for 15 hours. Or, if given the choice of comp time, that same worker would have 15 hours available in the future to see her child’s school play or attend a parent-teacher conference or care for a sick relative"

Her votes reflect 100% support for the National Right to Life Committee as well as the National Council of Agricultural Employees, the Washington Farm Bureau, The National Animal Interest Alliance Trust, the Sportsmen and Animal Owner's Voting Alliance, the Business-Industry PAC, and the Christian Coalition to name a few.

But she isn't a complete Palin clone. According to The Daily Evergreen, "First of all, McMorris Rodgers is very open about her desire to protect the environment. She is adamantly opposed to our dependence on foreign oil. She supports virtually all legislation geared toward expanding renewable resources and limiting our dependence on foreign oil. Similarly, she works hard to preserve Washington’s forests and endangered species from the natural population growth we have seen worldwide.

"Voting against the party line is difficult, especially when the history of the party shows little independent voting, but McMorris Rodgers took a walk on the wild side in respect to children’s health care. In 2007, she voted in favor of a bill expanding a health insurance program for children nationwide when most of her party voted against it. McMorris Rodgers is also a supporter of students in Eastern Washington and voted to reduce interest rates on student loans. Even though her record considering the war on terror consistently shows her support of a Bush doctrine, McMorris Rodgers voted for a ban on cruel and unusual treatment of detainees at Guantanamo."

McMorris Rodgers currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Education and Labor Committeeand the Natural Resources Committee, where she serves as ranking member on the Water and Power Subcommittee.

She earned her B.A. in pre-law from Pensacola Christian College in Florida and an executive MBA from the University of Washington. She married Brian Rodgers in 2006. Her anticipated newborn was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, inspiring McMorris to initiate the Down Syndrome Caucus.