Even though their gender represents only 20 percent of the Senate, it was a bipartisan group of female senators who led the effort to end the government shutdown. Multiple reports, including praise from some of their male colleagues, credit Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Patty Murray (D-WA) with shaping the negotiations and working across party lines to address ideological concerns in settling the issue of reopening the government.