By Basil John

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is determined to increase the number of Republican women in Congress.

“We believe that our strongest candidates in the 2022 election cycle will be these Republican women,” Stefanik said.

Tuesday, she endorsed eight women who are running across the country.

“I’m very inspired by their stories and I think as Americans learn more about them, they’re going to be inspired as well,” Stefanik said.

Stefanik says recruiting GOP women to run for Congress could lead to a Republican-controlled House next year.

“Republican women are going to lead the way, firing Nancy Pelosi once and for all,” Stefanik said.

The candidates say they’re ready for the race to come.

“I think women are stepping up in record numbers anyway because we are watching what is going on in our communities and we want to become part of the solution,” Congressional Candidate Lisa Scheller (R-Pa.) said.

“Our last cycle, we had 15 out of 17 states were flipped by veterans, minorities or women. So being a veteran female is going to be very helpful for next cycle,” Congressional Candidate Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) said.

But Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) doesn’t trust Stefanik’s motives.

“She made an effort, essentially, to elect women just because of their gender and their body parts,” Wasserman Schultz said.

She says voters will notice that Republican policies, like rejecting the child tax credit and universal pre-K, hurt women.

“What’s the point of electing a woman, if they’re going to come to Congress and vote against those things and actually make life harder for women,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Read the full story here.