MSNBC's Eugene Robinson asked freshman Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) Tuesday on Morning Joe if she was being treated like an actual congresswoman "as opposed to that girl" by her colleagues.
Robinson, a liberal columnist for the Washington Post in addition to a frequent commentator on MSNBC, appeared to suggest older members of the House, controlled by the Republican Party, would be predisposed to sexism against Stefanik, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
"Do you feel that you're getting a lot of unwanted, avuncular advice, or are you treated as a congresswoman as opposed to that girl who--" Robinson asked before trailing off.
Stefanik didn't seem to take offense to the suggestion that she might be treated as a "girl" on Capitol Hill.
"I'm definitely treated as a peer and I have great committee assignments," she said. "I got my top two choices, House Armed Services Committee and Education and Workforce, and I think that the GOP leadership in particular has recognized that we have to do better in communicating our message to millennials and young women, so I think I've had more opportunities than a typical freshman, which is really important for my district. My constituents know that I'm going to Washington not to be a backbencher but to be part of the decision-making from day one."