Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Tuesday, September 15, 2026 Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) released the following statement after the DWC Executive Director was announced as one of The Hill’s Most Notable Staffers of 2026. 

“Our DWC Executive Director Julia Bartusek deserves this recognition as one of The Hill’s Most Notable Staffers of 2026 because she’s changed the expectation of what can happen when you listen and then combine deep empathy with exceptional organization skills to solve a pressing policy issue.  

She has been there as DWC has been at the forefront of Congress’s most important debates. She was there as we fought to gain justice for the survivors of Jeffery Epstein and, importantly, treat them with the respect they deserve. Her team has helped highlight the mistreatment of women in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. Most notably, she helped coordinate the bipartisan effort to reform the culture of sexual misconduct on the Hill.  

I can only imagine that those who chose Julia for this recognition saw her in action as she coordinated an exhaustive series of meetings, listening sessions, and brainstorming so we could develop comprehensive bipartisan sexual misconduct reforms. This legislation, which will soon be introduced in the House, will include comprehensive reforms to bring greater accountability for members who abuse their position of power. I’m glad that the Hill is recognizing the role of this exceptional staffer and Executive Director in transforming a culture of abuse on Capitol Hill that has continued for far too long.”

Read the full article from The Hill detailing Julia’s accomplishments with the DWC here.