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It was just weeks ago- that North Carolina's newest member of Congress was sworn in as the record breaking 100th woman in the 113th Congress.

When lawmakers take the oath of office on Tuesday-- there will be a new record, 104 women serving in the Capitol.

“I think people still consider it alarmingly small but I think for the women it’s a small step,” says Dr. San Roberts with Davidson College.

For Alma Adams- who helped cracked the 100 mark- she says she believes it is important that more female voices are heard.

“Women have found ways of to work together not only with their female colleagues, but with their male colleagues. You know when they were looking at shutting the government down it was the women who came together from both sides of the aisle to really help rectify that situation,” says Adams.

Adams is joined in the house by two other female members of North Carolina's congressional delegation- Virginia Foxx and Renee Ellmers.

For Foxx, who is beginning her sixth term in the US House, she says it is important to have a diversity of voices in the Capitol.

“Women bring their perspective, men bring their perspective farmers bring a perspective, educators bring a perspective you need different points of view to get good legislation,” Foxx says.

Renee Ellmers says the strength of the women's voice is becoming more and more important, not only in Congress, but also in determining who serves there.

“I believe we women in this country will be determining the next president, we are gong to be determining the elections into the future and therefore we need to have a stronger voice in Congress,” Ellmers says.

The breakdown is 20 females in the Senate, 84 in the House.

76 of the women in Congress are Democrats and 28 are Republicans.

But even though a majority of the women will be in the minority party come Tuesday, Roberts say the biggest question is whether or not the growing number of women can help change the tone of Congress which has become increasingly negative.

“They can't exacerbate it, whether or not they can help it, I don't know because the polarization issue is so entrenched,” Roberts says.

North Carolina, of course is also home to one of the two women who lost their seat in Congress.

Sen. Kay Hagan did not win re-election.

http://charlotte.twcnews.com/content/news/715563/record-number-of-women-now-serving-in-u-s--congress/