Female Senators Say They'd Already Have 'Fiscal Cliff' Solved

Martin H. Simon / ABC News

With 20 days to go until the nation goes over the so-called fiscal cliff, some female senators say if they were in charge, Congress would already have a deal.

"I think if we were in charge of the Senate and of the administration that we would have a budget deal by now," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told ABC's World News anchor Diane Sawyer today.

In an exclusive joint interview, Sawyer sat down today on Capitol Hill with the historic class of female Senators of the 113 th Congress . When the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3 rd, there will be a record-breaking 20 female senators - 4 Republicans, 16 Democrats -in office.

As President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio., work to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff - the slate of abrupt tax increases and steep spending cuts are set to take effect at the start of the year - there was near unanimity among the female Senators today that they'd be able to broker a deal faster themselves.

"What I find is with all due deference to- deference to our male colleagues, that women's styles tend to be more collaborative," Collins said.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said by nature women are "less confrontational and more collaborative," - both traits necessary to reach a deal to avoid the country going over the fiscal cliff.

"Having us in the room- and I think- you know, all of us, not only do we want to work in a bipartisan way, we do it," McCaskill said.

Diane Sawyer's complete interview will air when the new Congress convenes in January.