WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

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Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 57 (Monday, March 31, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 57 (Monday, March 31, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1359-H1362] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. De La Cruz of Texas was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.) General Leave Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Texas? There was no objection. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today alongside my friends and colleagues in celebration of Women's History Month. This month, I have reflected on the contributions of the American female leaders who have made our Nation what it is today: a land of opportunity for all. I am proud to be the first Hispanic Republican woman to represent the great State of Texas for a full term. It is because of strong women who have paved the way and never took no for an answer that I can serve in this institution and fight for my community of south Texas. In February, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle came together to support an initiative that will create a legacy for American women, the bipartisan Smithsonian American Women's History Act. This important legislation, which I helped introduce alongside bipartisan Women's Caucus Republican Vice Cochair Nicole Malliotakis, will designate land on the National Mall for the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. By creating a museum in our Nation's Capital, we are honoring and preserving the incredible contributions of American women whose stories of strength, resilience, and innovation have shaped the fabric of our Nation's history. Trailblazing women deserve a dedicated space of recognition and reference: women like Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer and leader in women's suffrage; Harriet Tubman, the first American woman to run an underground railroad to help slaves reach freedom; Sojourner Truth, a trailblazer in the antislavery movement and advocate for women's rights; and Amelia Earhart, the first woman to bravely fly solo across the Atlantic. We cannot forget our beautiful Selena Quintanilla, a south Texas icon, Grammy-winning singer, and the queen of Tejano music, who shattered glass ceilings and elevated the Tejano genre to the mainstream media. Today marks exactly 30 years since her tragic death, and we honor her passion for music and the lasting impression she has left on our Hispanic culture. Each of their stories have opened the door to opportunities that once seemed unattainable and have inspired millions. We cannot let their stories be forgotten. By passing this critical legislation, we are giving the museum its rightful place on the National Mall and allowing generations of Americans and visitors from across the world to immerse themselves in the often untold stories of the women who paved the way for many, like me, to achieve the American dream. I encourage all of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support this important bill. [[Page H1360]] Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes). Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, today I rise during the first Bipartisan Women's Caucus of the year to stand in solidarity with my colleagues in this historic caucus as we continue the work to break ground on a Women's History Museum on Washington's National Mall. I would like to thank my colleague and cochair, Representative Monica De La Cruz for organizing this Special Order hour. I would also like to thank the vice chairs of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus, Janelle Bynum and Representative Nicole Malliotakis; specifically Representative Malliotakis for her leadership in transforming the National Women's History Museum from a dream into a real possibility. Women across the country have shaped and molded this society with their contributions being an integral part of the fabric of who we are, and their efforts, our efforts, and work should be recognized. The fact that we are here today to celebrate the possibility of a Women's History Museum is incredible. First, it is incredible because why has it taken it so long, and, second, because it is time to recognize the contributions of women in this country. Of course, the women from Ohio who are the heart of it all will certainly be very much previewed and modelled in this museum, women like Dorothy Dandridge, Nikki Giovanni, Annie Oakley, Florence Allen, Gloria Steinem, Toni Morrison, and, of course, Ohio's 13th Judy Resnick. The process of including people from a range of backgrounds, including women, is why this history museum dedicated to women that celebrates our achievements and condemns marginalization is not only special but very much needed. At the founding of this country, women didn't have the same rights as men, but women worked and labored for our place in this society. We couldn't vote. We couldn't buy land, and we couldn't even open bank accounts until about 50 years ago. Societal norms dictated that women were to be devalued and minimized, and it made it easy to overlook and dismiss us. In spite of this, women have played many important roles in our country, even though they were overlooked, undermined, and in some cases rewritten, even if we were written at all. When we as women expect to be overlooked and dismissed, it makes it easier for us just to not try at all, not to strive and dream for more, to stay in a lane that society has set for us. {time} 1930 Mr. Speaker, we have so many representations of women who have decided ``no.'' Like our Vice President says, we just eat ``no'' for breakfast. Representation matters. The fact that young girls and boys will soon be able to see the contributions of women and value those contributions will let them know that they can and should dream big. On this final day of Women's History Month, I would be remiss if I did not address the elephant in the room. No, it is not my Republican colleagues. It is the attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Including a National Women's History Museum on The National Mall in Washington would ensure that we are including everyone--women, those with disabilities, and women of color--into our national fabric and that we are not forgetting that their contributions are important to this country. They should not be forgotten because we are a part of this country and our history. The Women's History Museum will archive the vast achievements of women and establish Americans' commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive telling of our Nation's history so that young girls and boys from across the country and around the world continue to strive for greatness, knowing that their dreams are always possible in the United States of America. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis). Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, Monica De La Cruz, for joining me in this effort. I also thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have cosponsored our legislation, H.R. 1329. Today, we conclude Women's History Month. It has been a monthlong celebration of the remarkable achievements and contributions of American women throughout our Nation's history. Whether it is the suffragists who fought for the right to vote, the riveters who stepped in while men fought during World War II, the 10,000 women known as Code Girls who broke German and Japanese codes for the U.S. Army and Navy during World War II, the ``Hidden Figures'' of NASA who helped launch John Glenn into space, or the Black Angels from my district, Staten Island, New York, who treated sick tuberculosis patients when no one wanted to and helped find the cure for this disease, American women have been instrumental in shaping our Nation's progress and success. We think about how much has happened in five decades. Fifty years ago, women were still battling for so many rights, not just equal pay. They could not get a credit card without a male cosigner. They had no protections against pregnancy discrimination or sexual harassment. They could not serve on juries, and they did not have the ability to join military academies. Women before us have made so much progress. We celebrate and thank them. Now we pave the way forward. Last week, 37 female Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate joined President Donald Trump at the White House to launch the GOP Women's Caucus. I would remind my colleagues from the Republican side that it was the Republican Party who helped champion women's rights and protections. It was Republican Susan B. Anthony who led the suffrage movement. It was a Republican Senator who sponsored the 19th Amendment to give women the right to vote. It was a Republican Congress that approved it, and it was a majority of Republican States that ratified it. It was Republican Jeannette Rankin who 4 years prior made history in 1916 as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1972, it was President Richard Nixon who signed Title IX into law, eliminating sex discrimination in education and athletics, opening doors for female athletes to receive scholarships. In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor, also a Republican, made history as the first woman confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, paving the way for greater female representation in our legal system. Most recently, President Trump authorized the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum in 2020. In his first few days of his second term, he signed an executive order to protect women in sports. Today, we are fighting to get that museum that was authorized in 2020 its rightful place on The National Mall. I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, nearly 100 Members of this institution, who have cosponsored H.R. 1329. We can transfer this land and get this museum built to honor the women who are currently known and unknown, who have contributed so much, and who have built our Nation. This is one of our new caucus' priorities, and we must get it done in this term. Last week, something exciting happened at the White House. President Trump threw his 100 percent support behind building the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on The National Mall. We must seize this opportunity, working together across this political spectrum, and get the job done. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with all of my colleagues. I thank all the women and the men who have been so supportive of this project, and I look forward to seeing all of them at the groundbreaking. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu). Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, as this year's Women's History Month comes to a close, there is no better way to honor the prolific and powerful contributions of women in this country than to finally authorize the creation of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on The National Mall. As one of the original cosponsors of this bipartisan bill, I feel strongly that this museum must become a reality. [[Page H1361]] The National Mall here in Washington, D.C., tells the profound story of our country, but that story is woefully incomplete without a dedicated space to commemorate how women have shaped our Nation every single day since before the founding. From Abigail Adams' request to ``remember the ladies,'' to the suffrage rights movement, to Nancy Pelosi's historic speakership, women have been trailblazers and have made history. That is why I am proud to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass our bill, the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act, to make sure that the Women's History Museum gets its rightful spot on The National Mall. We are also working to make sure that the National Museum of the American Latino, which also enjoys bipartisan support, gets its spot, too. So much progress has already been made to find the right location, raise funds, and garner broad bipartisan support for this museum. The momentum is here, and the time is now to finally make the story of our Nation more complete by ensuring that the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum secures its place in our Nation's Capital. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack). Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Representative De La Cruz, for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, it is such an honor to be here today as we recognize the incredible contributions of women throughout American history. Many of us grew up reading about the courageous women who shaped our Nation, women like Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, and Clara Barton. Their stories weren't just words in a textbook. They were testaments to the power of perseverance, patriotism, and principle. History is not just simply about the past. It is about what we pass on to the next generation. That is why the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum is such an important project. It ensures that these stories are not only preserved and honored but shared with all Americans. Our daughters and granddaughters should be able to walk into this museum and see firsthand how women have helped shape this Nation, not as passive observers but as leaders, innovators, and changemakers. This museum tells the stories of the women who built businesses, defended our freedoms, and served their communities, all through the lens of hard work, personal responsibility, and faith in the American Dream. This commitment to empowering women isn't just about history. It is about the present and the future. That is why I am so proud to be here this evening to celebrate the recent launch of the Republican Women's Caucus, a group that I am so proud to chair, which is dedicated to amplifying the voices of strong, principled women serving today in Congress. Conservative women are making history every day, championing policies that promote freedom, opportunity, and the values that have made this Nation great. Women's History Month is a time to reflect on our progress and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every American, regardless of their background, has the chance to achieve their full potential. That is the legacy that we honor, and it is the one future that we are building together. May we always celebrate the remarkable women who have made our country stronger, and I am so grateful for the leadership of my fellow colleagues. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams). Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. De La Cruz for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, on the final day of Women's History Month, I rise tonight to highlight the value of the Women's History Museum. Karen Staser founded the museum in 1995 with the aim of addressing the significant amount of women's history that was missing from our Nation's Capital and museums, including the Smithsonian Institution. During the museum's startup years, the museum's first project was to oversee the restoration of the iconic women's suffrage statute which resides in our Capitol rotunda to this day. As an artist of 40 years and as someone who has actually started a small museum gallery in my home State, I am very concerned about museums. This museum also organized a traveling exhibition on women's suffrage, launched a popular newsletter called ``A Different Point of View,'' created a bipartisan Honorary Congressional Advisory Council, and testified before Congress. Since its founding, the museum has played an integral role in uplifting and celebrating the many women in history who have had an impact on our society, women like my mentor, artist, and teacher, the late Eva Hamlin Miller. Too often, these names are erased from our history books, our K-12 education, and even our museums. The Women's History Museum is a space where women can go to feel inspired and motivated to dream big. It is a place where women's legacies can live on, be celebrated, and not forgotten. One such woman I want to mention, Alma Thomas, comes to mind. She was an African-American artist who is now recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century. She attended Howard University and went on to be an educator at Shaw Junior High School here in D.C. She had a deep understanding of the importance of the arts in children's self-expression and created enrichment programs for her students. Her most influential work included her abstract paintings which she developed later in her life. She was the first African- American woman to be featured in a solo exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art and also the first to have her art displayed in the White House's permanent collection. We need more representation of African-American artists like Alma Thomas and Eva Hamlin Miller in the Women's History Museum. To exclude their work is to miss significant parts of our country's history and contradict the very founding principle of the museum. I close again by honoring all of the women of our past who had an influential hand in shaping the present. Wholeheartedly, I support the work of the Women's History Museum. As always, I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to uplift the work and the contributions of women, not just for Women's History Month but every month and every day of every year. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy). Ms. MALOY. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand here and celebrate the contributions of women this Women's History Month, both the women who are here today and those whose spirits live on through the impact they have created for past generations. Our contributions as women are not a sidenote in the story of our world. They are central to it. We helped shape the world, and we are here to make sure that the women who came before us get credit for what they have done. Their influence is undeniable. When we think of remarkable women, let us be reminded of women like Martha Hughes Cannon, a physician, suffragist, and pioneer who went on to become the first female State Senator in the United States. We are a Nation of pioneers. Martha beautifully embodies that pioneering spirit. She immigrated to the United States, crossed the Great Plains, and helped settle Utah when it was a frontier State. She challenged societal expectations, standing alone in the fields of science and politics, to advocate for her convictions. Her unwavering commitment to change helped establish women's right to vote and hold office in Utah, putting the State decades ahead of the national curve, and then helped reestablish the right to vote when the Nation caught up. {time} 1945 Her statue now fittingly stands in Emancipation Hall and represents Utah. Let's also be reminded of women like Sally Ride who in 1983 became the first woman in space, defying conventional expectations set for women while creating opportunities for women to enter STEM fields. Let us also be reminded of women like Clara Barton who founded the [[Page H1362]] American Red Cross in 1881, modeling service and diplomacy in the presence of conflict. Her contributions were not without risk. Let us be reminded of all the women who have yet to have their stories told, their achievements celebrated, and their voices heard. Their influence, whether truly recognized or not, will be felt, not only by their neighbors, but by future generations. Their contributions are important to the legacy of this Nation. The importance of showcasing women's achievements, sharing our stories and teaching our history, cannot be overstated. Women's History Museum offers young girls the opportunity to see themselves in history as active agents of change. When we teach the history of women, we are teaching the history of humanity, and those stories are not simply for women, but for everyone. They are for everyone who shares the pioneering spirit that drives Americans to keep challenging limitations and working for freedom and opportunity. When we recognize women, let us remember the challenges they have faced, the struggles we have endured, and the significance of our choice to persevere. Progress is rarely easily won. Success is rarely freely given, but as history has illustrated time and time again, women have found ways to push forward and to pioneer better ways. As we honor the women who come before us by remembering, I hope we will be grateful and humble to have inherited the progress of past generations. As Americans and visitors to our country visit the Nation's Capital and explore the museums, it seems fitting that they would have the opportunity to learn about the pioneering spirit of America and the stories of pioneering American women. Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________

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