[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 634 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 634
Acknowledging the 25th anniversary of the nomination of Representative
Geraldine A. Ferraro as the first woman selected by a major political
party as its candidate for Vice President.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 13, 2009
Mr. Crowley (for himself, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Israel, Mr.
Engel, Mr. Arcuri, Mr. Massa, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Hall of New York, Mr.
McMahon, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Filner, Mr. Murphy
of New York, and Mr. Nadler of New York) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Acknowledging the 25th anniversary of the nomination of Representative
Geraldine A. Ferraro as the first woman selected by a major political
party as its candidate for Vice President.
Whereas, July 19, 2009, marks the 25th anniversary of Congresswoman Geraldine A.
Ferraro's acceptance of the nomination of the Democratic Party for the
office of Vice President of the United States;
Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro worked her way through law school at Fordham
University, at a time when very few women did so;
Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro then joined the Queens County District Attorney's
Office, where she supervised the prosecution of a variety of violent
crimes, including child and domestic abuse;
Whereas in 1978, New York's Ninth Congressional District in Queens elected
Congresswoman Ferraro to the United States House of Representatives,
where she was one of only 16 women Members of the House;
Whereas her House colleagues rewarded Congresswoman Ferraro's legislative and
political talents by making her part of the elected House leadership, as
Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus;
Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro's legislative achievements included her
sponsorship of the Women's Economic Equity Act, landmark legislation to
end pension discrimination, and provide increased job training and
opportunities for women re-entering the workforce;
Whereas in 1984, Congresswoman Ferraro's status as a leader was confirmed when
she was named Chairwoman of the Platform Committee for the Democratic
Convention, the first woman to hold that position;
Whereas when she was nominated as the running mate of Vice President Walter F.
Mondale in the 1984 presidential race, Congresswoman Ferraro became the
first woman ever chosen to run on the national ticket of either of the
two major political parties;
Whereas that nomination also marked the only time an Italian-American has been
nominated as a major-party candidate in a national election;
Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro's Vice Presidential candidacy continued the
progress begun by women who achieved political firsts before her,
including Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, Margaret
Chase Smith, the first woman elected to the Senate in her own right,
Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian American/Pacific Islander woman
elected to Congress, and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American
woman elected to Congress;
Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro's candidacy helped to tear down barriers to the
full and equal participation of women in national politics;
Whereas in 1984, there were two women Members of the United States Senate, and
22 women Members of the United States House of Representatives;
Whereas in the current, 111th Congress, there are 17 women Members of the United
States Senate, and 75 women Members of the House, including the first
woman ever to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy
Pelosi;
Whereas in 2008, our country saw historic barriers fall with a presidential race
that featured historic candidacies in both parties, and culminated in
the election of the first African-American president in our Nation's
history;
Whereas in January 1993, President Clinton appointed Ms. Ferraro a United States
Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, a role from
which she championed the rights of women around the world; and
Whereas Geraldine Ferraro's 1984 bid for Vice President helped our daughters
join our sons in believing they could achieve anything they set their
minds to: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes that Geraldine Ferraro's vice-presidential
candidacy forever enriched the American political landscape and
forged a new path for American women, and congratulates her on
the 25th anniversary of the acceptance of her nomination;
(2) pays tribute to Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro's
work to improve the lives of women and families not only in the
Ninth Congressional District of New York, who she represented
so well, but also the lives of women and families all across
the United States; and
(3) appreciates Geraldine Ferraro's life story, a daughter
of immigrants who studied hard to become a teacher and later
worked her way through law school and served as a prosecuting
attorney, a wife and mother who has fought to create a more
just world in which her three children and all children could
thrive, and a Congresswoman and Vice Presidential candidate who
inspired a generation, especially women, to run for and serve
in public office.
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