[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 125 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 125

     Designating March 2019 as ``National Women's History Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 27, 2019

Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Collins, 
   Mr. Brown, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Coons, Mr. Markey, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. 
 Shaheen, Ms. Harris, Mr. Carper, Mr. Jones, Mr. Reed, Mr. Van Hollen, 
  Ms. Hirono, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Udall, Ms. Warren, Ms. Smith, Ms. 
   Klobuchar, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Peters, Mr. 
Kaine, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Rosen, 
Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Casey, Mr. Wyden, and Ms. McSally) submitted 
      the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Designating March 2019 as ``National Women's History Month''.

Whereas National Women's History Month recognizes and spreads awareness of the 
        importance of women in the history of the United States;
Whereas, throughout the history of the United States, whether in the home, their 
        workplace, school, the courts, or in wartime, women have fought for 
        themselves, their families, and all people of the United States;
Whereas, even from the early days of the history of the United States, Abigail 
        Adams urged her husband to ``Remember the ladies'' when representatives 
        met for the Continental Congress in 1776;
Whereas women were particularly important in the establishment of early 
        charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions in the United 
        States;
Whereas women led the efforts to secure suffrage and equal opportunity for 
        women, and also served in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation 
        movement, labor movements, civil rights movements, and other causes to 
        create a more fair and just society for all;
Whereas suffragists wrote, marched, were arrested, and ultimately succeeded in 
        achieving the enactment of--

    (1) the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, 
section 1 of which provides that ``The right of citizens of the United 
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by 
any state on account of sex''; and

    (2) the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), which 
extended the protection of the right to vote to women of color and language 
minorities;

Whereas, in 2019, the United States celebrates the 100th anniversary of Congress 
        proposing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, 
        which guarantees women the constitutional right to vote;
Whereas women have been and continue to be leaders in the forefront of social 
        change efforts, business, science, government, math, art, literature, 
        music, film, athletics, and more;
Whereas women now represent approximately half of the workforce of the United 
        States;
Whereas women once were routinely barred from attending medical schools of the 
        United States, but now are enrolling in medical schools of the United 
        States at higher numbers than men;
Whereas women previously were turned away from law school, but now represent 
        approximately half of law students in the United States;
Whereas women have been vital to the mission of the Armed Forces since the 
        American Revolution, serving in volunteer and enlisted positions, with 
        more than 200,000 active-duty servicewomen and 2,000,000 veterans 
        representing every branch of service;
Whereas more than 10,000,000 women own businesses in the United States;
Whereas Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to the House of 
        Representatives in 1916 and Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas was the 
        first woman elected to the United States Senate in 1932;
Whereas Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was the first woman to serve in both 
        houses of Congress;
Whereas a record number of women were elected to public office in the 2018 
        midterm elections;
Whereas, in the 116th Congress, a record 25 women serve as United States 
        Senators, and 102 women serve in the House of Representatives;
Whereas President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation 
        designating March 2 through 8, 1980, as ``National Women's History 
        Week'';
Whereas, in 1987, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the first joint 
        resolution to pass Congress designating ``Women's History Month'';
Whereas President Ronald Reagan issued the first ``Women's History Month'' 
        Presidential Proclamation in 1987; and
Whereas, despite the advancements of women in the United States, much remains to 
        be done to ensure that women realize their full potential as equal 
        members of society in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates March 2019 as ``National Women's History 
        Month'';
            (2) recognizes the celebration of ``National Women's 
        History Month'' as a time to reflect on the many notable 
        contributions that women have made to the United States; and
            (3) urges the people of the United States to observe 
        ``National Women's History Month'' with appropriate programs 
        and activities.
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