[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 616 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 616

   Designating June 12, 2020, as ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 2020

Mr. Booker (for himself, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Duckworth, and Mr. Braun) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Designating June 12, 2020, as ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day''.

Whereas, throughout every period of the history of the United States, women have 
        proudly served the United States to secure and preserve freedom and 
        liberty for--

    (1) the people of the United States; and

    (2) the allies of the United States;

Whereas women have formally been a part of the United States Armed Forces since 
        the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 but have informally 
        served the United States since the inception of the United States 
        military;
Whereas women have served the United States honorably and with valor, 
        including--

    (1) as soldiers disguised as males during the American Revolution and 
the Civil War;

    (2) as nurses during World War I and World War II; and

    (3) as combat helicopter pilots in Afghanistan;

Whereas, as of April 2020, women constitute approximately 17 percent of United 
        States Armed Forces personnel on active duty, including--

    (1) 21 percent of active duty personnel in the Air Force;

    (2) 20 percent of active duty personnel in the Navy;

    (3) 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Army;

    (4) 9 percent of active duty personnel in the Marine Corps; and

    (5) 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Coast Guard;

Whereas, as of April 2020, women constitute nearly 21 percent of personnel in 
        the National Guard and Reserves;
Whereas, as of April 2020, women comprise nearly 25 percent of the personnel in 
        the National Guard and Reserves activated to support COVID-19 response 
        efforts;
Whereas, in 2020--

    (1) the population of women veterans reached 2,000,000, which 
represents an exponential increase from 713,000 women veterans in 1980; and

    (2) women veterans constitute more than 10 percent of the total veteran 
population;

Whereas the United States is proud of, and appreciates, the service of all women 
        veterans who have demonstrated great skill, sacrifice, and commitment to 
        defending the principles upon which the United States was founded and 
        which the United States continues to uphold;
Whereas women veterans have unique stories and should be encouraged to share 
        their recollections through the Veterans History Project, which has 
        worked since 2000 to collect and share the personal accounts of wartime 
        veterans in the United States; and
Whereas, by designating June 12, 2020, as ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day'', 
        the Senate can--

    (1) highlight the growing presence of women in the Armed Forces and the 
National Guard; and

    (2) pay respect to women veterans for their dutiful military service: 
Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate designates June 12, 2020, as ``Women 
Veterans Appreciation Day'' to recognize the service and sacrifices of 
women veterans who have served valiantly on behalf of the United 
States.
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