[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 69 (Thursday, April 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5748-S5749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS TO WORK DAY

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to encourage girls and young 
women throughout the Nation to aspire and work hard to make their 
dreams a reality. In honor of national Take Our Daughters to Work Day, 
I have with me today my own daughter, Sara.
  When I was young, many women did not work outside the home. The women 
who did work were teachers, nurses, and waitresses. Life has changed a 
lot since then. Young women today have more options and greater 
opportunities than ever before. There are over 58 million working women 
in this country today. There are 3.8 million women working in jobs not 
traditionally held by women--occupations such as engineering, medicine, 
mechanics, construction trades, farming, forestry, and transportation. 
They are even Members of the U.S. Senate.
  Although it is encouraging to reflect on the changes that have been 
made by women since my childhood, I believe that the job choices 
available to young women today are not merely a matter of luxury. The 
reality is that many of our young women ultimately will be responsible 
for the financial well-being of their families. Women's employment is 
often critical to keeping families above the poverty line. Children 
whose mothers work are less likely to be poor, whether they live with 
one parent or two.
  The ability of young women to realize their goals of good paying, 
rewarding employment are hampered, however, by lack of involvement by 
parents toward their child's education. I was reading the Seattle Times 
last Sunday, and Erik Lacitis, a staff columnist for the Times, 
suggested that parents visit their child's school, a sort of Take Your 
Parent To School Day. Mr. Lacitis comments that,

       In talking to teachers over the years, what they tell me is 
     that a number of you [meaning parents] are strangers to your 
     kid's schools *** have you ever spent time in their 
     classrooms, say, volunteering to carry out a project with the 
     kids?

  He ends his editorial by saying that one of the best things that 
could happen to schools is the presence of parents in the classroom 
regularly.
  I could not agree more. I wholeheartedly support the idea of taking a 
child to work. I believe it is important for young people to see what 
their parents, and role models, do for 8 hours or more a day. It is 
important for us to show them they can achieve the same thing, and even 
more. However, I also feel that we need to see and experience what our 
children are doing for 8 hours of their day. It would show our children 
that we care about what they are learning in school, and would 
emphasize the importance of education in achieving their long-range 
goals.
  Mr. President, I feel that it is very important for me as a woman, as 
a mother, and a Member of the U.S. Congress to encourage girls and 
young women throughout the Nation to realize their potential.
  I never dreamed that I would become an elected official, much less a 
U.S. Senator. Today, I have the opportunity to be a role model for my 
daughter Sara and for other women across the country. Young women need 
to understand that they don't have to give up one part of their lives 
for another. Women should not have to choose between careers and 
families. I work long hours for the citizens of my home 
[[Page S5749]] State of Washington as a U.S. Senator, but also dedicate 
a lot of energy, caring, and love as a parent to my son and daughter.
  Today is an important day in America. Across this Nation, parents are 
taking their daughters and other young women to work. They are helping 
to broaden young women's horizons, to show them the range of options 
available to them in the future.
  I hope this day is a day when young women everywhere recognize that 
if they work hard and believe in themselves, they can be whoever they 
want to be. I am a U.S. Senator today because I learned to face tough 
challenges with courage, to take risks, not to be afraid to try, and to 
always dream the impossible.
  Finally, I would like daughters across this Nation to remember a 
lesson I was taught early on: When others say you can not make a 
difference, they are usually just afraid you will.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  

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