[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 138 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H8666-H8667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. McIntosh] is recognized for 5 minutes.

  [Mr. McIntosh addressed the House. His remarks will appear hereafter 
in the Extensions of Remarks.]
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, this year, as we celebrate the 75th 
anniversary of women's vote, our society has once again dusted off its 
perennial ``women's question''
  What do women want?
  Well the events of this week, from the fight of women NGO's at the 
conference in Beijing to have their voices heard, to the fight of the 
brave Oregonian women who wanted simply to have a public hearing about 
Senator Packwood's sexual misconduct, make one thing pretty clear.
  Women want dignity and respect so that they have the same 
opportunities as men to achieve and contribute to their society.
  Dignity and respect.


                           beijing conference

  Respect from Boutros-Ghalli, who won't even go the U.N. Conference on 
Women, but gives it as a consolation prize to a country who is on 
global probation for its dismal human rights violation.
  Respect from Chinese for the democratic ideals that allow freedom of 
speech and freedom of assembly.
  Respect from countries that practice traditions that degrade women. 
Examples: FGM; sold into the slavery of prostitution; doused with 
gasoline and burned to death because their dowries are deemed to small.
  Respect in the workplace.
  Which brings us to the Packwood case and the women who so bravely 
came forward with examples of Senator Packwood's sexual misconduct.
  This summer I met with 4 of the 17 women who brought the complaint 
against Senator Packwood. They spoke of their outrage with Senator 
Packwood's abuse of power. They said his behavior was ``demeaning, 
disrespectful, and humiliating to those who are the victims.''
  As Senator McConnell said today, ``There was a habitual pattern of 
aggressive, blatantly sexual advances mostly directed at members of his 
own staff or other whose livelihoods were connected in some way to his 
power and authority as a Senator.''
  I applaud the Senate Ethics Committee for standing firm and clearly 
saying, we will not tolerate this type of behavior.
  I found the committee's vote a real sea change. No doubt about it--
having more women in the Senate--especially women like Senator Boxer, 
Senator Mikulski, and Senator Snowe who were willing to shake things 
up--helped to create this new climate.
  The ruling is certainly shaking the foundations of the club. It's no 
secret that these guys have protected each other over and over again. 
The ruling is a signal that those days are over.
  Most importantly, the vote shows that the Senate, and Congress, has 
evolved in understanding that women are in the workplace, and they 
deserve respect.
  We tell private employers that this conduct will land them in court. 
Today, we tell elected officials, this behavior will kick them out of 
Congress.

[[Page H 8667]]

  Let this be a message for all public officials. You treat people who 
work for you with respect. They are not playthings, they are people. It 
all boils down to respect and dignity.


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