[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11633-S11634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RELOCATION OF THE PORTRAIT MONUMENT

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr President, House Concurrent Resolution 216, to move 
the Suffrage Statue from the crypt to the rotunda is a good compromise.
  I congratulate Representative Constance Morella and the leadership of 
the House for devising and approving this measure.
  The House resolution compliments the resolution passed in the Senate 
last session and recognizes three important women leaders: Elizabeth 
Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony; and an important 
right--the right for women to vote. That change in our democracy 
changed the world.
  This statue will inspire some 4 million visitors to the rotunda next 
year with the physical reality that this Nation was shaped by both men 
and women leaders.
  There are several people that deserve special recognition: Of the 
$75,000 required for the move, $1,600 was raised by 9-year old Arlyss 
Endres from Arizona; Coline Jenkins--the great granddaughter of 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton--worked tirelessly with the Woman Suffrage 
Statue campaign committee.
  Marian Miller, vice president of the Federation of Republican Women, 
and political activists from both sides of the aisle such as Republican 
Ann Stone and Democrat Joan Wages, demonstrated the commitment of women 
across the Nation to this cause.
  Among the literally thousands of men and women contributing their 
time and money to this project, I would like to recognize for the 
record the work of Shelley Heretyk, Kay Cash-Smith, Maia Greco, Sherry 
Little and cochairs Joan Meacham and Karen Staser.
  The resolution affirms our respect for the historic contributions of 
women.
  There is an unfinished portion of the statue that represents future 
generations of women leaders. My hope is that young women, like my own 
daughters, will take inspiration in the accomplishments of these 
historic figures.
  Mr President, these were real women who made real sacrifices to 
accomplish real social change. I am gratified that the Congress has 
acted to recognize them with this resolution.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today in support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 216--a resolution that has received unanimous 
support in the House of Representatives. This resolution directs the 
Architect of the Capitol to relocate to the Capitol rotunda, the 
suffrage monument of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and 
Lucretia Mott, three pioneers who fought for women's enfranchisement.
  In the House, this legislation passed under the able leadership of 
Congresswoman Connie Morella from Maryland. This resolution represents 
a 76-year battle to honor these visionary women. First presented to the 
Congress in 1921, the all-male legislature unveiled the statue with 
fanfare and pageantry in the Capitol rotunda. Not one day later, the 
sculpture was promptly ushered to the relative obscurity of the Capitol 
crypt. Four legislative attempts and 75 years later, my good friend and 
colleague from Alaska, Senator Ted Stevens, secured the support of the 
Senate for this bill to commemorate the milestone anniversary of 
woman's suffrage. The House of Representatives then considered the 
measure and expressed concerns about the use of public funds for the 
relocation costs. As a result, the resolution was tabled and 
negotiations for an acceptable compromise began.
  Mr. President, I am proud that this compromise has the unanimous 
support of the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, 72 national 
women's organizations and the very dedicated woman suffrage statue 
campaign. House Concurrent Resolution 216 will allow women across 
America the opportunity to personally participate in making their 
history visible. Armed with $75,000 in donations from citizens across 
the country--dollars from schoolchildren in Arizona, businessmen in 
Tennessee, as well as many committed women from my home State of 
Virginia--the woman suffrage statue campaign is now prepared to donate 
those funds to recognize women's rich achievements in our society. This 
resolution will also create a bipartisan commission to select a 
permanent site for this monument and develop an appropriate educational 
display that will focus on the lives and hard-won struggles of these 
crusaders. This is a solid compromise that represents the views of the 
House of the Representatives, the U.S. Senate, many diverse women's 
organizations, and, I believe, the views of most Americans.
  Mr. President, I want to recognize those individuals who have been 
truly committed to this effort: The thousands of American citizens who 
contributed their hard-earned dollars toward this worthy cause. Those 
who spread the word to friends, sisters, mothers and daughters about 
the campaign. Members in the House, Representative Morella, 
Representative Schroeder, and Representative Johnson for their 
diligence in reaching this compromise. And especially Karen Staser and 
Joan Meacham, cochairs of the woman suffrage statue campaign, and 
Sherry Little of my Rules Committee staff. All of these individuals 
have worked diligently to make this historic piece of legislation a 
reality.
  Mr. President, this bill represents 76 years of effort on the part of 
American women. I am proud to say that passage of this legislation 
ensures that every American who visits the U.S. Capitol

[[Page S11634]]

will see the history of the woman suffrage movement preserved in our 
Nation's rotunda. I am honored to have taken part in an effort that, 
after so many years, makes visible the traditions of equality and 
democracy that make our country great.

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