[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON WOMEN'S ISSUES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. 
Norton] is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, the women of the House have something to 
celebrate this evening. Nearly all--Republican and Democratic women 
alike--are members of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues. The 
caucus will celebrate 20 years of historic legislation and other 
milestones for women, families, and children led by the Women's Caucus 
for two decades.
  Madam Speaker, an all-star cast will be on hand at the elegant Andrew 
Mellon Auditorium for the 7 p.m. dinner led by remarks from President 
Clinton himself. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will speak, 
ABC's Cokie Roberts, the daughter of former Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, 
will MC, and ``Sweet Honey in the Rock,'' the award-winning singing 
group, will entertain.
  Today, 50 of the 52 women of the House are members of the caucus. We 
are more than three times the group we were in 1977 when 15 Members led 
by former Representatives Elizabeth Holtzman and Margaret Heckler 
founded the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues. Resolutely 
bipartisan from that day to this, the caucus has a list of achievements 
that boggle the mind. Here is a sampling from the honor roll of 
legislative landmarks achieved through the leadership of the Women's 
Caucus:
  The Family Medical and Leave Act, the Violence Against Women Act, the 
Pregnancy Discrimination Act, retirement equity legislation, child 
support enforcement legislation, the Mammography Quality Assurance Act, 
legislation that established the NIH Office of Research in Women's 
Health, legislation barring health plan discrimination against victims 
of domestic violence and against the genetic information of clients, 
criminalization of female genital mutilation, and policies requiring 
that women be included in clinical trials. There is too much more where 
that came from to name and there is lots more to come.
  Madam Speaker, this year we have initiated new approaches in the 
caucus that promise even greater legislative production. We have 
inaugurated a series of Women's Caucus hearings and we now have 14 
issue teams, each led by a Republican and a Democratic Member. My 
cochair, the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Johnson], and I have 
worked hard in the tradition of prior Republican and Democratic 
cochairs, the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella] and the 
gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Lowey], former Congresswomen Liz 
Holtzman and Margaret Heckler, former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder and 
former Representative and now Senator Olympia Snowe.
  Tonight we are throwing ourselves a party. We hope to see our 
colleagues there.

                          ____________________