[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8840-H8841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATION OF 20 YEARS OF THE WOMEN'S CAUCUS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 21, 1997, the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Maloney] is
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, tonight we will honor the
20th anniversary of the Women's Caucus. President Clinton will join us
as we celebrate the past, present, and future of the Women's Caucus.
Women have always faced extra hurdles as they served in Congress.
Recognizing these extra challenges, Elizabeth Holtzman, from my home
State of New York, along with Peggy Heckler of Massachusetts, organized
13 Members to join them in forming the Women's Caucus in 1977.
We have certainly expanded our numbers. The caucus is 53 members
strong this year, but we still face many obstacles.
I would like to submit this copy of achievements of the Women's
Caucus during its 20 years for the Record, and just note some of the
achievements for the Record.
In 1978, the caucus was instrumental in the passage of the Pregnancy
Discrimination Act, guaranteeing employment rights to pregnant workers.
In 1979, Congress, at the pushing by the Women's Caucus, created the
Office of Civil Rights at the Education Department to enforce the title
IX ban against sex discrimination in education.
In 1984, the caucus' Economic Equity Act was the driving force behind
enactment of important legislation in retirement equity and child
support enforcement legislation.
That year, also, a caucus member, Geraldine Ferraro, from my home
State of New York, was nominated for Vice President of the United
States, the first time a woman ran for that office on a major party
ticket.
In 1985, for the first time, legislation was introduced to provide
temporary leave for parents of newborns and seriously ill children and
for workers with serious health problems. This effort sparked an 8-year
campaign that ended with the 1993 enactment of the Family and Medical
Leave Act. That was the first bill that I voted for in Congress.
In 1992, the media called this year the ``Year of the Woman'' in
politics as hundreds of women lined up to run for office. It was a year
in which many people voted for women candidates, not as a slogan but as
a force to be reckoned with. A record 48 women were elected to the
House and 6 to the Senate. And our presence here truly did make a
difference.
We passed many important bills: The Family and Medical Leave Act; we
expanded the earned income tax credit; we passed the domestic violence
bill; the Violence Against Women Act; we expanded coverage and funding
for breast cancer and breast cancer research; and this year, in 1997,
Congress passed landmark legislation to balance the Federal budget, and
they included in it very important expansions for women's health
provisions.
One bill that I am particularly proud of is one that I worked on
since 1992 with my Republican colleague, Barbara Vucanovich, which
expanded the coverage of mammograms in Medicare for women over 65 and
bone mass measurement. And I note the very good work of my Republican
colleague, the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Connie Morella], in this
area.
[[Page H8841]]
We also enacted a child tax credit, assistance for families with
children in college, and expanded health coverage for uninsured
children.
I would like to take this time to thank the Congresswomen who have
chaired the Women's Caucus. This year the gentlewoman from Connecticut,
Mrs. Nancy Johnson, and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia,
Ms. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
This year, on Mother's Day, again with my colleague, the gentlewoman
from Maryland, Mrs. Connie Morella, it was a symbolic victory, but
after many hurdles we finally moved the only statue of women that are
in the rotunda, from the basement into the rotunda. On that particular
day Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two of
whom were women from New York State and who worked very hard on women's
issues and for the right for women to gain the vote, they finally took
their place in the Capitol rotunda, along with our other great
revolutionary leaders.
I would like to put the rest of my remarks into the Record and also
note other great women leaders from New York State, Bella Abzug,
Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro and Elizabeth Holtzman, all of whom
were members of the Women's Caucus.
Program Book Highlights
1977--Reps. Elizabeth Holtzman (D-NY) and Margaret Heckler
(R-MA) founded the Congresswomen's Caucus. Comprised of 15 of
the 18 women in the House, the group focused its early
efforts on eliminating sex discrimination and improving
women's employment opportunities in the federal government.
1978--The Caucus led a successful effort to gain an
extension of the ratification period for the Equal Rights
Amendment. Also that year, Congress passed landmark
legislation--the Pregnancy Discrimination Act--guaranteeing
employment rights to pregnant workers.
1979--Double digit inflation spurred the Caucus to focus on
economic equity for women, ranging from women's business
opportunities to the susceptibility of women workers to
unemployment. Congress created the Office of Civil Rights at
the Education Department to enforce the Title IX ban against
sex discrimination in education. Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-
CO) took over as Democratic Co-Chair of the Caucus.
1980--The Caucus called for a Congressional investigation
of the extent to which women-owned businesses were gaining
access to federal contracts. Congress voted to require
federal agencies to report the dollar value of all federal
contracts awarded to small, minority-owned and female-owned
businesses.
1981--The Caucus introduced the Economic Equity Act--a
package of legislation to address key economic security
issues. Sandra Day O'Connor was sworn in as the first woman
Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The
Congresswomen's Caucus opened its membership to men and
changed its name to the Congressional Caucus for Women's
Issues.
1982--At the urging of the Caucus, the Joint Economic
Committee convened hearings on the economic status of women
and its impact on family income. Congress extended flex-time
arrangements for federal workers and made former military
spouses eligible for health benefits.
1983--Virtually every piece of the Caucus' Economic Equity
Act was the subject to Congressional hearings, including tax
and retirement matters, dependent care, nondiscrimination in
insurance, and child support enforcement. In a major jobs
bill, Congress enacted provisions important to working women.
Rep. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) becomes Republican Co-Chair of the
Caucus.
1984--The Caucus Economic Equity Act was the driving force
behind enactment of important retirement equity and child
support enforcement legislation. Caucus member Geraldine
Ferraro (D-NY) was nominated for Vice-President of the United
States, the first time a woman ran for that office on a major
party ticket.
1985--For the first time, legislation was introduced to
provide temporary leave for parents of newborns and seriously
ill children, and for workers with serious health problems.
This effort sparked an eight year campaign that ended with
the 1993 enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA).
1986--Congress passed major legislation to increase
accessibility of a college education to non-traditional
students--mostly women--and to allow states to expand
Medicaid coverage to pregnant women and infants. Sen. Barbara
Mikulski (D-MD) was the first Democratic woman elected to the
Senate without first having been elected or appointed to fill
a vacant seat.
1987--The Caucus celebrated its 10th anniversary as the
nation marked the 100th Congress and the 200th anniversary of
the Constitution. Two important Supreme Court decisions
upheld the constitutional use of affirmative action plans for
women and ruled that states could force all-male clubs to
admit female members.
1988--An important Caucus priority was achieved when
Congress restored broad coverage of Title IX and other civil
rights laws. The Caucus won passage of legislation to address
the impoverishment faced by many elderly women when their
spouses entered nursing homes. Congress also passed the
Women's Business Ownership Act aimed at ending discrimination
in credit to women entrepreneurs.
1989--The Caucus continued to push Congress to approve the
Family and Medical Leave Act as well as new legislation to
increase the availability, quality, and affordability of
child care. Congress increased funding for maternal and child
health programs and required states to expand Medicaid
programs to cover pregnant women and children under six, Rep.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) was the first Latina elected to
Congress.
1990--Congress approved the first major child care
legislation in 20 years. A General Accounting Office (GAO)
report requested by the Caucus confirmed the widespread
exclusion of women from federally funded medical research.
Caucus members introduced the first Women's Health Equity Act
and traveled to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to
discuss plans for creating an NIH Office of Research on
Women's Health.
1991--Congress approved civil rights legislation that
expanded remedies for victims of sex discrimination,
established a Glass Ceiling Commission to examine barriers to
the advancement of women in management positions, and removed
the statutory prohibition against women flying combat
missions. Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO) became the first
woman in nearly 20 years to chair a full committee in the
House.
1992--Caucus initiatives to improve quality of mammograms
and combat infertility in women were enacted. The media
labeled 1992 the ``Year of the Woman'' in politics as
hundreds of women lined up to run for office. A record 48
women were elected to the House and 6 to the Senate.
1993--After an eight year battle, the Family and Medical
Leave Act was signed into law. Major women's health
legislation drafted by the Caucus also became law. Congress
removed the remaining statutory limits on women serving in
the military. The Earned Income Tax Credit was expanded to
help raise poor working families above the poverty level.
1994--With strong bipartisan support from the Caucus,
Congress enacted the Violence Against Women Act, which
authorized $1.6 billion over six years for services to
victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Congress
also passed legislation to ensure more equitable treatment
for women and girls in education and required federal
agencies to establish a five percent goal for contracting
with women-owned businesses.
1995--Congress approved legislation applying civil rights
and employment statutes to itself, long a priority of the
Caucus. Congress also defunded the legislative offices of
House caucuses, including the Congressional Caucus for
Women's Issues. Reps. Constance Morella (R-MD) and Nita Lowey
(D-NY) were named to co-chair the reorganized Congressional
Caucus for Women's Issues. Three women were named to chair
committees in the House and Senate.
1996--Legislation was enacted to guarantee continued health
insurance coverage for workers who change or lose their jobs.
Included were Women's Health Equity Act provisions barring
insurers from discriminating on the basis of genetic
information or evidence of domestic violence. Congress also
require insurers to expand hospital stays for new mothers and
approved a Caucus initiative to strengthen child support
enforcement.
1997--Congress passed landmark legislation to balance the
federal budget and included in it important women's health
provisions which expand Medicare coverage of mammography and
bone mass measurement. Also enacted were a child tax credit,
assistance for families with children in college, and
expanded health coverage for uninsured children.
Congresswomen Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Eleanor Holmes Norton
(D-DC) take over as Co-Chairs of the Caucus.
____________________