[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 106 (Monday, July 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H6399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              ON TITLE IX

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, tonight we celebrate 27 years of 
title IX, a piece of legislation that was cosponsored by our dear 
friend the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) whom we come tonight to 
congratulate, along with Congresswoman Edith Green.
  I have worked, Mr. Speaker, tonight with the cochair of the Women's 
Caucus, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), together women 
and men of the House, to recognize these two remarkable women and their 
achievements and their bringing about title IX, which began some 27 
years ago.
  These congresswomen planted a seed of opportunity for women that has 
blossomed into one of the greatest triumphs of our time. The successes 
of basketball superstar Nikki McCray; swimming sensation Penny Heyns; 
golf maestro Sherri Stein; the Williams sisters tennis phenomenon; ice 
hockey superstar Cammi Granat; the unstoppable softball shortstop Dot 
Richardson; World Cup soccer champions Mia Hamm, Brianna Scurry and 
Michelle Ackers; and Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, the first woman 
to command a NASA shuttle mission which just took off on Friday. We are 
proud of all of them, Mr. Speaker, and we attribute their successes to 
title IX.

  The impressive accomplishments of these women, and many more who have 
excelled both on and off the playing field, are not solely because of 
title IX. We know it takes drive, aggression, determination, 
competitiveness, sacrifice, true grit and a lifetime's dedication to 
hard work. These women are tough and they deserve to soar in their 
areas of expertise as they have done. But the passage of title IX, Mr. 
Speaker, opened a door that had been locked shut for countless decades 
and for countless generations of women who wanted to be challenged and 
pushed to new limits through athletic competition. Title IX allowed 
young women and girls to follow in the footsteps of tennis wonder 
Billie Jean King, track superstar Wilma Rudolph, and other pioneering 
female athletes.
  It was the arduous and innovative work of the gentlewoman from Hawaii 
(Mrs. Mink) and Edith Green 27 years ago, which we celebrated last 
Friday, July 23, that brought the Educational Amendments Act, which 
included title IX, to the desk of President Nixon. The gentlewoman from 
Hawaii, who is here tonight to help us celebrate her and to commend 
her, was both shrewd and precise in making sure that the inclusion of a 
few simple words would provide such a tremendous opportunity for women 
to develop latent athletic talents.
  Specifically, the statute states, ``No person in the United States 
shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be 
denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any 
educational program or activity receiving Federal financial 
assistance.''
  The progress we have made over the past 27 years is awesome, Mr. 
Speaker. When President Nixon signed this bill, about 31,000 women were 
involved in college sports. Today, that number has more than tripled. 
Spending on athletic scholarships for women has also grown from less 
than $100,000 to almost $200 million. In 1971, there was an average of 
2.1 women's teams at colleges, and now that number is at a record 7.7 
per school. The participation level in high school was dismal, as well. 
In 1971, the athletic participation of all girls in the United States 
was just under 300,000. Today, that number has climbed to over 2.2 
million. Finally, 40 percent of athletes at Division I schools in 1997-
1998 were women, a 5 percent increase from 1996-1997. Women also 
received 40 percent of athletic scholarship budgets, a 14 percent rise 
from the previous year.
  Since the enactment of title IX, we have also witnessed a significant 
surge in women's educational achievements. In 1994, women received 38 
percent of medical degrees and 43 percent of law degrees, compared with 
9 and 7 percent respectively in 1972. In 1994, women also earned 44 
percent of all doctoral degrees, which is a noticeable increase from 
the 25 percent in 1977.
  Mr. Speaker, perhaps most exciting of all, title IX has benefited 
millions of women, men and families who enjoy watching and playing 
sports. Over 40 million viewers tuned in to the final match of the 
Women's World Cup. That number was not only greater than any televised 
game for U.S. men's soccer but it also eclipsed the three-game viewing 
total for this year's NHL Stanley Cup. What the women's U.S. soccer 
team illustrated with their victory is just how far we have come as a 
Nation in providing opportunities for women to test their limits, excel 
in sports and fulfill their dreams in many more areas than women of our 
generation could ever fathom.
  Tonight, I salute our dear friend the Honorable Patsy Mink and the 
Honorable Edith Green for paving the way for women to succeed in our 
educational institutions. And I give my most heart-felt congratulations 
to all of our athletic and academic achievers, who are the women of 
title IX.

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