[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H10772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION CALLING FOR RATIFICATION OF CEDAW

  (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am here today because of an alarming 
pattern of inaction on the part of the Senate. After voting down the 
comprehensive nuclear test ban and trying to kill the nomination of 
Senator Carol Moseley-Braun to be ambassador of New Zealand, one Member 
in particular is continuing to hold the United Nations convention on 
eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, or CEDAW, 
hostage. CEDAW formalizes women's equality and promotes women's 
inclusion in business, government and other economic and social 
sectors. CEDAW has absolutely nothing to do with family planning or 
abortion, and more than 160 countries have already ratified this 
important treaty supporting basic human rights for women. The United 
States in fact is the only industrialized democracy that has not 
ratified CEDAW. This is a disgrace.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to cosponsor my 
resolution calling on the Senate to ratify CEDAW in this Congress.

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