[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 69 (Monday, May 17, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S5554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN ON THE HOMEFRONT DURING WORLD WAR II

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask consent that the Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions Committee, be discharged from further action on S. 
Con. Res. 103 and the Senate now proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the concurrent resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 103), honoring the 
     contribution of the women, symbolized by ``Rosie the 
     Riveter,'' who served on the home-front during World War II, 
     and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be 
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, and any statements relating to the resolution be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 103) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 103

       Whereas during World War II, 6,000,000 women stepped 
     forward to work in homefront industries to produce the ships, 
     planes, tanks, trucks, guns, and ammunition that were crucial 
     to achieving an Allied victory;
       Whereas women worked in homefront industries as welders, 
     riveters, engineers, designers, and managers, and held other 
     positions that had traditionally been held by men;
       Whereas these women demonstrated great skill and dedication 
     in the difficult and often dangerous jobs they held, which 
     enabled them to produce urgently needed military equipment at 
     recordbreaking speeds;
       Whereas the need for labor in homefront industries during 
     World War II opened new employment opportunities for women 
     from all walks of life and dramatically increased gender and 
     racial integration in the workplace;
       Whereas the service of women on the homefront during World 
     War II marked an unprecedented entry of women into jobs that 
     had traditionally been held by men and created a lasting 
     legacy of the ability of women to succeed in those jobs;
       Whereas these women devoted their hearts and souls to their 
     work to assure safety and success for their husbands, sons, 
     and other loved ones on the battle front;
       Whereas the needs of working mothers resulted in the 
     creation of child care programs, leading to the lasting 
     legacy of public acceptance of early child development and 
     care outside the home;
       Whereas the needs of women on the homefront led to 
     employer-sponsored prepaid and preventative health care never 
     before seen in the United States; and
       Whereas in 2000, Congress recognized the significance to 
     the Nation of the industrial achievements on the homefront 
     during World War II and the legacy of the women who worked in 
     those industries through the establishment of the Rosie the 
     Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in 
     Richmond, California, as a unit of the National Park System: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) honors the extraordinary contributions of the women 
     whose dedicated service on the homefront during World War II 
     was instrumental in achieving an Allied victory;
       (2) recognizes the lasting legacy of equal employment 
     opportunity and support for child care and health care that 
     developed during the ``Rosie the Riveter'' era; and
       (3) calls on the people of the United States to take the 
     opportunity to study, reflect on, and celebrate the stories 
     and accomplishments of women who served the Nation as 
     ``Rosies'' during World War II.

  Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Virginia be 
made a cosponsor of that resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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