[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 85 (Thursday, June 23, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4990]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN SUPPORT OF TITLE IX

  (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the 33rd 
anniversary of Title IX, the landmark 1972 law that blocks gender 
discrimination in education. I am a proud supporter of this law that 
has helped girls and women move toward equality in athletics at every 
level and in every community across the Nation.
  As opportunities have been made increasingly available, women's 
participation in sports has grown exponentially. Nearly 2.6 million 
high school girls and over 135,000 women in college now participate in 
organized sports. That is more than 2 million women and girls having a 
chance to score a goal, slide into home plate, or sink that winning 
basket. For many young athletes, the scholarship opportunities provide 
the only means by which they can attend college.
  Moreover, they tend to graduate at higher rates, perform better in 
school, are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. They also tend to 
have more confidence, better body image, and higher self-esteem than 
female nonathletes, the critical attributes that help them succeed 
throughout their lives.
  We build on these advancements in the name of the equality, and I 
want those here to stand for and defend the integrity of this 
pioneering civil rights law.

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