[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 102 (Monday, July 25, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H6387-H6388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO COMMEMORATION OF WOMEN 
                              SUFFRAGISTS

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint 
resolution (H.J. Res. 59) expressing the sense of Congress with respect 
to the establishment of an appropriate day for the commemoration of the 
women suffragists who fought for and won the right of women to vote in 
the United States, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 59

       Whereas one of the first public appeals for women's 
     suffrage came in 1848 when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady 
     Stanton called a women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, 
     New York, on July 19, 1848;
       Whereas Sojourner Truth gave her famous speech titled 
     ``Ain't I a Woman?'' at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in 
     Akron, Ohio;
       Whereas in 1869, suffragists formed two national 
     organizations to work for the right to vote: the National 
     Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage 
     Association;
       Whereas these two organizations united in 1890 to form the 
     National American Woman Suffrage Association;
       Whereas in 1872, Susan B. Anthony and a group of women 
     voted in the presidential election in Rochester, New York;
       Whereas she was arrested and fined for voting illegally;
       Whereas at her trial, which attracted nationwide attention, 
     she made a speech that ended with the slogan ``Resistance to 
     Tyranny Is Obedience to God'';
       Whereas on January 25, 1887, the United States Senate voted 
     on women's suffrage for the first time;
       Whereas during the early 1900s, a new generation of leaders 
     joined the women's suffrage movement, including Carrie 
     Chapman Catt, Maud Wood Park, Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, and 
     Harriot E. Blatch;
       Whereas women's suffrage leaders devoted most of their 
     efforts to marches, picketing, and other active forms of 
     protest;
       Whereas Alice Paul and others chained themselves to the 
     White House fence;
       Whereas the suffragists were often arrested and sent to 
     jail, where many of them went on hunger strikes;
       Whereas almost 5,000 people paraded for women's suffrage up 
     Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC; and
       Whereas on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the 
     United States Constitution granted women in the United States 
     the right to vote: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is 
     the sense of Congress that women suffragists should be 
     revered and celebrated for working to ensure the right of 
     women to vote in the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Issa) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise 
in support of House Joint Resolution 59. This legislation, introduced 
by the distinguished gentlewoman from Las Vegas, Nevada (Ms. Berkley) 
recognizes women's suffrage as a great milestone in our Nation's 
history.
  The resolution specifically intends to commemorate the struggle waged 
by suffragists such as Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony as a culmination in women's earning the 
right to vote. Many people reviled social reformers like these women 
leaders in the mid-19th Century. Today, however, they rightfully 
celebrate the fight to end this injustice.
  I appreciate the gentlewoman from Nevada's work in further 
recognizing the legacy of the American civil rights movement.
  From the women's rights meeting called by Mott and Stanton in Seneca 
Falls, New York in 1848 until the ratification of the 19th amendment in 
1920, the determination of these women was as strong and has endured as 
any in our history. To earn the right to vote, these women chained 
themselves to the White House gates. They went on hunger strikes. They 
participated in marches and often were arrested and jailed for their 
disobedient action.
  Despite the difficult obstacles and resistance they faced, 
suffragists remained committed to giving women the equal voice in 
American politics. Their victory was finally secured when Secretary of 
State Colby certified the ratification of the 19th amendment to the 
United States Constitution on August 26, 1920. The joint resolution 
under consideration marks the 19th amendment's upcoming 85th 
anniversary on August 26.
  The 19th amendment reads: ``The rights of citizens of the United 
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or 
by any State on account of sex.'' This single, timeless sentence 
ensured that our democracy would never again restrict women from voting 
for their leaders.
  Mr. Speaker, the story of the women suffragists included many 
excruciating chapters, but its tumultuous activities and its conclusion 
is a credit to democracy and the ability to adapt and improve.
  For all these reasons, I strongly urge my colleagues to support the 
adoption of this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleague in consideration 
of H.J. Res 59, expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 
establishment of an appropriate day for the commemoration of the women 
suffragists who fought for and won the right of women to vote in the 
United States.
  Mr. Speaker, the women's rights movement began in the mid-1800s when 
women such as Sarah Grimke, Angelina Grimke, Lucy Stone, Abby Kelly, 
Lucretia Mott, and Sojourner Truth found it necessary to speak out for 
women's rights because they were not allowed to participate equally 
with men in anti-slavery and temperance reform movements.
  The right to vote was not their original focus. A convention held in 
Seneca Falls, New York in 1848 changed that. It was at that historic 
event that the women's suffrage movement formally began.

                              {time}  1415

  The movement culminated with the passage of the 19th amendment to the 
Constitution in 1920.
  Suffragists employed a variety of arguments to press their case. Some 
argued from the basis of natural law, arguing equality for all. Some 
argued on the grounds that women were compelled to pay taxes on the 
property they owned and, therefore, should not be subject to the 
injustice of taxation without representation.
  Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott were 
among the most well-known suffragettes who pushed for a constitutional 
amendment. These women emerged as the leaders of the movement and 
helped to secure the right to vote for all women in America.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleagues, and specifically the 
gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), for bringing this bill to the 
Floor today. We should never forget how our country has emerged to 
being a representative democracy, knowing full well that we have not 
totally achieved everything that we wants to achieve, but we are 
continuing to try and form a more perfect Union.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I 
urge adoption of House Joint Resolution 59.

[[Page H6388]]

  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor all the women, 
particularly the African-American women who participated in the 
suffrage movement, in the 19th and 20th centuries.
  The historic women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY, in 1848 
first brought the issue of women's suffrage to the forefront of the 
women's rights movement. This conference ignited passion for women 
nationwide to pursue a right they have previously been denied for far 
too long.
  A second convention held in Akron, OH, in 1851, not far from my 
district in Cleveland, was equally historic for the powerful speech 
given by Sojourner Truth, entitled ``Ain't I a woman?'' Her rousing 
oratory and trying personal experiences provided a unique perspective 
to both women's rights as well as the institution of slavery.
  Another historic female figure, Harriet Tubman, spoke of her desire 
for women's rights while she was a slave runaway. Ms. Tubman, as many 
other African-American women, correctly recognized the hypocrisy in the 
patronage of women even after the abolition of slavery. The shackles of 
subservience still weighed down on African-American women at that time.
  Although the 19th amendment, which extended voting rights to include 
women, was not passed until 1920 the indispensable contributions from 
African-American women helped usher in the long overdue law. With the 
passage of this amendment came a big step toward the gradual 
deterioration of a system of patronage that has made the battle for 
gender equality an uphill climb.
  It gives me great pride to rise with the my fellow congressional 
colleagues to honor the women who fought tirelessly for this amendment.
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 59 
introduced by my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, 
and I commend her for introducing this bill.
  The battle for suffrage began in earnest in 1848, when Lucretia Mott 
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized a convention in Seneca Falls, NY, 
to advance women's rights. Their struggle continued for 72 years, until 
August 18, 1920, when ratification of the 19th amendment to the United 
States Constitution finally gave women the right to vote.
  Like other civil rights campaigns, the fight for suffrage required 
strong and principled individuals who risked health, wealth, and 
societal denigration. Susan B. Anthony and her fellow activists were 
fearless in their efforts to win the right to vote in the 19th century. 
Their courage inspired a new generation of suffragists, including 
Carrie Chapment Catt, Maud Wood Park, Lucy Burns, and Alice Paul, and 
Harriott E. Blatch, who would not allow themselves to be silenced 
despite harassment and arrest. Their efforts resonated nationwide, and 
in 1920 they achieved their goal: political equality for women.
  We must not forget their struggle or undervalue their achievement. 
The 19th amendment makes for a more equitable society and for a more 
truly representative government. In fact, the number of women serving 
in national, State and local elected office has steadily increased. The 
109th Congress has 83 female Members, including House Democratic Leader 
Nancy Pelosi. Leader Pelosi is a role model for all those aspiring to 
public service, and I am hopeful and confident that in my lifetime 
there will be full parity between men and women in this legislative 
institution.
  Commemorating these brave suffragists reminds us of the hard fight 
for gender equality and the ongoing struggle today. Women continue to 
face discrimination in the workplace, where women make less money and 
are promoted less frequently. In government, women, despite great 
gains, are underrepresented in every branch and at every level.
  By passing this resolution, the House not only honors the women who 
won passage of the 19th amendment, but it also sends a clear message 
that we are committed to eliminating the inequalities that women face 
today. I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 59.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 59, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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