[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 8, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4616-H4618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF A NATIONAL SUFFRAGISTS DAY

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 105) supporting the 
goals and ideals of a National Suffragists Day to promote awareness of 
the importance of the women suffragists who worked for the right of 
women to vote in the United States.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 105

       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, women suffragists formed the National 
     Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage 
     Association, which were national organizations designed to 
     work for the right of women to vote;
       Whereas these 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 Susan B. Anthony was arrested and fined for voting 
     illegally;
       Whereas at her trial, which attracted nationwide attention, 
     Susan B. Anthony made a speech that ended with the following 
     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 women 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;
       Whereas, on August 18, 1920, ratification of the 19th 
     amendment to the Constitution was completed, thus 
     guaranteeing women in the United States the right to vote;

[[Page H4617]]

       Whereas July 19th is the anniversary of the first women's 
     rights convention; and
       Whereas designating July 19th as National Suffragists Day 
     would raise awareness of the importance of women suffragists 
     who fought for and won the right of women to vote in the 
     United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That Congress supports the goals and ideals of 
     a National Suffragists Day to promote awareness of the 
     importance of the women suffragists who worked for the right 
     of women to vote in the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), the author of the 
resolution.
  Ms. BERKLEY. I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for 
yielding, and a special thank you to Mr. Waxman.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be here today in support of a 
resolution that I have reintroduced that would promote the goals and 
ideals of creating a day in honor of the women of America's suffragist 
movement.
  The goal of this resolution is to recognize the anniversary of the 
inaugural women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. 
The suffragists are role models who inspired an entire generation and 
continue to inspire generations of young American women, just as they 
have two young women from the State of Nevada, Hannah Low and Destiny 
Carroll, who started their own petition drive to pay tribute to the 
efforts of these great suffragists.
  Hannah Low and Destiny Carroll presented a petition to me with 
hundreds of signatures from their fourth grade class in support of 
creating a day to recognize the achievements of our brave suffragists.
  I cannot tell you how proud I am of Hannah and Destiny, and I thank 
them for serving as an inspiration for this resolution.
  While it may seem unbelievable to us now, it was not that long ago 
that women did not have the right to vote in our great Nation. On July 
19, 1848, the first public appeal for women's suffrage was made, and a 
new movement was born for equality.
  We owe these suffragists a debt of gratitude for their efforts in 
their fight to give women the right to vote and to be full 
participating members in our Nation's political process. I hope that 
recognizing the anniversary of the inaugural women's rights convention 
in 1848 will keep alive the memory of the struggle to win the 
fundamental right, the right to vote, for women. I urge my colleagues 
to support this resolution.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to imagine a time when our Nation's 
women did not have the privilege to vote. Thankfully, we have moved 
past those times to where we currently have the highest number of 
female Members in the history of the Congress. Although I think it is 
very difficult for people to realize, in the history of this Congress, 
we have had only 249 women, and 90 of them are serving now.
  As we all know, the struggle for women to achieve this came at great 
sacrifice. The fight lasted over many decades because of dedicated 
perseverance of many women. These pioneers were revolutionary in their 
fight for equality. They worked tirelessly knowing there would be a 
future when women were seen as equal to men with the ability to vote.
  The historical Seneca Falls Convention, held in 1848, was led by a 
group of innovative women, including Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton. Following the convention, they formed the National Woman's 
Suffrage Association and the American Woman's Suffrage Association 
which merged together in 1890. Through public speeches, marches, 
parades, pickets, arrests and even hunger strikes, the members of the 
associations fought their battle across the country. Their historic 
efforts came to fruition on August 18, 1920, when the Congress ratified 
the 19th amendment of the Constitution thereby granting women the right 
to vote. The goal of the suffragist movement endured over 50 years.
  Schools around the world teach their students the rich history of the 
movement, and it is with pleasure that we promote continued awareness 
through a National Suffragists Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentlewoman from 
Nevada for introducing this legislation. It is amazing and we would 
never believe that women only have had the right to vote since 1920. It 
obviously means we have come a long way as a result of women's 
suffrage. We now have a woman who is the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, which represents movement and progress.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H. 
Con. Res. 105, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a 
National Suffragists Day. This resolution promotes awareness of the 
women's suffragist movement and the brave individuals who fought to 
make the right to vote a reality for all women.
  I want to thank my colleague, Representative Berkley, for sponsoring 
this important legislation.
  The women's suffragist movement has a long history in America. Today 
it may seem hard to believe, but less than one hundred years ago, women 
did not have the right to vote in federal elections in this country.
  National Suffragists Day would honor women such as Susan B. Anthony 
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who together founded the National Woman 
Suffrage Association in 1869.
  These two leaders, along with other courageous women such as Lucretia 
Mott, Alice Paul, Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis, and countless other 
brave Americans, fought tirelessly to achieve their God-given rights to 
freedom and opportunity.
  I have introduced legislation of my own to posthumously honor Alice 
Paul and raise awareness of her powerful contributions to the 
suffragist movement and American society.
  Finally, due to the sacrifice, hard work, and diligence of women like 
Alice Paul, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in the 
summer of 1920, giving women the right to vote on a national level.
  While today's resolution honors some great Americans of the past, it 
also provides us with an opportunity to look at the current state of 
women in our country.
  We have come a long way as a nation since the summer of 1920. My home 
state of California is represented by two female Senators. We have a 
woman serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and a very 
strong female presidential candidate.
  Still, there is much more that needs to be done. Inequalities in pay, 
health care discrepancies, and a lack of good and affordable childcare 
still haunt many women in the United States today.
  We must remain vigilant. We must ensure that all Americans have an 
equal opportunity for success and happiness. With that in mind, I urge 
my colleagues to cast a vote for honoring and increasing awareness of 
suffragists in America, and support H. Con. Res. 105.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. 
Res. 105, supporting goals and ideals of a National Suffragist Day to 
promote awareness of the importance of the women suffragists who worked 
for the right of women to vote in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, as a woman who has not only enjoyed the privileges and 
responsibilities of voting, but also of serving my country in elected 
office, I am extremely proud to co-sponsor this resolution honoring 
those women who fought for my right, and the right of all women, to 
participate in the process of governing.
  This bill recognizes the tireless work and innovative ideas of women 
in particular. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner 
Truth, Carrie Chapman Catt, Maud Wood Park, Lucy Burns, and Alice Paul 
were visionaries in their own times, and remain inspirations to us 
today. These seven women each challenged a system of male dominance, 
and asserted the role of women in politics and governance. Many of 
their methods of civil disobedience and peaceful protesting were taken 
up by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s, which expanded 
voting rights to even more of the population.
  July 19th will be the anniversary of the first women's rights 
convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. To celebrate their 
accomplishments and raise awareness of the importance of the 
suffragists who fought for and won the right of women to vote in the 
United States, this bill designates July 19th as National Suffragists 
Day.

[[Page H4618]]

  Mr. Speaker, any of these women would be amazed and proud to see an 
America where women are not only able to vote, but they are able to run 
for office. It is incredibly appropriate that this body, presided over 
by a woman for the first time in its history, should honor their work 
through a day set aside to raise awareness of their struggle.
  Mr. Speaker, I am especially pleased to support this resolution 
because it gives much deserved recognition to one of my heroes, 
Sojourner Truth, the great abolitionist and suffragist.
  In 1843, deciding her mission was to preach the word of God, 
Sojourner Truth--the name she gave herself as a traveling preacher who 
speaks the truth--left New York and traveled throughout New England, 
calling her own prayers meetings and attending those of others. She 
preached ``God's truth and plan for salvation.''
  After months of travel, she arrived in Northampton, Massachusetts, 
and joined the Northampton Association for Education and Industry, 
where she met and worked with abolitionists such as William Lloyd 
Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Olive Gilbert.
  As we know, during the 1850s, slavery became an especially issue in 
the United States. In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law, 
which allowed runaway slaves to be arrested and jailed without a jury 
trial, and in 1857, the Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott case that 
those enslaved had no rights as citizens and that the government could 
not outlaw slavery in the new territories.
  While traveling and speaking in states across the country, Sojourner 
Truth met many women abolitionists and noticed that although women 
could be part of the leadership in the abolitionist movement, they 
could neither vote nor hold public office. It was this realization that 
led Sojourner to become an outspoken supporter of women's rights.
  In 1851, she addressed the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, 
delivering her famous speech ``Ain't I a Woman?'' The applause she 
received that day has been described as ``deafening.'' From that time 
on, she became known as a leading advocate for the rights of women. 
Indeed, she was one of the nineteenth century's most eloquent voices 
for the cause of anti-slavery and women's rights.
  It was to give proper recognition to her contributions to the 
struggle to abolish slavery and secure equal rights for women that I 
introduced H.R. 4510 which would direct the Joint Committee on the 
Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and 
to display the bust in a suitable location in the Capitol. In February 
of this year, that legislation became law.
  I strongly support H. Con. Res. 105, and I urge my colleagues to join 
me in doing so.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 105.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________