[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 118 (Thursday, July 17, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 17, 2008

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today, I proudly join in a 
bipartisan effort with Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro, Deborah Pryce, Marcy 
Kaptur, and Eleanor Holmes Norton in introducing the National Women's 
History Museum, NWHM. This bill directs the General Services 
Administration, GSA, to house a National Women's History Museum in one 
of their properties in Washington, DC. NWHM must pay fair market value 
for the property and reasonable timeframes are included for the 
transfer of the property and for construction to begin. NWHM will be 
built and maintained with private funds.
  Women's history is largely missing from textbooks, memorials, museum 
exhibits and many other venues. In contrast, men have hundreds of years 
of written and available history to reflect upon and use for 
inspiration. Of the 210 statues in the United States Capitol, only 9 
are of female leaders. Less than 5 percent of the 2,400 national 
historic landmarks chronicle women's achievement and according to a 
survey of 18 history textbooks, only 10 percent were dedicated to 
women.
  The museums and memorials in our Nation's Capital demonstrate what we 
value. We have museums dedicated to flight, postage stamps, law 
enforcement and many other important people and issues of interest, but 
not to women. This bill would provide women, comprising 53 percent of 
our population, a long overdue home on our National Mall to honor their 
many contributions that are the very fabric of our country.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in filling this void and honoring our 
Nation's foremothers by becoming cosponsors of the National Women's 
History Museum Act of 2008.

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