[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2010

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
outstanding achievements of the League of Women Voters, which 
celebrated its 90th anniversary on February 14, 2010.
  Since 1920, the League of Women Voters has worked to increase 
understanding of major public policy issues, encourage informed and 
active participation in government, and influence public policy through 
education and advocacy. With organizations in every state and hundreds 
of local chapters across the country, the League is one of the 
strongest grassroots activist networks in the country.
  Throughout its history, the League has played a vital role in 
transforming our society and preserving responsive government. Whether 
fighting McCarthyism, helping to end segregation, protecting our 
environment, organizing our Nation's presidential debates, 
strengthening the Voting Rights Act, or upholding the decision in Roe 
v. Wade, the League of Women Voters has been at the forefront of nearly 
every major policy issue in the last 90 years. Through its dedication 
to good, responsible government, the League has been influential in 
overseeing the passage of Congress' most important pieces of 
legislation, including the Social Security Act and child labor laws.
  The League's decentralized structure enabled it to keep pace with our 
Nation's dynamic societal changes in the last century, ensuring that 
its legislative priorities reflected the needs of society and critical 
issues of concern. Today, the League remains true to its mission of 
education and advocacy, focusing on global climate change, health care 
reform, and voting rights for the District of Columbia.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the achievements of the 
League of Women Voters and the contributions it has made to our Nation 
and to American history. Its efforts honor the legacy of the women who 
assembled at Seneca Falls, New York over 160 years ago. With the same 
courage and belief in equality, the League of Women Voters continues to 
make history.

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