[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 42 (Thursday, March 13, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H2424-H2428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Tennessee 
(Mrs. Blackburn) for 30 minutes.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, we are so excited about our talking, we 
didn't realize that the time had to be split, but so be it. We women 
stand and abide by the rules of the House, and so we will accept the 
acknowledgment of the change of time.
  I will return to directing our attention to Chief Justice Connie 
Clark in Tennessee. What is so important about her career is that she 
was first appointed to the State court by a Democrat Governor, again 
served under a Democrat Governor, and then chief justice under a 
Republican Governor.
  Justice Clark is such an incredible inspiration to women in our 
State. She has proven herself, has really been devoted to the judiciary 
and the law field, and is so active in our community, a tremendous role 
model.
  If we step outside of the venue of politics and law, Amy Grant, who 
is a singer, songwriter, a native of Nashville, has had such a 
successful music career. Amy Grant became the first artist in Christian 
music to ever have a platinum record, and she went on to become a 
crossover sensation in the music world.
  Amy Grant has pioneered the Christian music genre, and she has also 
blazed quite a trail in the music industry.
  When we look at the world of sports, another Tennesseean, from 
Clarksville, Tennessee, which is in my district, Wilma Rudolph, many of 
you will recognize her name. She was a Tennessee State University track 
star.
  On September 7, 1960, in Rome, she became the first American woman to 
win not one or two, but three gold medals in the Olympics. She was a 
track-and-field champion and was regarded as a civil rights and women's 
rights pioneer and is warmly remembered and treasured in our State.
  Pat Summitt, who was the head coach of the Lady Vols at the 
University of Tennessee and is now the head coach emeritus, she was at 
the helm of the Lady Vols for 38 seasons. She is the all-time 
winningest coach in NCAA history--the all-time winningest coach in all 
of NCAA history. That is men and women's teams.
  She is forthright, well-respected, ethical, and a winner in every 
sense of the word.
  Sandra Cochran, who is the president and CEO of Cracker Barrel, 
Incorporated, she became the president and CEO on September 12 of 2011, 
following her service as Cracker Barrel's president and chief operating 
officer. Cracker Barrel is headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee.
  Ms. Cochran was previously CEO at the Nation's third largest book 
retailer, Books-A-Million. She is serving our community and that 
country well.
  Ms. Cochran is a chemical engineering graduate from Vanderbilt 
University and a masters of business administration from Pacific 
Lutheran University.
  After graduating from Vanderbilt, she entered the United States Army, 
where she ultimately served as a captain in the 9th Infantry Division.
  There are so many other influential women that come from our State, 
and we are delighted to know that we will have the opportunity to 
recognize them and their contributions and the contributions of all 
women who have contributed to the cause of freedom in that Nation.
  I yield to the gentlelady from New York.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentlelady for 
giving

[[Page H2425]]

that overview of the wonderful contributions of women from the great 
State of Tennessee, and I think it really is historic that the 
birthplace of the movement for the women's right to vote began in New 
York and really was completed in the great State of Tennessee. How 
historic is that?
  I must say that the great men who built this Nation and shaped our 
society did not do it alone. I want to tell you about some of the women 
from the great State of New York.
  First, I would like to speak about one of my mentors, a great friend, 
a great leader, Geraldine Ferraro, whose run for Vice President 
inspired me and countless other women who followed her into office.
  As a young woman, she demonstrated her extraordinary capacity for 
hard work and dedication by skipping three grades and graduating high 
school at the age of 16. After college, she taught second grade in New 
York public schools and put herself through Fordham Law School at 
night.

                              {time}  2030

  After her children were born, she spent 13 years as a homemaker, 
after which she did something that was unusual at the time: she went 
back to work as an attorney in the Special Victims Bureau of the New 
York District Attorney's Office.
  Later on, she ran for Congress and became an outstanding Member 
representing Queens, New York. During her three terms in Congress, 
Ferarro became known as a strong advocate for her district and for 
issues such as protecting Medicare and Social Security.
  Then, in 1984, she literally made history when she became the first 
female candidate for a major party for Vice President. She is a symbol 
of the possibility that women could achieve their dreams, break the 
glass ceiling, and aspire to the highest realm in their chosen 
profession.
  Ferraro is the type of woman I hope inspires my daughters just as she 
inspired me. Her life is the story girls and boys should hear when they 
come to our Nation's Capitol, but too often the stories of women are 
swept under the rug and not remembered. That is why we need this 
museum.
  But Geraldine Ferraro would not have had the opportunity to be such 
an important trailblazer without the hard work of some of the amazing 
New York suffragettes: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and 
Lucretia Mott. Their statue is in the rotunda of the Capitol, and it 
was a bill of Connie Morella's and mine to move the women out of the 
basement into the rightful living room of the Capitol with the 
country's other great revolutionary leaders.
  Stanton met Mott in 1840 when they both were refused seats at the 
World Anti-Slavery Convention in London on account of their sex. It was 
there that they first discussed the need for a convention to address 
the condition of women in the United States. This led to the first 
women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, which was attended 
by Anthony. Together, they championed the National American Woman 
Suffrage Association, dedicating their lives to achieving equality and 
the right to vote for women.
  The activist work of Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia 
Mott are the roots under the women's movement in this country. None of 
them lived to see women gain the right to vote, but it would have been 
literally impossible without their hard work and dedication. They 
literally dedicated their lives working daily to raise awareness, build 
coalitions, and to pass the 19th Amendment.
  Without their dedication to women's rights, Alice Paul, the author of 
the Equal Rights Amendment, would not have been inspired to secure a 
woman's right to vote. Alice Paul, incidentally, was a relative of my 
late husband, Clifton Maloney, from the great State of New Jersey. 
Without their dedication, I would not have been inspired to continue 
the work on the amendment to our Constitution which we coauthored to 
ensure equality for women and men in all areas of society.
  But there are also countless women whose work has had a tremendous 
impact on our lives and in our communities. For all intents and 
purposes, they have been forgotten.
  Nellie Bly was one of the most influential journalists of the 19th 
century. She pioneered the field of investigative journalism at a time 
when our Nation was rapidly undergoing industrialization. She also 
emulated the voyage of Mr. Fogg, Jules Verne's character made famous in 
the classic novel, ``Around the World in 80 Days.'' But Bly pointed 
out, however, that he made the trip in 72 days.
  While working for Joseph Pulitzer's The New York World, Bly went 
undercover and feigned insanity to report on the deplorable conditions 
of the Blackwell Island insane asylum. She exposed the horrific 
physical and emotional cruelty she had seen patients endure. Her work 
caused an uproar in New York, resulting in more money to help people 
with mental illnesses and a change in care for the people in the 
asylum. Bly's work helped open the profession to future generations of 
women journalists who wanted to write hard news rather than the light 
features in society columns.
  Lillian Wald, another great New Yorker, was a progressive-era 
reformer setting the standards for modern social work and community 
nursing. She left medical school in the 1890s to work with poor 
immigrant families on New York's Lower East Side and founded the Henry 
Street Settlement, which still serves New Yorkers, and Visiting Nurse 
Services, which still serves our country and which continues to offer 
health care and social services to the needy.
  Wald tirelessly campaigned for the rights of women and minorities and 
undertook some amazing humanitarian efforts to improve our country 
helping to found the United States Children's Bureau, the Women's 
International League for Peace and Freedom, and the NAACP. The New York 
Times nominated her as one of the 12 greatest living American women in 
1922, and she later received the Lincoln Medallion for her work as an 
outstanding citizen of New York.
  There are untold numbers of women like those that I have mentioned 
who have made great contributions to this Nation. In addition to 
learning about their specific contributions, we are only now gaining a 
full understanding of how civilization evolves through the power of 
feminine values and women's enduring traditions.
  Nowhere can one find a place for all of these contributions and 
traditions in one place. That is what we want to accomplish for women. 
I want to note that there are numerous museums in and around The Mall. 
We have museums for stamps. We have museums for law and order and for 
space. We have the great Smithsonian. We have museums for African 
Americans. We have museums for Indian Americans, and we have museums 
for the media--the important media. We have over 22 different museums 
right in this area, but not one is focusing on the valid and incredibly 
important contributions of women.
  They say women hold up half the sky, but where do you find it? It is 
not in the history books. It is not in the museums. It is nowhere to be 
found. Now, if all these other museums had sections focused on the 
contributions of women, maybe we wouldn't need this museum. But they 
don't.
  As my daughter used to say when I would read stories to her at night, 
she would say: Mommy, Mommy, why aren't there any stories about girls? 
Why are all the stories about boys? Can't you read me a story about 
girls? We don't focus on the contributions of women. There is a woman 
who rode longer and farther than Paul Revere, and nobody even knows her 
name. Let's build this museum and talk about her contributions, too.
  If we and future generations are to learn all the lessons of the past 
upon which to build a future, we must be aware of the true experiences, 
the hardships, the successes, and the contributions of women.
  I have here some people I feel deserve to be in that museum:
  Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, 
one of the first elected to serve in the State legislature, an 
outstanding attorney;
  Eleanor Roosevelt, from the great State of New York, an outstanding 
First Lady who helped so many;
  Rosa Parks, who was tired and decided not to give her seat to a White 
and started an entire civil rights movement that literally changed this 
country and the opportunities for all people; and

[[Page H2426]]

  Sally Ride, the great astronaut who went into space.
  We don't really chronicle the women scientists and the explorers, all 
these incredibly important women.
  Marsha, I know--I know--that we would not have these hearings and we 
would not have the momentum--we have over 84 cosponsors of our bill 
now. This would not have happened without your hard work and your 
leadership. I know she has been reaching out to her colleagues that 
chair these committees, to the leadership of the majority and others to 
move this effort forward and to gain momentum. So on behalf of the 
women I am privileged to represent, I want to thank you for all of your 
hard work. It is historic.

                 A National Museum for Women's History

                     (By Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-NC)

       Throughout history, conservative women have impacted our 
     nation's future and become an important voice in our 
     democratic republic. We have proven ourselves as pioneers, 
     innovators, leaders and decision-makers. We have created and 
     contributed to many aspects of history--be it agriculture, 
     medicine, politics, philosophy, science, and art. We have 
     touched countless lives and shaped history, yet rarely does 
     society teach, recognize or display our contributions--and it 
     is time for this to change. In an effort to change this, I 
     have joined my colleagues in advocating to establish the 
     National Women's History Museum (NWHM) in Washington D.C.
       Young women deserve a space to call their own--a physical 
     space they can visit to hear and read about those who came 
     before them and changed history. We need a tangible place 
     that encourages our girls to wonder, to feel empowered, and 
     to inquire about the people who fought to provide them with 
     the freedom and opportunities they enjoy today. We need to 
     share the stories of the strong women who have shaped our 
     past and present so that young girls can learn the true 
     meaning of perseverance and courage. There are too many women 
     whose achievements have gone unrecognized and too many women 
     whose efforts have been underappreciated. With such a vibrant 
     history, it is a shame that we have yet to formally establish 
     a museum dedicated to honoring their accomplishments. 
     However, we are making strides.
       This past December, my friend Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-
     Tenn.) sponsored legislation with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-
     N.Y.) to create a commission that would recommend site 
     locations and funding for the NWHM. This bill would have no 
     additional cost for taxpayers, as the commission would be 
     entirely paid for without federal funds. Information gathered 
     by the commission would then be relayed to both the president 
     and Congress. This past December, Reps. Blackburn and Maloney 
     testified before the House Committee on Administration to 
     relay the importance of establishing this commission. Joan 
     Wages, president and CEO of the National Women's History 
     Museum, an organization dedicated to establishment of the 
     museum, also testified. Yet, nearly four months later, there 
     has been no movement on this bill. With more than 82 
     bipartisan co-sponsors in the House, 19 in the Senate, and a 
     plethora of national women's groups supporting the bill, 
     there is no excuse for this inaction.
       As one of only 19 Republican women in the House of 
     Representatives, I see firsthand how our underrepresentation 
     can impact our future opportunities. But as we continue to 
     increase our ranks, our daughters need an environment to 
     learn about the conservative heroes who made this possible--
     women like Jeanette Rankin, Sandra Day O'Connor and 
     Condoleezza Rice. These women have earned their place in 
     history, and our girls should have every opportunity to study 
     them and feel inspired by their contributions.
       If there were a museum that honored and proudly displayed 
     our history, perhaps more women would be encouraged to run 
     for political office, to seek out top-tier leadership 
     positions, or to launch a new business. By establishing the 
     NWHM on the National Mall, the notion of conservative women 
     holding office could become less of a rarity and more of the 
     norm.
       As Republican women, we must continue to demonstrate that 
     conservative principles--like fiscal responsibility, 
     individual liberty, and a strong defense--are values worth 
     pursuing. We need to make women's history a part of 
     mainstream society. We need to have our story told, and we 
     need to lead the way for other young conservative women. 
     Let's honor our mothers and daughters by providing them with 
     a place to learn and feel inspired. Let's establish the 
     National Women's History Museum in Washington, D.C.
                                  ____


                      [From CNN.com, Mar. 3, 2014]

                     The Women You Don't Know--Yet

(By Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Sen. Susan Collins and 
                         Sen. Barbara Mikulski)

       (Editor's note: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Rep. 
     Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) 
     and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) are part of a 
     bipartisan effort in Congress to establish the National 
     Women's History Museum in Washington.
       Did you know that the ``frequency hopping'' technology that 
     is vital to much of our military technology and helps keep 
     your cell phone and your GPS devices secure was developed and 
     patented by a famous movie star?
       Did you know that there was an amazing 16-year-old patriot 
     who outdid Paul Revere, riding 45 miles in the pouring rain 
     to warn New York colonial militias that ``the British are 
     coming''?
       Did you know that there was a secret agent, code named 
     ``355,'' who worked for George Washington's band of spies, 
     the Culper Ring? The agent supplied key intelligence on 
     British activities during the Revolutionary War, and she was 
     so good at keeping a secret that we still don't know her real 
     name.
       If you don't know about all these people, it's 
     understandable. Their stories aren't told widely or often--
     perhaps because they were all women. For some reason or 
     other, when the story, of our country is told, women--really 
     great women--have tended to be left out of the telling.
       You see the results everywhere you look:
       A survey of U.S. history textbooks found that only 10% of 
     the individuals identified in the texts were women;
       Less than 8% of the 2,560 national historic landmarks 
     chronicle the achievements of women;
       Of the 210 statues in the U.S. Capitol, only 15 are of 
     female leaders.
       That's the bad news. The good news is that thanks to a 
     strong bipartisan effort in Congress, we may soon be one step 
     closer to addressing this imbalance by establishing a 
     National Women's History Museum in Washington. Together, we 
     have introduced a common-sense bill to move this idea 
     forward.
       We have more than 73 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House, 
     19 in the Senate and a national coalition of women's groups 
     behind us. We recognize money is tight--that's why we're not 
     asking for taxpayer support. Private donations would fund the 
     museum's construction and operation.
       A vital part of recognizing equal rights for women is 
     acknowledging and commemorating the deep and lasting 
     contributions women have made throughout history. When young 
     people visit our nation's capital, they should have a chance 
     to be just as inspired by women's accomplishments as men's.
       We establish and operate museums, not just as some kind of 
     giant drawer in which to store our memorabilia but as way to 
     celebrate our accomplishments, affirm our shared values and 
     preserve the full and accurate story of our common history. 
     And unfortunately, only half of that story is presently being 
     told.
       The stories of courageous and pioneering Americans such as 
     abolitionist Harriet Tubman, astronaut Sally Ride, Supreme 
     Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and the founder of the Girl 
     Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, will inform and inspire future 
     generations.
       The remarkable women who helped to make this country what 
     it is today deserve to have their histories told and 
     preserved for the ages. Their stories of success are the 
     stories that will inspire and encourage millions of women. 
     Our daughters and our sons deserve the chance to learn the 
     story--the full story--of how this amazing country came to 
     be.
       And by the way, the movie star inventor? That was Hedy 
     Lamarr.
       The 16 year-old who rode farther than Paul Revere was Sybil 
     Ludington.
       And the spy, code named ``355''? Well, we still don't know 
     the name--but we know the patriot was a ``she.''
       And just wait until you see all the other amazing women and 
     American history you'll learn about one day soon when the 
     National Women's History Museum opens.

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentlelady from New York.
  I want to yield to the gentlelady from Wyoming for some other 
comments on our conversation this evening.
  Mrs. LUMMIS. I thank the gentlelady from Tennessee and New York.
  The gentlelady from New York mentioned the name of a woman who, at 
The New York World, was a trailblazer for women journalists. Today, my 
daughter, a journalist, a graduate of Columbia's Pulitzer School of 
Journalism, is a journalist at The New York World; and without that 
kind of leadership on the part of women, we wouldn't have the 
opportunities for ourselves and our children to lead. That is why we 
need to memorialize what women have done, so women and young girls can 
envision themselves in these roles.
  I was recently in Moscow, and we toured the Museum of the Cosmonauts 
there, and the efforts the United States has currently with Russia, 
Russia now leading the international space station, so we can continue 
those efforts. We met with an American woman astronaut and a Russian 
male cosmonaut. We were led on this tour, and you could see the little 
kids flock to them as heros. Well, women and girls need role models. 
The women in this room are role models.
  All of us here this evening are at an age when we remember what it 
was

[[Page H2427]]

like not to have intermural women's sports in high school, what it was 
like to have to wear skirts to high school and to junior high and grade 
school, not even having the opportunity to wear pants. I remember when 
I applied for my first job, I was told that we are not going to hire a 
woman to be an agricultural loan officer because men don't like to ask 
women for money--and it was legal. It was legal for them to say that to 
me in a job interview, and they hired the man instead of me.
  Well, it just made me mad, and it made me determined. I know by 
looking at the ages of my colleagues here this evening that you each 
had similar experiences somewhere in your careers. Our own daughters 
can't even imagine being told that. This is recent history. These are 
the kinds of stories that we need to be able to share, what we even 
went through.
  It is a recent history, and it is a long-fought battle. That is why I 
am so proud, so proud, A, to serve with these wonderful women Members 
of Congress today who are leading this effort, so proud to be a woman 
Member of this institution, and, B, so proud that you are going to 
leave this legacy that will create and memorialize the history of women 
in the United States in order to provide an exemplary and visionary 
picture for our own daughters, granddaughters, and Americans long after 
we are gone.
  Thank you so much to the gentlelady from Tennessee, to the gentlelady 
from New York, to the wonderful woman from Ohio with whom I served on 
the House Appropriations Committee. You are fine leaders, exemplary 
women. I have great respect for the work you are doing this evening.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. How true it is that we have to take the time to pause 
and paint that vision for future generations so that they do know the 
trails that have been blazed and the roadblocks that have been removed 
to make their way easier so that they are able to excel, to achieve, to 
have, and to do. Isn't that what we would desire for them to be able to 
do, to dream big dreams and make those dreams come true and to have 
role models and examples who may have been through those same struggles 
and found a way to make it work?
  I yield to the gentlelady from Ohio.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I thank Congresswoman Blackburn so much and Congresswoman 
Maloney. I share the same passion as Congresswoman Lummis. We want to 
just lift you and be a part of this team for H.R. 863. We hope that 
everyone listening this evening will cosponsor this important 
legislation.
  As I listened to you talk, I thought I would give some background, 
having lived through it here. You talk about museums, Congresswoman 
Maloney, and you go around the Capitol itself, it is a museum, and you 
go: This doesn't look like America.
  For three decades, we have been trying to hang portraits of women who 
chaired committees in this institution, and it has been a herculean 
struggle. We finally rehung a portrait in the Education and the 
Workforce Committee for Mary Norton, who chaired that committee. She 
wrote some of the most important legislation in this country and was 
the first woman ever to chair that committee. They had her portrait in 
a closet--in a closet--just like these statues of suffragettes had to 
be brought up into the main Capitol.

                              {time}  2045

  When I first arrived in Congress, there were only the statues. There 
was the portrait of Pocahontas in the main room, and then the statue on 
the very top, Liberty, on the top of the Capitol. But as you looked at 
the other portraits, you never saw women. Well, Congressman Bob Ney of 
Ohio, who headed House Administration many years ago, heard our plea 
and he finally arranged to have Jeannette Rankin, a Republican and 
progressive from Montana, but it took us until the 21st century to do 
it. She was actually elected before the 19th Amendment was passed to 
the Constitution. She came from Montana, and we didn't even have her 
portrait in the Capitol hung.
  In addition, Shirley Chisholm of New York, she is now hung on the 
first floor. She was the first woman of color to run for President of 
the United States.
  The lack of their presence to me is just so blatant, and that is why 
I want to thank both of you marvelous, marvelous Members and women for 
seeing this gap in American history.
  Even the Women's Room in the Capitol is behind closed doors so the 
general public doesn't always see the women. It is very interesting. I 
think we are about to open another door and allow the fullness of 
American history to come forward.
  I would like to place in the Record the names of citizens from 
northern Ohio:
  Toledo's Geraldine Macelwane, appointed the first woman on the Lucas 
County Common Pleas bench. She won election for four consecutive terms;
  Julia Bates, our current county prosecutor in Lucas County, Ohio, and 
Ohio Supreme Court Justices Alice Robie Resnick and Maureen O'Connor, 
the only two women ever in American history to be elected to the 
supreme court of our State;
  In northern Ohio, we have sent many fine women. Obviously, 
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, who serves with us now, and Congresswoman 
Stephanie Tubbs Jones before her, the first two African American women 
ever elected to Congress from the State of Ohio, now joined by Joyce 
Beatty of Columbus; Mary Rose Okar; and State legislators Nina Turner, 
Capri Cafaro, Shirley Smith, Nikki Antonio, Nan Baker, Sandra Williams, 
Barbara Boyd, Theresa Fedor Edna Brown, Linda Furney and Marijean 
Valiquette, all women who were trailblazers on the political front.
  Toledo has had a woman mayor, Donna Owens. Tina Skeldon Wozniak is a 
Lucas county commissioner; and Anita Lopez, our county auditor.
  Sister Ann Francis Klimkowski was the founding president of Lourdes 
University, and all of the sisters, the Roman Catholic sisters--the 
Franciscans, the Sisters of Notre Dame, the Sisters of Mercy, the 
Sisters of St. Joseph, and the Ursuline Sisters who served selflessly 
across this country in hospitals and schools and gave themselves to 
their communities almost unrecognized. There was a traveling display of 
them that finally went around the country, and I hope that becomes a 
part of this museum. They gave their lives for us.
  All of those women helped build us and on whose shoulders we are 
standing, and, as with Congresswoman Lummis, I just wish to place in 
the Record--when I was young, I thought I would go to the Air Force 
Academy, and when I sent my letter in and was rejected because I was a 
woman, I didn't really completely put it together in my mind. I just 
tried to do something else, and so I applied to Notre Dame University, 
and was rejected because I was a woman. They didn't allow women to be 
students there in those days. And then finally to the FBI. I thought it 
would be great to work for my country. I would be a female Elliot Ness. 
And, of course, I was rejected because a woman.
  So another door always opened, but in the area in which I grew up, it 
wasn't possible.
  Finally, let me say in memory of our mother, who was never able to 
obtain her degrees until after she retired. She had a very hard life, 
and received her high school degree after she went on Social Security. 
One of her very first jobs was working in a restaurant where, when the 
minimum wage went into effect her boss, who was an animal, basically 
cashed the check with the additional amount in it, and then he kept the 
difference. We didn't have enforcement at the Department of Labor. So 
each of us have stories about what happened in our lives, and they 
deserve recording in a museum for the women of America.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentlelady for sharing those stories and 
her insight and what she has experienced in her career and seeking to 
remove those barriers to overcome obstacles and to make the way 
smoother for future generations.
  Indeed, as Congresswoman Maloney and I move forward on H.R. 863, we 
do, as the gentlewoman from Ohio said, invite and are hopeful that 
every Member of this body will join us in supporting this legislation 
and that they will pay attention to the hearing on March 25, and we 
commend Chairman Hastings and the House leadership for moving this bill 
forward, for making it a priority and saying, let's have the hearing, 
let's move the bill forward to markup, let's support women who are

[[Page H2428]]

willing to give of their time, their talent and efforts, raise all the 
money for the museum, for the exhibits, for the upkeep, for the 
endowment, and to make what has been a dream for decades, make it a 
reality in this great Nation.
  I thank my colleagues for joining us tonight, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.

                          ____________________