[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 13, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H1640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                       HONORING FLORIDA HEROINES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the many generations 
of women who have shaped our Nation and thank them for their invaluable 
contributions.
  As the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress, I am grateful and 
inspired by their legacy. These women have influenced public policies, 
built institutions, and contributed to a stronger economy. Without 
their contributions, our society would be less lively, our culture more 
impoverished, and peace would be less stable. We need to respect their 
great achievements by continuing the job.
  I share the hopes and aspirations of all women across America who 
wish to make the lives of our daughters, sisters, aunts, and mothers 
more equitable. I have always been committed and dedicated to advancing 
the role of women in our society, and I work toward policies that would 
assist them and their families. That is why I have joined the 
bipartisan Congressional Women's Caucus and have supported extensive 
legislation and programs fighting domestic violence and women's access 
to a quality education.
  Today I would like to pay tribute to some of the more energetic 
champions of women's rights from my area of south Florida: Roxcy O'Neal 
Bolton, Helen Aguirre Ferre, Julia Tuttle, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, 
and Judge Bertila Soto.
  Roxcy Bolton has had an impressive career by advocating for equal 
rights in the workplace and also by creating the first rape treatment 
center in the country, located in my hometown of Miami. She also 
founded Women in Distress, the first women's rescue center in Florida. 
Roxcy has received numerous accolades and is an iconic and loved figure 
in our community.
  Congratulations, Roxcy.
  Helen Aguirre Ferre is another pioneer. She is an award-winning 
journalist and communications consultant who was recently inducted into 
the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. As the chair of the Board of Trustees 
of Miami Dade College--my alma mater--Helen is committed to promoting 
education and establishing policies that would help students across our 
community.
  Congratulations, Helen.
  Julia Tuttle, known as the mother of Miami, made history as the only 
female founder of a major U.S. city when she helped establish the city 
of Miami many years ago. Julia's vision and perseverance have long been 
traits that south Floridians have worked to carry on since the founding 
of our great city of Miami.
  Tuttle's mantel of leadership is heavy, but it has been carried on by 
so many others.
  Marjory Stoneman Douglas made another kind of south Florida history 
when she worked tirelessly to save her beloved Everglades. Her iconic 
book, ``The Everglades: River of Grass,'' helped awaken so many to the 
need of preserving this one-of-a-kind ecological wonder and led the 
fight to establish the Everglades National Park.
  Judge Bertila Soto is a modern-day heroine. She is a fellow graduate 
of my alma maters, Florida International University and the University 
of Miami. She was named chief judge of Florida's 11th Judicial Circuit.
  Bertila is both the first Cuban American and the first woman to helm 
the largest judicial circuit in the State. Her energy and understanding 
of complex legal issues have driven her to success. Every day that 
Judge Soto is hard at work, she is not only living, but making south 
Florida history.
  Congratulations to Bertila.
  I also want to honor our female pilots of World War II, the Women 
Airforce Service Pilots, also known as the WASPS. They were responsible 
for removing the barriers for women in the military today. And I know 
this because my daughter-in-law, Lindsay, was afforded the opportunity 
to join the Marine Corps and fly combat missions both in Iraq and 
Afghanistan thanks to these women pioneers.
  South Florida has been home to some of these remarkable heroines like 
Ruth Shafer Fleisher, Shirley Kruse, and Bee Haydu, as well as Frances 
Rohrer Sargent and Helen Wyatt Snapp, who have passed away.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to recognize all of these outstanding 
women, past and present. May these role models continue to remind girls 
and young women that nothing can hold them back from realizing their 
dreams.

                          ____________________