[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 5, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2734-H2740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JEANNETTE RANKIN AND 100 YEARS OF WOMEN IN CONGRESS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 3, 2017, the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
General Leave
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks, and include extraneous materials on the topic of my Special
Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the
first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin. 100 years ago this
week, on April 2, 1917, Jeannette Rankin inspired millions of Americans
when she became the first woman in the Nation's history to serve in the
United States House of Representatives.
It is hard for me to believe, but Jeannette Rankin served in Congress
before women had the national right to vote in this country. In fact,
it was a driving force behind her decision to run for elected office.
Upon her historic election in November 1916, she declared: ``I may be
the first woman Member of Congress, but I won't be the last.''
The women who have joined me here, and are going to join me here on
the floor this afternoon, are her living legacy, along with the more
than 300 women who have served in Congress before us.
Representative Rankin, a Republican from Montana, served two terms in
Congress; the first term from 1917 to 1918, and the second term from
1941 to 1942.
Because of Rankin's groundbreaking achievement 100 years ago,
hundreds of women from across the country have made history in
Congress, drawing attention to the pressing issues of their time and
creating policies that have impacted generations of Americans. We are
as diverse as the districts we represent, and I am pleased to be joined
on the floor by my fellow women in Congress to celebrate this important
milestone.
In recognition of her work and the rich history of women in Congress,
Members of Congress from across the country, across party lines, will
be rising to honor Representative Rankin and to share what 100 years of
women in Congress means to them.
Mr. Speaker, with that said, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida
(Ms. Frankel), my friend and co-chair of the Congressional Women's
Caucus.
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be with you
today.
First of all, I want to celebrate Jeannette Rankin also as being the
first woman in Congress.
Today I am going to talk about someone who was my role model, one of
my favorites, Bella Abzug.
Bella Abzug was a leading liberal activist and politician. She lived
from 1920 to 1998, and was especially known for her work with women's
rights. After graduating from Columbia University Law School, she
became involved in the antinuclear and peace movements. In the 1960s,
she helped organize the Women Strike for Peace and the National Women's
Political Caucus.
I just want to say that I feel like that is how I got my start in
political activism, was in the antiwar marches in the 1960s at Boston
University.
Mrs. Abzug won a seat in the United States House of Representatives,
where she advocated for women's rights and withdrawal from the Vietnam
war. And even after leaving office, she continued to work on many
causes, including the establishment of the Women's Environment and
Development Organization.
Incidentally, I know we have a lot of Harvard lawyers in this
Congress, but she was rejected because of her gender. But kudos to
Columbia because they got her.
She was known for her hats and her big voice, and she really left a
mark for many of us.
Representative Brooks, I am happy to be with you here today. I think
there are a lot of women today who are feeling nervous or anxious
because of political situations, but someone like Bella Abzug gives us
inspiration that you can have a big voice, you can be a community
activist, and you can make a difference in life.
I am going to leave you with her quote. She said of herself:
``I've been described as a tough and noisy woman, a prizefighter, a
man-hater, you name it. There are some who say I'm impatient, uppity,
rude, profane, brash and overbearing''--oh, my goodness, I think I am
talking about the whole Women's Caucus here--``but whatever I am--and
this ought to be made very clear at the outset--I am a very serious
woman.''
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank another very serious woman. It has been
a pleasure to be with you and to honor the women who came before us and
led the pathway.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Frankel
for her remarks and for reminding us that often while those of us in
this arena might be called names, we are a strong voice. She was a very
serious
[[Page H2735]]
legislator, as are you. I just want to thank you for your leadership in
this body and thank you for being a part of honoring the 100 years of
women in the House.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs.
McMorris Rodgers), my friend, our Republican Conference chair, the
fourth highest Republican in the House, and also the highest ranking
woman in Congress. I welcome her to discuss and honor Jeannette Rankin.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, a big ``thank you'' to Susan
Brooks and Lois Frankel, co-chairs of the Women's Caucus for this
Congress, for bringing us all together to celebrate Jeannette Rankin.
This body, the people's House, is the heart of representative
government, and it functions best when everyone, no matter their
background or their walk of life, has a voice. And 100 years ago,
Jeannette Rankin gave women that voice. She shattered a glass ceiling
here in Congress and paved the way for more than 300 women to lead and
to serve.
As she famously said: ``I may be the first woman Member of Congress,
but I won't be the last.''
And she was right. We now have 104 women serving the Halls of
Congress, more than any other time in history. Today, women play key
roles in all areas of policymaking. We are involved in the budget, tax
reform, education, health care, and national security. Every day, women
bring their unique perspectives, talents, and passions into the
national debate, and remind us that all issues are women's issues.
Everything we have accomplished as women leaders: the first female
speaker, the first female committee chairman, the first African-
American woman; and Latinas; the first women to have children while
serving in Congress. All of these advances and milestones were made
possible by the bravery of women in the early 20th century.
Rankin had the courage to say: Why not me?
She had the courage to step up and be the first, and she couldn't
even vote in the election, but she won and stood in this very Chamber
and spoke her mind. I find it incredibly moving. It is so powerful.
She was a trailblazer, and she really set the standard for women. She
stood strong in her beliefs when everyone around her challenged her
ideas, her methods, even her very presence.
This is the example everyone in the Chamber should be setting--is
setting for the next generation of women leaders. Fortunately, we have
a strong foundation. We are following in the footsteps of so many
inspiring women: Jeannette Rankin, Edith Rogers, Clare Boothe Luce,
Coya Knutson, Lindy Boggs, Jennifer Dunn, to name a few. The women in
this room and the hundreds that came before us show the world that
women have something unique, something special to offer the world.
I am reminded of this each time I look at my two young girls, Grace
and Brynn; and I look at them and I see so much boundless potential.
That is why I view this centennial, this milestone, so much bigger than
Congress. It is not a date on the calendar. It is a celebration of the
American spirit. Our country is the place where you can imagine what is
possible, and then go out and make it happen.
Our government is where good ideas, no matter their source, can be
debated, considered, and crafted into law, and where our ideas and
values can have real and positive impact on millions of lives.
I want my daughters to know that not only should they take a seat at
the table, but that there is a seat reserved for them. I want them to
know that when they speak, the world should listen; that when they act,
it is with purpose; and when they lead, they can change the world.
After 100 years, we stand on the shoulders of giants, but we stand
there to lift up the next generation higher than ourselves. We stand
there so that every woman has a voice and has an opportunity to be
legendary, and so that women can keep making history for many years to
come.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so very
much, and I am so inspired by the fact that the gentlewoman is the
first woman to have given birth to three children while serving in
Congress, also her service in her State legislature before and her role
in leadership in this body. I just want to thank her very much for
being a part of this.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs.
Lawrence), my friend from the State to the north of Indiana, and would
turn it over to her for any thoughts she might have celebrating 100
years of women in Congress.
{time} 1630
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
being co-chair of the Women's Caucus and for being an amazing mother.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to illustrate the importance of 100 years
of women in Congress.
On April 2, 1917, Jeannette Rankin from Montana was sworn in as the
first woman ever to serve in Congress. Her life was filled with
extraordinary achievements, and she was one of the few suffragists
elected to Congress and the only Member of Congress to vote against the
U.S. participation in both World War I and World War II.
She has said that ``I may be the first woman,'' but we all know she
said ``I won't be the last,'' holding the door open for all of us to
follow behind her.
While we have a long way to go for women representing Congress, in
2017, we are in the company of 104 amazing women in Congress. We are 19
percent of the 535 Members who serve. Thirty-eight of the 104 women in
Congress are women of color: 18 African Americans, 10 Latinos, nine
Asian Pacific Islanders, and one multiracial Member.
In 1951, Ruth Thompson, a longtime lawyer and judge, became the first
woman to represent my home State of Michigan in Congress. She was the
first woman to serve on the House Judiciary Committee.
Since then, we have had nine more female Members from Michigan,
including myself. I am proud to be in the 115th Congress to stand
alongside Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Senator Debbie Stabenow. We
work together for the Michigan delegation and the Congressional
delegation to advance the concerns of women and issues in our great
State.
I also want to recognize a woman that truly I stand on her shoulders,
and that was the first African-American woman to serve in Congress,
Shirley Chisholm.
So we have, in our history of Congress, so many women who paved the
way, opened doors, and have been role models not only for us standing
here today but for women all over the country.
I will work with my colleagues across the aisle to see that the
concerns of women are addressed and to continue increasing our
representation in local government.
In the words of Representative Rankin, we are half of the people, and
we should be half of Congress.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman
from Michigan for her work as vice chair of the bipartisan Women's
Caucus. I also want to thank her so much for partnering with me and
visiting a school in Detroit where my son was a student teacher. I will
forever remember our partnership visiting with those kids at Davison
Elementary and want to thank her for that.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, it is a great example of how we work
together. I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for her leadership.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. I now yield to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Mimi Walters), the other vice chair of the Women's
Caucus, my friend.
Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my
fellow female Members of the House of Representatives to pay tribute to
Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives 100 years ago.
A mere 4 years after Congresswoman Rankin's landmark election, three
more women were elected to Congress, including Mae Ella Nolan.
Congresswoman Nolan was not only the first woman from California to
be elected to Congress, she was also the first woman to chair a
congressional committee.
Mr. Speaker, now a century after Jeannette Rankin was sworn into
Congress, it is not enough to simply recognize the significant
contributions
[[Page H2736]]
women have made throughout history, we must also look to the future.
We have made significant strides in this country, but more are
needed. Women represent over 50 percent of the population, yet we still
face significant obstacles in the workplace, academia, and elsewhere.
That is why we must work together to expand opportunities, remove
barriers, and empower the next generation of women.
We must always remember that we stand on the shoulders of those who
came before us and fought for equality--equality of opportunity, not-
quality of outcome.
As we strive to make our country stronger for the next generation, we
must continue to fight so that each woman has an equal opportunity to
compete and to excel based on her abilities and accomplishments.
I want to thank the co-chairs of the Congressional Women's Caucus,
Congresswoman Brooks, and Congresswoman Frankel, for sponsoring this
Special Order.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman
from California for spending time with us and talking about the women
who came before us who fought for equality, who fought for us, and
women like Jeannette Rankin who actually fought so hard that she fought
her way here before women had the right to vote in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from California, too, has served in her
State legislature, and I want to commend her for her service and being
a role model for so many people in her State.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to another gentlewoman from the State of
California (Ms. Speier), who, in my time here in Congress, I have
observed has fought on behalf of women and girls and has fought, in
particular, with respect to issues involving sexual violence and other
violence against women. I want to commend her for that work.
Mr. Speaker, I would love to hear her thoughts on the 100 years of
women in Congress.
Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
creating this opportunity for us to celebrate 100 years of women
serving in Congress.
It is remarkable that we are still trying to see our numbers inch
upwards and continue to be at something like 19 percent when women
represent over 50 percent of the voting population.
I thought it would be interesting to highlight one of these women in
Congress, a great woman, and one that I have long admired. Her name is
Helen Gahagan Douglas. She was the first California woman elected to
Congress in her own right--in that case, not succeeding a deceased
husband.
Helen Gahagan was an actress and an opera singer who did not consider
herself political until a chance conversation she had over coffee while
performing in Vienna, Austria, in 1938. The man was a Nazi sympathizer,
and the things she heard truly sickened her.
She returned to the United States intent on destroying Nazism. She
and her husband, Oscar-winning actor Melvyn Douglas, joined the
Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and called for a boycott of products made in
Nazi Germany.
The release of John Steinbeck's seminal novel, ``The Grapes of
Wrath,'' consumed her. She began studying the plight of migrant
farmworkers coming to California from the Dust Bowl States.
After meeting the author, Helen was named president of the John
Steinbeck Committee and became the national spokesperson for the rights
of migrants.
That work attracted the attention of President and First Lady
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Eleanor became a mentor to Helen.
Helen Gahagan Douglas won the open congressional seat in California's
14th District in 1944. She was in the Hollywood area, and that was her
district.
She served three terms in Congress, earning a reputation as a deep
thinker, voice for the downtrodden, and skilled orator.
In 1950, she ran for the United States Senate, facing fellow southern
California Congressman Richard Nixon.
In the campaign, Nixon conflated her anti-Nazi views and work for
migrant workers with being a communist fellow traveler.
He also employed anti-Semitic surrogates who attacked her for
marrying a Jewish man.
These and other low-campaign tactics spurred Douglas to call Nixon
``Tricky Dicky,'' a moniker that stuck with him his entire career.
During the Watergate scandal, more than two decades after the 1950
Senate race, a popular bumper sticker in California read, ``Don't blame
me, I voted for Helen Gahagan Douglas.''
After her death in 1980, California State Senator Alan Cranston
delivered a stirring eulogy on the Senate floor. He said: ``I believe
Helen Gahagan Douglas was one of the grandest, most eloquent, and
deepest-thinking people we have had in American politics. She stands
among the best of our 20th century leaders, rivaling even Eleanor
Roosevelt in stature, compassion, and simple greatness.''
But it is Congresswoman Gahagan Douglas' own words that speak best
for her legacy. As we celebrate 100 years of women in Congress, I can
think of few quotes more fitting than Helen's: ``I knew men never would
share power with women willingly. If we wanted it, we would have to
take it.''
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
California for sharing the trials and tribulations of a woman who came
before us. As she said, as I look throughout our Chamber, the
descriptions of her as grand and eloquent and deep-thinking really
remind me of so many of the women who we serve with currently today.
She certainly went through difficult elections and put herself in the
arena which can be very difficult.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for sharing that
story, and I thank her for being here.
I would like to welcome the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black),
my good friend, and actually the chair of the Budget Committee. I have
long admired her career since joining the conference, and I just want
to thank her for being here and look forward to anything she might
share with us about her thoughts about women serving for 100 years here
in Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman.
Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
yielding to me and for hosting this very important Special Order where
we recognize women and, in particular, Jeannette Rankin.
Mr. Speaker, I want to rise today to honor Jeannette Rankin and to
celebrate 100 years of women in Congress.
Jeannette inspired millions of Americans when she became the first
woman in the Nation's history to serve in the House of Representatives.
A Republican and a former schoolteacher from Montana, Jeannette
declared ``I may be the first woman Member of Congress, but I won't be
the last,'' as is seen on the poster that the gentlewoman from Indiana
has right there in front of the Chamber.
Mr. Speaker, while we may not agree on all the issues, Jeannette and
I share a vision to preserve and protect the American Dream for future
generations.
We do so with the hope that young girls, like my two granddaughters,
would be able to live a life they choose for themselves, not that
someone else chooses for them.
For me, this topic is deeply personal. I spent the first years of my
life in public housing, the daughter of parents with no more than a
ninth-grade education.
I came from a background where people didn't always know how to
dream, and, as a result, I was prepared to settle for a life of
unfulfilled potential. I had started to believe that, as a young woman
growing up in the fifties and the sixties, who literally lived on the
other side of the tracks, maybe the American Dream wasn't for me.
But in time, doors of opportunity were opened that helped me to
realize a plan for my life that was greater than I could ever imagine.
I became the first person in my family to earn a college degree. I
fulfilled my desire of becoming a nurse, and I became privileged to
serve in the Tennessee General Assembly, and now in Congress.
I have traveled far corners of the world, and I have seen the
struggle that women endure for access to education, a paycheck, and for
real independence. I am keenly aware that only here in this country is
my story even possible.
[[Page H2737]]
Only here could someone like me go from living in the halls of public
housing to serving in the halls of the United States Capitol--that is
why we call this the American Dream.
Jeannette Rankin reminds us that the people's House represents
Americans from all walks of life. Today in Congress, we have 104 women
serving, and I am honored to be the first female chairman of the Budget
Committee.
As we celebrate 100 years of women in Congress, we must resolve to
ensure that stories like ours are not unique. The work we have done
here in Congress must reach today's young women with the truth that
they have God-given talents waiting to be used, and that the American
Dream is theirs to share as well.
I again thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) and the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel) for bringing us together to
celebrate this monumental anniversary.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman
from Tennessee for spending her time with us today. I think her story
coming from, as she said, public housing, and I think over time because
of education and because of opportunities in this country, and she
started the business, she got her nursing degree, she started a
business before coming here to Congress, served in her State
Legislature as well, I know she is a mom, she is a grandmother, she has
been an incredible voice here in the House, and she really does show
that everything is possible in this country. Yet I really appreciate
her acknowledging that we are standing on the shoulders of the women
who came before us.
{time} 1645
I just want to thank the gentlewoman, and I know other women in
Tennessee serve as well. The chair of my subcommittee, Congresswoman
Marsha Blackburn, is serving as chair of the Communications and
Technology Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and there
have just been terrific folks that have come from Tennessee.
Mrs. BLACK. It is really just such a wonder when we look at this
country and, having traveled, as I know that you have, throughout the
world, see the struggles of women in many, many other countries. I know
we are not quite where we want to be, and I know we have still a ways
to go, but I am so proud of what we do here in the United States to
lift up our women and to recognize that they have talents that we need
in every sector of our society.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Absolutely. As Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers
mentioned, there needs to be a seat reserved at the table here in the
House. And I certainly know that women on both sides of the aisle, like
yourselves, are mentors to other women in other legislative bodies and
in other elected offices, encouraging them to come to this body, and so
I just want to thank you for that.
We come from all parts of this country to talk about women here
serving in the House over the last 100 years. While I come from the
Midwest, we heard from the West Coast, Cathy McMorris Rodgers. We heard
from the other Midwest Member, Brenda Lawrence from Michigan, the great
State of California, but I don't think anyone comes as far to serve in
the House of Representatives as the next Member I am about to
introduce.
Congresswoman Amata Coleman Radewagen joins us from American Samoa,
so she represents a territory and travels tremendous distances to be
here in this body each and every week that we are in session.
I have really enjoyed getting to know you as a Member. With the
beautiful reminder of the flower that you wear regularly here in this
body, you remind us of the incredibly beautiful place from which you
come and the proud people that you represent. I look forward to hearing
your remarks.
I yield to the gentlewoman from American Samoa (Mrs. Radewagen).
Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the swearing in of the first woman to serve in Congress,
Jeannette Rankin of Montana.
As the first woman to represent American Samoa, I could not be more
honored and humbled to be here today to salute this great woman who
paved the way for each and every one of us serving in Congress today.
Imagine the difficulties she had to deal with as the first woman in
Congress--in 1917, no less--a woman who stood by her convictions no
matter the cost. It must have been extremely harrowing for her at
times, but she soldiered on as one would expect from the first female
in what was at the time, and in many ways still is, a male-dominated
world.
The Congresswoman was a woman of rock-solid principles which she
absolutely would not budge from, as evidenced by her being the only
Member of Congress to vote against involvement in both world wars, a
position that was very unpopular at the time. But she stood by her
beliefs and could not be swayed, an example for all of us.
While Congresswoman Rankin served only two terms in Congress, her
legacy lives on in all of the women who have served since and those who
will in the future. She famously once said, and we have all said it
several times because it is worth saying and repeating:
``I may be the first woman Member of Congress, but I won't be the
last.''
She was absolutely correct, and I am grateful for her determination
to ensure that the women of this great Nation have a voice in
Washington.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise and join me in saluting this
remarkable woman and the lasting legacy she has left behind as an
example to all women.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I just want to commend the
gentlewoman as well for being an incredible role model, not only for
the young women of American Samoa, but for the young men of American
Samoa because, as I have often said, we need to also bring along the
young men to support young women who choose to run for office. I assume
the gentlewoman had many of them in her election getting involved and
helping her come to this place and be a voice for American Samoa.
I know the gentlewoman's work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee,
that she has continued to be a strong voice for the men and women of
our armed services and veterans, and I want to thank her for that fine
work.
At this time, I welcome a new friend and a new colleague to talk
about the women in Congress, someone whom I have just recently met,
Congressman Raskin from the great State of Maryland. I welcome him to
this body and to the Chamber and any thoughts that he might want to
share. I know that he comes from the academic world prior to coming
here, as a professor. And for anything the gentleman might want to
share with us on his thoughts on women serving in Congress, I yield to
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so much for
convening this superb discussion of Jeannette Rankin and a century of
women in Congress. She, of course, was part of the great generation of
suffragettes who transformed America by winning the right for women to
vote, first in a lot of the State legislatures and by way of State
constitutional amendment, and then by way of the 19th Amendment. So it
is a fitting tribute that the gentlewoman brought everybody together to
do this.
I was reflecting today, when I heard that this was going to happen,
about the fact that we have, in Congress, I think it is 85 women now,
which is about one-fifth of the Chamber, and I think there are 20 U.S.
Senators, which is also one-fifth on the Senate side. Obviously, those
numbers are not proportionate to women's place in the population.
I hope that we could use the anniversary of Jeannette Rankin's
election to reflect on things that could be done to improve these
numbers today. One of the things that I would love to be able to pursue
with the gentlewoman and other interested Members is the use of multi-
Member districts, which were much more common at the time that she
first served than they are today.
A lot of our States have multi-Member districts for election to State
house or State senate. When you use multi-Member districts, the
proportion of women rises considerably because what happens is people
form tickets, they form slates, and it would be very unusual today to
form a slate that is not balanced according to gender and some kind of
racial, ethnic diversity. When we have single-Member districts, it is
[[Page H2738]]
much tougher to accomplish that. So that is one of the things that we
could discuss, in addition to making this Chamber and other chambers
much more work-family friendly, especially for people who are in the
young parenting years.
I thank the gentlewoman for what she has done and salute her on this
project.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. I thank the gentleman for speaking out and
for being here today.
I think that we do have a long way to go. There are many initiatives
that are being undertaken around the country. The gentleman's offer or
suggestion of a multi-Member district is certainly not one that I am
familiar with. I know that often our party organizations require it to
have gender balance, certainly in political organizations many times.
But that is certainly a concept that I am not familiar with.
But I will say that, as a new Member of Congress, I think and am
hopeful that, as you work in your committee work, you will meet the
incredible women in the body who serve currently. We, both sides of the
aisle, are constantly recruiting and asking more women to consider
serving.
Often, our State legislatures or city councils and other places are
wonderful places to seek out women to continue to serve in office, and
it is because of terrific colleagues like the gentleman who add so
much. I know he is already adding to this body in a significant way,
and I want to thank him for honoring Jeannette Rankin.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk a little bit more, because it was
97 years ago that the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. I
want you to think about this once again.
Jeannette Rankin was elected to Congress before she could even vote,
before women had the right to vote. And can you imagine being elected
before women across the country could really cast a ballot? That is
pretty incredible and pretty historic.
She had a vision that women in Congress would one day be equal to the
number of men, their male colleagues. Now, unfortunately, 100 years
later, we are still far short of that goal. The reality is that many
women today are still making history by just running for elected
office, just like Congresswoman Rankin did 100 years ago.
As you may or may not know, I am the Congresswoman from the Fifth
Congressional District of Indiana. I represent Hoosier communities in
eight urban, suburban, and rural counties in central Indiana.
What you may not know is that, when I was elected in 2012 along with
my colleague Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, we were the first
Republican women to represent the State of Indiana in Congress in more
than 50 years. By running and winning, Jackie and I were making history
for the Indiana Republican Party, and we joined a proud tradition of
Hoosier women across both sides of the aisle who served our State in
government roles at every level since our State's founding 200 years
ago.
It was in 1851 that women in Indiana, in response to the failure of
an amendment to our State constitution to give married women equal
rights to property, formed the Women's Rights Association of Indiana.
This group worked for the next 70 years to achieve women's suffrage.
It is important that women recognize the success of other women,
because we didn't get here on our own, and encourage and support each
other to break through those barriers. The women that have come before
us have set the groundwork for us to continue building upon.
Since winning the right to vote, seven women from Indiana have
represented Indiana in Congress. That is only seven, and that includes
me. I would like to highlight just some of the accomplishments of the
Hoosier women who came before me.
Virginia Ellis Jenckes was a widow who managed her late husband's
farm on the Wabash River. Serving as her own campaign manager, and with
her 19-year-old daughter as her driver, Jenckes logged 15,000 miles on
a districtwide speaking tour before her election in 1933, unseating a
16-year veteran Congressman to become the first female to represent
Indiana in Washington. In Congress, she advocated for stronger flood
control measures, as well as for American farmers, veterans,
and workers.
In 1949, Representative Cecil Murray Harden became the first
Republican woman elected to represent Indiana. She believed that women
had an important role to play in politics. She famously said earlier in
her career: ``The more interest you take in politics, the more you meet
your responsibilities as a citizen.'' She served for five terms and
pushed for more women to become engaged in and consider running for
public office. And, in fact, I was pleased that her great-granddaughter
was involved in my first run for office.
In 1982, Representative Katie Hall became the first African-American
woman from Indiana to be elected to Congress. Democratic Representative
Hall supported measures to reduce unemployment, to address crime,
family debt and bankruptcy, and alcohol and drug abuse. She is best
remembered for introducing and working to enact legislation to make Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a Federal holiday.
The fourth female elected to represent our State in Congress,
Representative Jill Long Thompson, earned the nickname ``Jill
Longshot'' when she became the first woman to earn the nomination of a
major party for a U.S. Senate seat in Indiana in 1986. Although her bid
was unsuccessful, she went on to win a seat in the House in 1989. She
served three terms in Congress, focusing on efforts to help Hoosier
farmers.
She continued this work first as Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Rural Development under President Clinton and then as Board Chair and
CEO of the Farm Credit Administration under President Obama.
After nearly 20 years in the Indiana Legislature and as Center
Township trustee, where she erased the city's welfare agency debt,
Democratic Representative Julia Carson, the grandmother of our own
colleague now, Congressman Andre Carson, was elected to represent our
State capital city of Indianapolis. She was the first African American
and first woman to represent the city in Congress, and she served for
12 years. A staunch and passionate advocate for the poor, she focused
on helping people achieve financial literacy and supported working
families.
{time} 1700
In 2013, Indiana sent two Republican women to Congress for the first
time in more than 50 years. I am proud to be serving in Congress
alongside my good friend, Representative Jackie Walorski. Born in South
Bend, Jackie served our State as a member of the Indiana State House of
Representatives and in Congress. She has been an advocate for
commonsense solutions to growing our economy and strengthening our
national security from the beginning.
Hoosier women have certainly left their marks in America's history
book, but as I stand here today, I am struck by, quite frankly, how
much work we still have to do. Indiana is one of only 22 States that
hasn't yet sent a female United States Senator to Washington. As you
have heard today, 19.4 percent of the seats in the House and Senate are
held by women.
A lot has been accomplished by women like Representative Jeannette
Rankin--four women in the past 100 years--and, today, I want to
encourage all of us to consider how much further we can go in the next
100 years.
I am pleased that another colleague, a freshman from the great State
of Washington, is joining a previous Congresswoman, Cathy McMorris
Rodgers, from the State of Washington, who was here earlier. I was
pleased to meet Representative Jayapal at our first Women's Caucus
meeting. I want to welcome the gentlewoman. The gentlewoman has been an
incredibly strong advocate on behalf of women in her career prior to
coming to Congress, representing Seattle and the surrounding area, and
I would welcome a discussion.
I want to welcome the gentlewoman as a new member in the freshman
class. Many women have joined the gentlewoman in this freshman class. I
want to welcome the gentlewoman to our celebration of 100 years of
women in Congress.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman so much for her
leadership and for her work on all of these issues.
[[Page H2739]]
I was listening to the gentlewoman as I came in and thinking that I
couldn't agree with the gentlewoman more on, first of all, the need for
us to do a lot of work to continue to increase our presence and our
ability to really effect policy decisions in the best ways, but also to
celebrate the accomplishments of Jeannette Rankin as well as all of the
Congress Members that are here.
I am so proud to represent the Seventh District in Seattle. When I
ran for the State senate, it was my first run for elective office. I
became the only woman of color in the State senate. But our State has
traditionally been very strong with women's leadership. We are
fortunate to have two women Senators. We have had a woman Governor and
a woman mayor of the city of Seattle. So we have, I think, made some
strides that have been very important to the well-being and the welfare
of our State.
Unfortunately, we have taken some steps backwards in the last couple
of years. The numbers of women in legislative office at the State level
have gone down, but I do believe that Republican and Democratic women,
together, have put together a strong agenda for the things that we care
about around families.
I am very pleased to have already worked with one of the members of
your caucus across the aisle, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, on a letter around
domestic violence victims and the immigration system. I am very pleased
about the work that the gentlewoman has championed and that we intend
to, together, lead around making sure that families have security for
themselves and for their children.
I rise to congratulate the gentlewoman for what the gentlewoman is
speaking about today, for the work that the gentlewoman has done, and
to say that I remain very committed to trying to find all of the areas
where we women, together, can put forward priorities that are important
to us.
We do joke that, if they would just turn the keys of all elective
office over to women, I think we would get a lot of things done--and no
disrespect to our incredible male colleagues who have been right there
with us every step of the way. So I am looking forward to this time
here in the House of Representatives.
I am proud to also be the first Indian-American woman ever elected to
the House of Representatives. I think that as we think about getting
women into office, we also should continue our work on making sure that
women of color enter elective office and that the representation of
people here in this great Chamber that we are so honored to serve in
reflects the representation that we have across the country of women,
of people of color, of African Americans--as the gentlewoman mentioned
in her speech--of immigrants, and, actually, of people who have been
born outside of the United States. I think I am one of just about a
dozen Members of Congress who were not born in the United States but
have the great honor and privilege of becoming a United States citizen
and now serving in this great body where only 11,000 or so people have
served before in the history of our country.
So I thank the gentlewoman again for her leadership. I look forward
to working with the gentlewoman. I appreciate her yielding in her
Special Order hour. Hopefully, it is a great symbol of the things we
can do together.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. I thank the gentlewoman so very much for
coming here today.
I think the gentlewoman has reminded us that we are a body that
reflects the country, and the gentlewoman, indicating that she was not
born in this country, yet she is an incredible role model for so many
young men and women. As I have said previously, I think it is important
for the young men of this country, regardless of where they were born,
who now live in this country, to see that women like the gentlewoman
are a strong voice in this body.
While the gentlewoman mentioned that there have been about 11,000
people who have served in this body, there have only been about 300
women. We have a long way to go.
I also want to thank the gentlewoman for sharing her work with Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen, who has been in Congress serving this body, a female who
has been here longer than any other female in this body. She does
tremendous work. She has been chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee and continues to be a strong--I assume the gentlewoman is
serving with her on that committee.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Not on Foreign Affairs, unfortunately, but we work on
immigration issues together.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. I think the gentlewoman helps demonstrate
that very often we find colleagues, female colleagues across the aisle,
to work on issues together, whether it is on legislation, cosponsoring
legislation or co-leading legislation, whether it is leading discussion
groups here in the House, or whether it is leading letters to the
agency heads in the executive branch and letting them know that we
stand together on those issues.
So I look forward to working with the gentlewoman here in this body,
and I want to thank the gentlewoman for her time and her thoughts.
At this time, I would like to wrap up by sharing that we see that
women have taken on leadership roles like all of the women who have
spoken here during this past hour. In many ways, these women have all
made history in their own rights in their communities, in their States,
in their districts, and in this body. We should celebrate each of their
accomplishments.
As Cathy McMorris Rodgers from the great State of Washington said, we
want to ensure that our daughters and our granddaughters have seats
reserved at the tables, have seats here in this body in the future, and
that eventually this body better reflects the composition of our
country where, actually, more than 50 percent of our population is
women. We need to do what we can to encourage women to continue to seek
out leadership opportunities at all levels, whether it is working in
student government in their schools, whether it is working in student
government in their colleges and universities, whether it is having a
leadership role in their church group, or whether it is having a
leadership role in their neighborhood group or in their Y or in their
4-H.
All of these things can help give them the skills to then go on,
whether it is in their local communities, in city halls or in their
local city councils or county councils, or in their neighborhood
associations, or in State legislatures and then, really, coming to this
body, because women do have strong, serious, and thoughtful voices. The
women before us certainly had that. It was proud pioneers like
Jeannette Rankin who came to this body before women had the right to
vote. I want to continue to celebrate their accomplishments. The fact
that women are still making history by participating in politics is a
sign that we still have far to go.
I want to thank all of the women and the gentleman from Maryland who
participated in celebrating Jeannette Rankin.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Women's Caucus
Chairs: Susan Brooks and Lois Frankel, for hosting this bipartisan
special order focused on the Achievements and Importance of Women in
Congress.
I am proud to be a Woman Member of Congress representing the great
state of Texas.
And, as a member of the Women's Caucus, I am proud to be an original
co-sponsor of Congresswoman Brooks' commemorative resolution which
honors the life and legacy of the first woman to serve in i the United
States Congress, Jeannette Pickering Rankin, on the l00th anniversary
of her swearing-in to Congress, who famously said ``I may be the first
woman in Congress, but I won't be the last.''
It is critical today that we take pause to highlight the importance
and contributions of women Members in Congress; as well as:
1. Recognize the importance of the Suffragette Movement in achieving
opportunities for women;
2. Emphasize the imperative of promoting education for women in STEM;
and
3. Affirm our nation's commitment to expanding opportunities for
women in my home state of Texas and across the country.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first woman being
elected to Congress, Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana.
This resolution is a fitting way to honor Representative Rankin's
legacy, and to celebrate the many contributions of the female lawmakers
who have succeeded her in this institution.
[[Page H2740]]
Jeannette Rankin was a trailblazer who broke barriers throughout her
lifetime and whose example continues to inspire women the world over.
She graduated from the University of Montana with a biology degree in
1902.
She later became active in the women's suffrage movement, organizing
the New York Women's Suffrage Party and working for the National
American Woman Suffrage Association.
In 1916, Representative Rankin became the first woman elected to
Congress, even before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which
guaranteed the right to vote to women.
For all of her contributions to women's rights, to political
activism, and to this institution, it is only fitting to pay tribute to
her achievements.
This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the first woman in her
own right to represent Texas in the House of Representatives,
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.
In 1972, Congresswoman Jordan, was the first African American elected
to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction, and the first Southern
African-American woman elected to the United States House of
Representatives.
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, educator, an American
politician, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.
Today, it is with great honor that I serve in my mentor and friend's
former seat, continuing to carry the torch she elevated for so many and
for so many years, representing the outstanding constituents of
Houston, Texas.
We tend to think that before the Women's and Civil Rights Movements
minority Americans had no ability to represent themselves in
government.
Despite the tremendous obstacles of intimidation and harassment that
was faced by these brave Americans, they sought and won election to
political office.
Prior to her election to Congress, Jordan taught political science at
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama for a year before passing the Texas State
bar in 1960 and starting a private law practice by which she served her
community with pride.
In 1994, President Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of
Freedom and The NAACP presented her with the Springarn Medal.
She was honored many times and was given over 20 honorary degrees
from institutions across the country, including Harvard and Princeton,
and was elected to the Texas and National Women's Halls of Fame.
Congresswomen Jordan and Rankin both dedicated their lives to the
pursuit of unfettered democracy so that we all could have a voice and
use it freely.
Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to
Congress, when she was elected to represent the New York's Twelfth
Congressional District in 1968 running on the slogan, ``Fighting
Shirley Chisholm--Unbought and Unbossed.''
She reflected that spirit well during her 14 years in Congress.
During her first term she spoke out for civil rights, women's rights,
the poor and against the Vietnam War.
Her first term in Congress was set against the backdrop of the Civil
Rights Movement and the women's movement for equal rights.
Shirley Chisolm had an understanding that during those turbulent
times the nation required a determined leader to represent the voice of
so many Americans who felt dismay at their treatment.
She took an extremely active role in changing the way women were to
be judged from that point on.
She remarked that, ``Women in this country must become
revolutionaries. We must refuse to accept the old, the traditional
roles and stereotypes.''
This is a sentiment that I myself take to heart, women in this nation
are now told they have a right to determine the kind of life they want
to lead; Shirley Chisholm was at the core of this movement.
On January 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her candidacy for president.
She stood before the cameras and in the beginning of her speech she
said:
``I stand before you today as a candidate for the Democratic
nomination for the Presidency of the United States.
I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and
proud.
I am not the candidate of the women's movement of this country,
although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that. I am not the
candidate of any political bosses or special interests.
I am the candidate of the people.''
Shirley Chisholm did not win the nomination; but she went on to the
Democratic Convention in Miami and received 151 delegates' votes.
More than that, she demonstrated the will and determination of so
many Americans who had previously felt forgotten, she had lighted a
fire under so many who had felt disenfranchised.
I am glad to walk in their footsteps and will continue to encourage
women to uphold the principles they taught us to fight for and cherish.
Because Representative Rankin is a graduate of the sciences from a
rural area, encouraging participation in programs such as the Jeannette
Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program is the perfect way
to honor her legacy as a woman of the sciences and the first woman
elected to Congress, and to inspire the next generation of women and
minorities from rural areas to take up STEM fields.
Following in the footsteps of so many astounding role models, we must
continue to encourage women, particularly those from underserved
communities across the country, to participate in research and projects
in all academic fields, and specifically in the sciences.
Women and minorities have been and continue to be underrepresented in
STEM fields.
Although women make up 47% of the total U.S. labor force, they
comprise only 36% of the computing workforce, 24% of the engineering
workforce, and 18% of the advanced manufacturing workforce.
Indeed, minority representation in STEM fields is even lower, with
African-American and Latino workers comprising 29% of the general
workforce, but only 15% of the computing workforce, 12% of the
engineering workforce, and 6% of the advanced manufacturing workforce.
The Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program is
one way that we can address these glaring disparities.
The program awards grants to universities and institutions of higher
learning to distribute to eligible applicants, and they prioritize
projects and programs of particular relevance to USDA.
Recipient institutions have used these grants for worthy endeavors,
such as:
1. establishing a Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM
Fields Program fellowship program for women and minority high school
students in rural areas;
2. providing mentorship and hands-on, service-based learning to high
school students and undergraduates in particular STEM fields; and
3. offering mentoring services to current undergraduates to help them
successfully complete STEM-based degrees.
These women were in positions of great responsibility during times
when this nation was under a great burden.
The true greatness of their story is not just that they overcame the
oppression they faced, but that they had the courage to help remedy a
nation that in many ways had spited them.
They refused to bend their principles to the hatred they faced; they
were true pioneers in leadership.
They are my role models in Congress because they represent the kind
of leaders that America has always needed at times of adversity, they
had a spirit and a courage that could not be broken, they had a vision
of America that exceeded that of most of their peers.
I am very proud to be a Member of Congress and to follow in the
footsteps of giants like Jeannette Rankin, Barbara Jordan, and Shirley
Chisolm.
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of
Jeannette Rankin, whose groundbreaking career in Congress a century ago
paved the way for all of my female colleagues standing here today.
Jeannette Rankin was persistent, driven, and fearless.
She came to the House of Representatives before women even had the
right to vote in this country.
Jeannette Rankin's voice in Congress was instrumental for women's
suffrage. She knew how to get things done, opening the first House
floor debate on women's right to vote in 1918.
And she stayed true to her convictions throughout her life,
advocating for peace.
Today my fellow female Members of Congress and I stand together to
honor trailblazers like Jeannette Rankin, whose bravery and
determination opened the doors for women in the United States and
throughout the world.
____________________