[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.

                          ____________________