[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 112 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S3862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. 
        Cortez Masto, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Heitkamp, Mrs. 
        Murray, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Booker, and Ms. 
        Cantwell):
  S. 1498. A bill to establish in the Smithsonian Institution a 
comprehensive American women's history museum, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, along with the 
senior Senator from California, Senator Feinstein, the Smithsonian 
American Women's History Museum Act. This bill would establish an 
American women's history museum in our Nation's capital.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S3862, June 29, 2017, in the first column, the following 
appears: S. 1498. A bill to establish in the Smithsonian 
Institution a comprehensive American women's history museum, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Rules and Administration. 
Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, along with the senior 
Senator from California, . . .
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: S. 1498. A bill to 
establish in the Smithsonian Institution a comprehensive American 
women's history museum, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Rules and Administration. Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am 
pleased to introduce, along with the senior Senator from 
California, . . .


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  American women have made invaluable contributions to our Country in 
diverse fields such as government, business, medicine, law, literature, 
sports, entertainment, the arts, and the military. Telling the history 
of American women matters, and a museum recognizing these achievements 
and experiences is long overdue.
  In 1999, a Presidential commission on commemorating women in American 
history concluded that an ``appropriate celebration of women's history 
in the next millennium should include the designation of a focal point 
for women's history in our Nation's capital.'' In 2014, Congress took 
an important step toward realizing this goal when it passed legislation 
creating an independent, bipartisan Commission to study the potential 
for establishing such a museum in Washington, DC. Following 18 months 
of study, the bipartisan Commission unanimously concluded, ``America 
needs and deserves a physical national museum dedicated to showcasing 
the historical experiences and impact of women in the country.'' Mr. 
President, I could not agree more.
  The bill we are introducing today is the next step toward creating 
this national museum. Incorporating the recommendations of the 
bipartisan Commission, the bill would establish a national museum to 
collect, study, and create programs incorporating and exhibiting a wide 
spectrum of American women's experiences, contributions, and history. 
Although the Smithsonian Institution would be the governing body, the 
bill requires that the construction of the museum be financed entirely 
with private funds.
  Mr. President, nearly 100 years ago, American women won the right to 
vote after a decades-long fight for suffrage. The story, leaders, and 
lessons of women's suffrage are among the most powerful in our Nation's 
history. As the centennial celebration of that historic moment nears, I 
can think of few better ways to honor those women and that momentous 
achievement than by passing this legislation. A museum dedicated to 
women's history would help ensure that future generations understand 
what we owe to those American women who have helped build, sustain, and 
advance our society. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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