[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 27, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

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                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 27, 2019

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate Women's History 
Month.
  I want to offer a special mention for the U.S. House of 
Representatives women firsts:
  Congresswoman Jeanette Rankin of Montana who was the first elected 
woman member of the House of Representatives;
  Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii was the first woman of color and 
the first Asian American woman elected to Congress;
  Congresswoman Shirley Anita Chisholm of New York who was the first 
African-American Congresswoman member of the House of Representatives; 
and
  Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen whom we have the honor of working 
with is the first Hispanic woman elected to serve in Congress.
  National Women's History Month's roots go back to March 8, 1857, when 
women from New York City factories staged a protest over working 
conditions.
  International Women's Day was first observed in 1909.
  In 1981, Congress passed a law authorizing the President to proclaim 
March 7, 1982 as ``Women's History Week.'' It was a modest beginning, 
but very significant to women because it started a societal and 
cultural change in how women--and especially young girls saw themselves 
within the American story.
  In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, 
Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month, and the 
President has issued a proclamation.
  This month we recognize Women's History Month by noting the 
fundamental role women have played in shaping America's history. But I 
say to you that a month is not enough to make known the significant 
contributions of women to the success of the United States of America.
  We taught our girls about Rose the Riveter who represented the 
millions of American women who went to work on assembly lines to 
manufacture tanks, planes, and weapons for the defense of this nation 
during World War II.
   We have many American Women heroes in the STEM area like: Sally 
Kristen Ride, the first woman sent into space; Eileen Marie Collins, 
the first woman space shuttle pilot; and Grace Murray Hopper an 
American computer scientist and United States Navy rear admiral.
  Admiral Hopper developed the first compiler for a computer 
programming language, which made it possible to program computers 
without using punch cards.
  The Shriver Report, ``A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink:'' 
Some Recommended Steps for Government Businesses, and Women reported on 
the economic health of the average American woman.
  Today, women make up half the U.S. workforce, but the average full 
time working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average full time 
working man makes.
  And that is why the House must pass H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness 
Act, when it comes to the floor for debate and vote.
  There are many women in the State of Texas and in the city of Houston 
who have made significant contributions to the American story:
  Congresswoman Barbara Jordan of Texas was the first African American 
woman elected to the House of Representatives;
  Kathryn ``Kathy'' Whitmire was the first woman elected to serve in 
Houston City government; and
  Mae Carol Jemison, the first African American woman astronaut.
  These many accomplishments does not mean there is not more that needs 
to be done.
  There is still a long way for women to go according the Shriver 
Report.
  Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 
percent of the votes.
  A woman working full time, all year at a minimum-wage job, or a job 
close to the minimum wage, will not be able to bring her family above 
the poverty line.
  Families need an income closer to 200 percent of the federal poverty 
threshold to escape the brink.
  In the Shriver Report's survey:
  73 percent of Americans said that in order to raise the incomes of 
working women and their families, they strongly favor the government 
ensuring that women get equal pay for equal work;
  79 percent of Americans said the government should expand access to 
high-quality, affordable childcare for working families;
  Almost 60 percent of Americans said women raising children on their 
own face tremendous challenges and should be helped financially by 
government, employers, and communities; and
  If we are going to win the war on poverty we must wage and win the 
war of discrimination of women in the workforce.
  Pay inequality is not just a women's issue--it is a family income 
equality issue.
  In 2012, Texas' ranked second among the 50 states among with workers 
earning at or below the federal minimum wage.
  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of the 6.1 million 
workers are paid hourly rates in Texas in 2012,
  In Texas 282,000 earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage 
of $7.25 per hour, while 170,000 earned less.
  From 2011 to 2012, the number of Texas workers who earned at or below 
the federal minimum wage was 7.5 percent. The percentage of workers 
earning less than the federal minimum 2012 was 2.8 percent, while the 
share earning exactly the minimum wage was 4.7 percent.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to help celebrate Women's History 
month by becoming cosponsors of H.R. 863.

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