[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 21, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H4016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            COMMEMORATING 100 YEARS OF WOMEN'S RIGHT TO VOTE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, one century ago today, the 
United States House of Representatives passed a constitutional 
amendment granting women the right to vote. Just 1 year later, the 19th 
Amendment was ratified.
  Even before women had the right to vote, women from Indiana were on 
their feet, rallying their voices to be heard. Hoosier suffragettes 
such as Amanda Way, Zerelda Wallace, May Wright Sewall, Helen Gougar, 
Dr. Amelia Keller, and Grace Julian Clarke led the push for suffrage in 
Indiana and inspired Hoosier women to stand up and speak out about 
their rights.
  Each of these women and so many more across the country paved the way 
so that other women can now vote and hold local, State, and Federal 
Government positions.
  It is an honor to be one of seven Congresswomen elected thus far to 
represent the Hoosier State in our Nation's Capital, but it began with 
Representative Virginia Ellis Jenckes, who began her service in 1933; 
then Cecil Murray Harden, who began her service in 1949; Katie Hall in 
1982; Jill Long Thompson in 1989; Julia Carson in 2003; and my good 
friend Jackie Walorski and I in 2013.

                              {time}  1030

  Hoosier women have certainly left their marks in America's history 
book. But, as I stand here today, I am struck at how much work, yes, we 
still have to do.
  Exercising our right to vote is the most powerful tool we have to 
share our voice. Today, I join many colleagues here in the House 
wearing a yellow rose commemorating the suffragettes fight for our 
rights to vote. So much has been accomplished by women and for women in 
the past 100 years. Today, I want to encourage all Americans to 
consider how much farther we can go in the next 100 years.

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