[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 21, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H4052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE PASSAGE OF 19TH AMENDMENT
(Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, today we come together to
celebrate 100 years since the United States House passed the 19th
Amendment prohibiting the government from denying the right to vote on
the basis of sex.
It was a milestone in the evolution of women's suffrage, but the hard
work of making sure that all women could vote continued long after its
passage.
Women still had to fight to build a system where Native Americans,
African Americans, Asian Americans and all women of color could not
only register to vote but could actually cast their ballot.
In 1924, when Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship, we took
a big step toward Native American women's suffrage. And in 1964 when
the Voting Rights Act was passed, we took another step in breaking down
obstacles that prevented Black women and other women of color from
voting.
The history of women's suffrage, like the history of our Nation, is
complex, but it is a history that we must acknowledge and that we
absolutely need to reckon with, because we know that people all over
this country today still face voter suppression.
So let's take this opportunity to celebrate this historic day but let
us also recognize the full movement for women's suffrage has continued
long after, and let's recommit to making sure that every citizen in
this country can exercise their constitutional right to vote and
participate in our democracy.
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