[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1029-H1035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SMITHSONIAN WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM ACT

  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1980) to establish in the Smithsonian Institution a 
comprehensive women's history museum, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1980

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Smithsonian Women's History 
     Museum Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Since its founding, the United States has greatly 
     benefitted from the contributions of women.
       (2) Historical accounts, monuments, memorials, and museums 
     disproportionately represent men's achievements and 
     contributions and often neglect those of women. For example--
       (A) a study of 18 American history textbooks concluded that 
     10 percent of the material documented contributions of women;
       (B) 9 statues out of 91 in the United States Capitol's 
     National Statuary Hall depict women; and
       (C) only one of the 44 monuments operated by the National 
     Park Service specifically honors the achievements of women 
     after the 2016 designation of the Belmont-Paul Women's 
     Equality National Monument.
       (3) There exists no national museum in the United States 
     that is devoted to the documentation of women's contributions 
     throughout the Nation's history.
       (4) Establishing a comprehensive women's history museum 
     representing a diverse range of viewpoints, experience, and 
     backgrounds is necessary to more accurately depict the 
     history of the United States and would add value to the 
     Smithsonian Institution.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MUSEUM.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established within the 
     Smithsonian Institution a comprehensive women's history 
     museum, to be named by the Board of Regents in consultation 
     with the council established under section 4.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the museum established under 
     this section shall be to provide for--

[[Page H1030]]

       (1) the collection, study, and establishment of programs 
     relating to women's contributions to various fields and 
     throughout different periods of history that have influenced 
     the direction of the United States;
       (2) collaboration with other Smithsonian Institution 
     museums and facilities, outside museums, and educational 
     institutions; and
       (3) the creation of exhibitions and programs that recognize 
     diverse perspectives on women's history and contributions.

     SEC. 4. COUNCIL.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established within the 
     Smithsonian Institution a council to carry out the duties set 
     forth under subsection (b) and other provisions of this Act.
       (b) Duties.--
       (1) In general.--The council established under this section 
     shall--
       (A) make recommendations to the Board of Regents concerning 
     the planning, design, and construction of the museum 
     established under section 3;
       (B) advise and assist the Board of Regents on all matters 
     relating to the administration, operation, maintenance, and 
     preservation of the museum;
       (C) recommend annual operating budgets for the museum to 
     the Board of Regents;
       (D) report annually to the Board of Regents on the 
     acquisition, disposition, and display of objects relating to 
     women's art, history, and culture; and
       (E) adopt bylaws for the operation of the council.
       (2) Principal responsibilities.--The council, subject to 
     the general policies of the Board of Regents, shall have sole 
     authority to--
       (A) purchase, accept, borrow, and otherwise acquire 
     artifacts for addition to the collections of the museum;
       (B) loan, exchange, sell, and otherwise dispose of any part 
     of the collections of the museum, but only if the funds 
     generated by that disposition are used for additions to the 
     collections of the museum; or
       (C) specify criteria with respect to the use of the 
     collections and resources of the museum, including policies 
     on programming, education, exhibitions, and research with 
     respect to--
       (i) the life, art, history, and culture of women;
       (ii) the role of women in the history of the United States; 
     and
       (iii) the contributions of women to society.
       (3) Other responsibilities.--The council, subject to the 
     general policies of the Board of Regents, shall have 
     authority--
       (A) to provide for preservation, restoration, and 
     maintenance of the collections of the museum; and
       (B) to solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, 
     bequests, and devises of personal property for the purpose of 
     aiding and facilitating the work of the museum.
       (4) Ensuring diversity of political viewpoints in exhibits 
     and programs.--In carrying out its duties, the council shall 
     ensure that the exhibits and programs of the museum reflect 
     the diversity of the political viewpoints held by women of 
     the United States on the events and issues relating to the 
     history of women in the United States.
       (c) Composition and Appointment.--
       (1) In general.--The council shall be composed of 25 voting 
     members as provided under paragraph (2).
       (2) Voting members.--The council shall include the 
     following voting members:
       (A) The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
       (B) One member of the Board of Regents, appointed by the 
     Board of Regents.
       (C) 23 individuals appointed by the Board or Regents. In 
     appointing members under this subparagraph, the Board of 
     Regents should give special consideration to appointing--
       (i) members of the Congressional Commission;
       (ii) board members of the National Women's History Museum, 
     a nonprofit, educational organization described in section 
     501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that was 
     incorporated in 1996 in the District of Columbia and that is 
     dedicated for the purpose of establishing a women's history 
     museum; and
       (iii) scholars and representatives of organizations that 
     are committed to the study of women's history.
       (3) Initial appointments.--The Board of Regents shall make 
     initial appointments to the council under paragraph (2) not 
     later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.
       (d) Terms.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in this subsection, 
     each appointed member of the council shall be appointed for a 
     term of 3 years.
       (2) Initial appointees.--As designated by the Board of 
     Regents at the time of appointment, of the voting members 
     first appointed under subparagraph (C) of subsection (c)(2)--
       (A) 8 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year;
       (B) 8 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; and
       (C) 7 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.
       (3) Reappointment.--A member of the council may be 
     reappointed, except that no individual may serve on the 
     council for a total of more than 2 terms. For purposes of 
     this paragraph, the number of terms an individual serves on 
     the council shall not include any portion of a term for which 
     an individual is appointed to fill a vacancy under paragraph 
     (4)(B).
       (4) Vacancies.--
       (A) In general.--A vacancy on the council--
       (i) shall not affect the powers of the council; and
       (ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original 
     appointment was made.
       (B) Term.--Any member of the council appointed to fill a 
     vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which 
     the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for 
     the remainder of that term.
       (e) Compensation.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 
     member of the council shall serve without pay.
       (2) Travel expenses.--A member of the council shall be 
     allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
     subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency 
     under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from 
     the home or regular place of business of the member in the 
     performance of the duties of the council.
       (f) Chairperson.--By a majority vote of its voting members, 
     the council shall elect a chairperson from its members.
       (g) Meetings.--
       (1) In general.--The council shall meet at the call of the 
     chairperson or on the written request of a majority of the 
     voting members of the council, but not fewer than twice each 
     year.
       (2) Initial meetings.--During the 1-year period beginning 
     on the date of the first meeting of the council, the council 
     shall meet not fewer than 4 times for the purpose of carrying 
     out the duties of the council under this subchapter.
       (h) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members of the 
     council holding office shall constitute a quorum for the 
     purpose of conducting business, but a lesser number may 
     receive information on behalf of the council.

     SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE MUSEUM.

       (a) Director.--
       (1) In general.--The museum established under section 3 
     shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the 
     Secretary, taking into consideration individuals recommended 
     by the council established under section 4.
       (2) Duties.--The Director shall manage the museum subject 
     to the policies of the Board of Regents.
       (b) Staff.--The Secretary may appoint two additional 
     employees to serve under the Director, except that such 
     additional employees may be appointed without regard to the 
     provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
     appointments in the competitive service.
       (c) Pay.--The employees appointed by the Secretary under 
     subsection (b) may be paid without regard to the provisions 
     of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, 
     United States Code, relating to classification of positions 
     and General Schedule pay rates.

     SEC. 6. EDUCATIONAL AND LIAISON PROGRAMS.

       (a) Programs Authorized.--The Director of the museum 
     established under section 3 may carry out educational and 
     liaison programs in support of the goals of the museum.
       (b) Collaboration With Schools.--In carrying out this 
     section, the Director shall carry out educational programs in 
     collaboration with elementary schools, secondary schools, and 
     postsecondary schools.

     SEC. 7. BUILDING.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Location.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Board of Regents shall 
     designate a site for the museum established under section 3.
       (B) Sites for consideration.--In designating a site under 
     subparagraph (A), the Board of Regents shall select from 
     among the following sites in the District of Columbia:
       (i) The site known as the ``South Monument site'', located 
     on the National Mall and bordered by 14th Street Northwest, 
     Jefferson Drive Southwest, Raoul Wallenberg Place Southwest, 
     and Independence Ave Southwest.
       (ii) The Northwest United States Capitol site, bordered by 
     3rd Street Northwest, Constitution Avenue Northwest, 1st 
     Street Northwest, and Pennsylvania Ave Northwest.
       (iii) Any other appropriate location as identified by the 
     Board of Regents in consultation with the council established 
     under section 4.
       (C) Availability of site.--
       (i) In general.--The sites described in clauses (i) and 
     (ii) of subparagraph (B) shall remain available until the 
     date on which the Board of Regents designates a site for the 
     museum under subparagraph (A).
       (ii) Transfer to smithsonian institution.--If the site 
     designated for the museum is in an area that is under the 
     administrative jurisdiction of a Federal agency, as soon as 
     practicable after the date on which the designation is made, 
     the head of the Federal agency shall transfer to the 
     Smithsonian Institution administrative jurisdiction over the 
     area.
       (D) Factors considered.--In designating a site under 
     subparagraph (A), the Board of Regents shall take into 
     consideration each of the following factors:
       (i) An estimate of the costs associated with each potential 
     site.
       (ii) An assessment of the suitability of the space of each 
     potential site, including size, proximity to other buildings 
     and transportation, and other external environmental 
     conditions, as appropriate.

[[Page H1031]]

       (iii) The recommendations of the Congressional Commission.
       (E) Consultation.--The Board of Regents shall carry out its 
     duties under this paragraph in consultation with each of the 
     following:
       (i) The Chair of the National Capital Planning Commission.
       (ii) The Chair of the Commission on Fine Arts.
       (iii) The Chair of the Congressional Commission.
       (iv) The chair and ranking minority member of the 
     Committees on Appropriations and Rules and Administration of 
     the Senate.
       (v) The chair and ranking minority member of the Committees 
     on Appropriations, House Administration, and Transportation 
     and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
       (F) Priority.--In designating a site under subparagraph 
     (A), the Board of Regents shall give priority to a site which 
     is on or near the National Mall.
       (b) Construction of Building.--The Board of Regents, in 
     consultation with the council established under section 4, 
     may plan, design, and construct a building for the museum, 
     which shall be located at the site designated by the Board of 
     Regents under subsection (a).
       (c) Nonapplicability of Provisions Relating to Monuments 
     and Commemorative Works.--Chapter 89 of title 40, United 
     States Code, shall not apply with respect to the museum.
       (d) Cost Sharing.--The Board of Regents shall pay--
       (1) 50 percent of the costs of carrying out this section 
     from Federal funds; and
       (2) 50 percent of the costs of carrying out this section 
     from non-Federal sources.

     SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act, the following definitions apply:
       (1) The term ``Board of Regents'' means the Board of 
     Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.
       (2) The term ``Congressional Commission'' means the 
     Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National 
     Women's History Museum, established under section 3056 of the 
     Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 
     (Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3810).
       (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
     Smithsonian Institution.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Smithsonian Institution to carry out this Act, including 
     the planning, design, construction, and operation of the 
     museum established under section 3, such sums as may be 
     necessary for fiscal year 2021 and each succeeding fiscal 
     year.
       (b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
     authorization under this section shall remain available until 
     expended.
       (c) Use of Funds for Fundraising.--Amounts appropriated 
     pursuant to the authorization under this section may be used 
     to conduct fundraising in support of the museum established 
     under section 3 from private sources.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lofgren) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney 
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian 
Women's History Museum Act.
  H.R. 1980 will establish a comprehensive women's history museum 
within the Smithsonian Institution. We cannot tell the story of America 
without telling the story of women in America.
  From the days leading up to our founding through today, the United 
States has benefited from the contributions, accomplishments, and 
sacrifices of women.
  In the 1760s, the Daughters of Liberty came together to protest 
unjust laws like the Townshend Acts, helping to spark the American 
Revolution. Soon after the Revolution, Abigail Adams urged her husband, 
John, and other Members of the First Continental Congress to: 
``Remember the ladies.'' She would later become one of President Adams' 
most influential advisers and confidants.
  In the years leading up to the Civil War, Harriet Tubman escaped from 
slavery and guided dozens of slaves to freedom throughout the 
Underground Railroad, and she didn't stop there. She went on to raise 
money for newly freed slaves and joined other women like Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in their fight for women's suffrage.
  During World War II, 6.5 million women entered the labor force to 
support the war effort, including my own late mother, who helped build 
airplanes in south San Francisco to fight the Nazis. They were 
exercising new power with jobs outside the home, and this power has 
continued to grow over time, albeit more slowly than many of us would 
like.
  Later in the 20th century, Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery bus 
boycott, and Sandra Day O'Connor took the bench as the first woman ever 
appointed to the Supreme Court.
  More recently, Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the first and second 
female Speaker of the House. In 2018, a record 102 women were elected 
to the House of Representatives.
  However, these and countless other accomplishments by women 
notwithstanding, historical accounts, monuments, and museums 
disproportionately represent the achievements of men while neglecting 
those of women. Furthermore, studies have shown that history textbooks 
discuss the accomplishments of men exponentially more often than those 
of women. This should change.
  The contributions and experiences of American women deserve 
celebration and recognition, and I can think of few better ways to 
celebrate and recognize American women than by establishing a women's 
history museum at the Smithsonian, our country's preeminent museum and 
research institution.
  The Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act mirrors the highly 
successful National Museum of African American History and Culture Act. 
Like that bill, this bill calls for a 50-50 split between Federal and 
non-Federal funding, a model that worked very well for the National 
Museum of African American History and Culture.
  The House Administration Committee considered this legislation at a 
hearing with Secretary Lonnie Bunch in September. During our markup in 
November, we agreed to an amendment offered by the minority to ensure 
diversity of political viewpoints in exhibits and programs.
  Women have come a long way since the Daughters of Liberty began 
boycotting British goods and organizing protests in the 1760s. But 
despite how far we have come, we still have a long way to go. I am 
hopeful that today, a century after women were granted the right to 
vote, we will take a critical step in creating a museum to recognize 
these achievements and inspire our daughters and our daughters' 
daughters to follow in the footsteps of the incredible women who came 
before them as we continue our unending work to form a more perfect 
Union.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1980, which would establish 
a national women's history museum within the Smithsonian Institution.
  Throughout our history, women have made enduring and significant 
contributions to our Nation's scientific, cultural, economic, artistic, 
and civic life. It is critical to preserve and share these stories 
because women's history is America's history.
  That is why I, like the 293 bipartisan cosponsors of this bill, 
support a museum in our Nation's Capital dedicated to showcasing these 
contributions.
  This bill is the result of much hard work. A bipartisan commission 
extensively studied the complex issues surrounding the establishment of 
a museum. Their final report, issued in 2016, recommended the creation 
of a comprehensive national women's history museum and that it be part 
of the Smithsonian Institution. H.R. 1980 embodies this recommendation.
  It is critical that the eventual new museum reflects the full 
spectrum of views among American women, including conservative voices 
and opinions. During committee markup of this bill, my colleague Mark 
Walker's amendment to ensure the diversity of political viewpoints in 
the museum's exhibits and programming was unanimously adopted.
  The Smithsonian faces a challenging task ahead. Creating a new museum

[[Page H1032]]

takes an enormous amount of effort and resources, with cost estimates 
approaching $650 million.

  Further, the Smithsonian has ongoing major capital improvement 
projects, a nearly $1 billion deferred maintenance backlog, and storage 
capacity issues.
  As I have stated before, I think it is imperative that we, as 
policymakers, holistically consider all the multifaceted components 
with these projects and how they fit into the long-term strategic plan 
of the Smithsonian.
  These are challenges but should not be obstacles to moving forward. 
With strong leadership at the Smithsonian and the partnership of 
Congress, a Smithsonian women's history museum can become a reality. I 
look forward to one day visiting it and sharing that experience with my 
own daughter.
  Before I yield, I would like to commend my colleague across the 
aisle, Representative Maloney, and my colleague standing to my right, 
the lead Republican sponsor, Mr. Fitzpatrick, on their dedication to 
pushing this bill through the legislative process. I thank both of them 
and their staffs for their hard work to get here.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, we are fortunate that the author of this 
bill, the gentlewoman from New York, is here with us today. She is 
someone who has been pursuing this idea for our country for so many 
years, and she would never give up until we got to this day.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York 
(Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who has been tireless and persistent. We 
would not be here today without the effort of Chairwoman Maloney.

                              {time}  1315

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank my good 
friend, Zoe Lofgren, for her leadership in so many ways and for being 
part of this success today. It would not have happened without the 
gentlewoman, and I am deeply grateful.
  There is a saying that women hold up half the sky. I would say that 
is an understatement. Women have made an incredible, lasting 
contribution to our country since its founding, yet there is not one 
comprehensive women's museum dedicated to women's achievements and 
their contributions to our great country anyplace in America.
  We have sliver museums like an arts museum or First Ladies museum or 
an Annie Oakley museum or Women of the West, but not a comprehensive 
museum, which the Smithsonian is planning with research and the ability 
to have exhibits across the country to tell the story of American 
women.
  Under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader 
Steny Hoyer, we will be changing that today by voting on H.R. 1980, the 
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act.
  This is a bipartisan effort. We have an overwhelming number of 
cosponsors--293--thanks to the efforts of all of my colleagues, 
including Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who is the lead on the other 
side of the aisle; Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence; Congresswoman Eleanor 
Holmes Norton, who is chairing a committee meeting now; and the Problem 
Solvers Caucus led by Josh Gottheimer and   Tom Reed--bipartisan--
Congresswoman Susan Brooks; and many, many others.
  I am particularly grateful to Congressman Fitzpatrick for reaching 
out to me before this Congress even began to tell me he wanted to be a 
leader--as his brother was--on this bill and get it across the finish 
line.
  I also express my appreciation to Michael Fitzpatrick, Brian's 
brother, who supported this bill as a leader for many years. He is 
greatly missed. He was a great statesman, and he is part of the success 
with us today.
  The journey of this moment started for me with a walk around the 
National Mall. I was looking at all the museums, and I saw them 
dedicated to air, space, spies, law enforcement, textiles, the Postal 
Service, arts--all enriching institutions.
  But I found myself asking: Where are the women?
  Where is half the population of this country?
  Today, with the passage of H.R. 1980, the House is taking a step 
toward changing that.
  Unfortunately, women have been left out of the telling of our 
Nation's history. Sadly, if you walk around this Capitol, Madam 
Speaker, and you count the over 100 statues, only nine are of women.
  If you look at our 2,500 National Historic Landmarks across our 
Nation, only 5 percent of our national landmarks honor women. And 
studies have shown women are underrepresented in the textbooks that we 
use in our public schools.
  Getting to this point has been a very long road that took from 1998 
to 2014 for Congress to finally pass my bill that I worked on for years 
with then-Representative Marsha Blackburn to create a congressional 
commission to study the establishment of a women's museum.
  This bipartisan commission was appointed by Republican and Democratic 
leadership and chaired by Jane Abraham, a Republican, who has become an 
incredible partner in this effort. Eighteen months later, the 
commissioners submitted a unanimous report that the U.S. needs and 
deserves--and it is long past due--a Smithsonian women's history museum 
and set out a vision of how to build it.
  We took those recommendations and put them into a bill, with the 
Smithsonian's input, that is before us today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 
minute.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today we will 
pass this important bill, and I hope the Senate will quickly do the 
same. I am grateful for the leadership of Senators Collins and 
Feinstein who are leading this effort in the Senate.
  My response to those who ask why this museum is so important is, if 
we do not even recognize women, how can we empower them?
  We need the efforts and the ability to excel, but from all of our 
residents, male and female, to win in a competitive world. That is why 
this bill should be supported by every Member of this House and, 
hopefully, the Senate.
  This is not about politics, it is not about partisanship, and it is 
not a Democrat or a Republican issue. It is an American issue 
recognizing the contributions of our mothers, our sisters, and our 
daughters. This is about giving all women our rightful place in 
history.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Zoe Lofgren so much, and I urge a strong, 
strong vote in support of this bill.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, again, I thank my 
colleague, Mrs. Maloney, for making this bill a reality in partnership 
with my good friend, as I mentioned in my opening statements, Mr. 
Fitzpatrick.
  This is the epitome of bipartisanship here on the floor of the House 
of Representatives today.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Levittown, 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), who left his favorite job out in the 
world as a special agent fighting corruption at the FBI.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Davis for 
yielding, and I thank Chairwoman Maloney for her leadership, her 
partnership, her friendship, and passion that she has shown to get us 
here today.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to proudly support the Smithsonian 
Women's History Museum Act. I was proud to join the chairwoman in 
introducing this legislation last year. I am even happier to be here 
today to support it on the floor.
  Madam Speaker, women's contributions to the development of our Nation 
are immense, however, only 5 percent of the approximately 2,400 
national monuments honor women, and as the first museum in the United 
States dedicated to the full story of women's history, this museum will 
tell the diverse story of the women who helped shape the United States 
of America.

  H.R. 1980 will finally establish a comprehensive women's history 
museum in the Smithsonian Institution. The museum will honor and 
document women's contributions to United States history and exhibit 
diverse perspectives across our history. For too long the contributions 
of women and the contributions that they have made to our

[[Page H1033]]

Nation have been overlooked and underappreciated. This is unacceptable. 
Women have been making contributions to America since our founding, and 
it is time that they get the recognition they deserve.
  This bipartisan bill sends a message loud and clear that women 
deserve an entire museum to show the important role that they have 
played in building the greatest Nation on Earth. It is time for 
Congress to authorize the creation of this national museum, and I am 
proud to stand with Chairwoman Maloney and all my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, as the saying goes, if you can see it, you can be it. 
Let's show women across America, young and old, the contributions that 
they and their predecessors have made to the United States of America 
can be theirs as well.
  Again, I thank Chairwoman Maloney so much for engaging our bipartisan 
Problem Solvers Caucus to be very instrumental in getting us here 
today.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), who is a leader for women in Congress and in 
the country.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, it is with great excitement today that 
I stand in strong support of the bill to establish the women's museum 
in the Smithsonian chain of museums in our country.
  I want to share a story with you, Madam Speaker. When I walked 
through the doors of the Smithsonian African American Museum, someone 
asked me: How do you feel?
  I said, I feel like this country has finally recognized the 
contributions and who I am in this country.
  We have not been able to make that commitment to women. When we all 
walk into museums in this great country, it is a reflection for the 
generations to come of the struggles and the accomplishments that 
different cultures and populations have had on this great country.
  I stand here today because of the women before me who have struggled 
and fought. I stand on their shoulders. I want to be a woman of whom 
the girls behind me will be able to say: Because of her, I can be.
  This is a vote for our children, the girls who are coming after, and 
the little boys who need to learn and respect the history of women in 
this great country.
  I stand in support, and I ask all my colleagues to please support 
this. This is a step that we, as women, must not let go of.
  I want to recognize my colleague, Chairwoman Maloney, who has never 
given up on this.
  Madam Speaker, as women, we know we have to work twice as hard, but 
we get the job done.
  Vote on this museum.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon), who is a fighter 
for her whole territory.
  Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Madam Speaker, I thank the 
gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I am here today standing in support of H.R. 1980, 
because I firmly believe in honoring women trailblazers who have shaped 
history and the story of our country, women who demonstrate leading by 
example.
  It is just what Brenda Lawrence was saying: we need to demonstrate 
how we can achieve that empowerment tool, and I think this museum is 
going to be just that.
  Women like our first female Supreme Court Justice from Puerto Rico, 
Sonia Sotomayor; our first Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor; 
civil rights activist Rosa Parks; astronaut and astrophysicist, Sally 
Ride; the first Latina to be elected to Congress, former Representative 
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; and Representative Jeannette Rankin, the first 
woman elected to Congress; are the better examples.
  Each of them in her respective field illustrated the strength and the 
commitment of women when they set themselves a goal. They are just a 
few of the women who transformed the American landscape, making it 
possible for me to be here today as the first female representative of 
Puerto Rico and now the vice-chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus.
  According to the Census, women are 50 percent of the total population 
of the country--165 million women in America--yet there is not one 
comprehensive museum dedicated to the history of women in the United 
States; and of the 2,400 national monuments, only 120--just 5 percent--
honor women.
  The role of women in the building of this Nation was not properly 
recognized while it was happening. We must create a space where that 
history that was not told in their own time can be studied, propagated, 
and given the high relief it deserves.
  Madam Speaker, I support this bill because I think it is time to 
honor how women shaped what is America today.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, speaking of women 
leaders in this institution, it is bittersweet because she is not 
coming back after this year, but I stand here and yield 2 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), who is my good friend and 
my classmate from the 2012 and 2013 cycle.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
strong support for H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum 
Act.
  I want to thank Representative Maloney for championing this important 
legislation. Her determination to honor American women, which started 
back in 1998 and the fact that she has brought this type of legislation 
forward ever since then is a true testament to her grit.

  I also want to thank the chairwoman of the House Administration 
Committee. I want to thank the ranking member of the House 
Administration Committee. I really welcome their leadership, and they 
have seen the importance of this legislation.
  The Smithsonian Institution was established in 1846 to increase the 
diffusion of knowledge, and I can think of no better subject matter on 
which to increase and diffuse knowledge today in 2020 than educating 
Americans and those who visit our country about the amazing American 
women who have come before us.
  A museum dedicated to American women's history will help ensure that 
my daughter and my son--future generations--understand the impact that 
our women have had on our country's past; and with a greater 
understanding of our country's past we can better navigate the future.
  Establishing this museum to collect, study, and establish programs 
covering historical contributions of women will inspire generations of 
women to come--women like Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to ever 
come to this body, the U.S. House, from Montana in 1916 before women 
even had the right to vote.

                              {time}  1330

  Women like Lucille Ball, and we all love Lucy, she was the first 
woman to run a television studio and capture the attention of viewers 
around the globe.
  Women like Dr. Mae Jemison, an engineer and physician, she was the 
first African American woman to travel to space.
  Women like these three--and there are thousands more--who deserve to 
have their stories shared with folks around the world and people here 
at home.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this 
strong bipartisan piece of legislation to create this national museum 
dedicated to American women's history. It will celebrate the 
achievements of American women.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 
seconds to the gentlewoman.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I think it is important to 
note that in this 116th Congress, where you had a record-breaking 
number of women come to this body--101 women, more than ever before, 
and hopefully, even more will be coming in future Congresses--I urge 
passage of this important piece of legislation.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), my good friend, classmate, a 
leader on women's issues, and somebody I knew before we both got 
elected to this institution.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from

[[Page H1034]]

across the river in Illinois. I have the great privilege of 
representing Missouri's Second Congressional District, and he is a 
leader in this Congress, but most of all, he is a wonderful friend and 
colleague.
  Madam Speaker, I also commend my good friend, Congresswoman Carolyn 
Maloney from New York. We have worked in a bipartisan fashion on so 
many issues, especially when it comes to the scourge of human 
trafficking, violence against women, taking care of the most vulnerable 
in our society. I thank her for her commitment.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian 
Women's History Museum Act. This important bill will honor the immense 
contributions that women have made to our country by establishing the 
first national women's history museum.
  Women from my hometown of St. Louis have a proud history of service 
and heroism. During the First World War, a brave group of St. Louis 
women volunteered to go to war-torn France to start a hospital for 
injured Allied soldiers. They were among the first Americans to deploy 
to Europe and some of the very last to leave. When they departed for 
France in May 1917, the United States had not even entered the war, and 
many remained in France for a year after the armistice. They treated 
more than 60,000 patients before they returned home to St. Louis.
  Through their courage, ingenuity, determination, and integrity, 
American women have been instrumental in the growth of the United 
States as a global force for good. I am so proud that their stories 
will be remembered for the next generation of women leaders.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece 
of legislation.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have no further 
speakers, and I am prepared to close.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, our speakers have all been detained at 
markup so I would invite the gentleman to close, and then I will also 
close.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I support this wonderful piece of legislation. It is 
talking about leadership. You can't get much better leadership than 
Chairwoman Maloney. This is an issue she has been tenacious on.
  It is one I am proud to work with the majority party on. At a time 
when America doesn't think we are a bipartisan institution, I hope 
today is one of those instances where they can turn on C-SPAN, or maybe 
it will get reported in the 24-hour news cycle, but we are going to 
come together to do something that is great, not just for America but 
America's history.
  Madam Speaker, since I have some time left, we are talking about 
women, strong women who have been a part of this institution. She 
doesn't know I am doing this because she is sitting right next to me, 
but we are going to see the retirement of an institution here in this 
House. Come April 1, my House Administration minority staff is going to 
lose our institution, our institutional knowledge, Ms. Mary Sue 
Englund.
  Mary Sue has worked for government for 31 years, 27 years here in the 
House. Working with the likes of Bill Thomas makes me look easy, I 
think. I don't know all the rest of them before I got here, but the 
chairpersons of the committee before I got here, I know Mary Sue, when 
I met her, she was working for then-Chair Candace Miller, and she 
worked for Chairman Gregg Harper. For her to stay on and work with us 
in the minority, I am honored.
  It is people like Mary Sue who make this institution great. It is 
people like Mary Sue who are going to be missed. And it is people like 
Mary Sue who I enjoy embarrassing today because I didn't tell her I was 
going to do this.
  Madam Speaker, if the folks in the gallery would rise today to give 
Mary Sue the sendoff that she deserves.
  Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois has 7 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Clearly, I will not use that all, but you want to talk about 
empowered women? I am joined here in this House today by three young 
ladies who are the daughters of somebody I used to work with when I was 
a staffer.
  Ray Fitzgerald died too soon, in 2009. Ray, a former staffer, went 
back home to Naperville, Illinois. When his youngest daughter, Lucy, 
was 1, he succumbed to a deadly stomach cancer.

  Those three girls, along with their mom, Kristin, are fighting the 
fight to eradicate stomach cancer and working with us each and every 
day.
  I am proud to see that we are going to have a museum that is going to 
recognize the people like Mary Sue and the Fitzgeralds--Kristin, Nora, 
Maggie, and Lucy.
  We have to make sure that we continue this fight. Even after today's 
bipartisanship is shown, we have to make sure that we stand together in 
a bipartisan way, because if we don't, then we don't have the ability 
to get a brighter future for Nora, Maggie, and Lucy Fitzgerald, along 
with their mom, Kristin.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, please, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I will just say a few words here in closing.
  First, I again thank Carolyn Maloney, who, for the last 22 years, has 
worked to be here on this day.
  I think it took Carolyn 22 years, a female Speaker of the House, 101 
women in the House, and a female chair of the Committee on House 
Administration to come together and get to this day where I believe we 
are going to finally approve this bill and send it over to the Senate. 
Hopefully, it will be such a large vote that the Senate will feel a 
degree of pressure to do the right thing.
  Madam Speaker, just a word of caution on how long it takes after we 
vote to approve this and the Senate, hopefully, and the President, 
hopefully, will sign it, if we pass it.
  Secretary Lonnie Bunch is the secretary for the Smithsonian Museum. 
He has done a fabulous job. But one of his claims to fame is that he 
brought the National Museum of African American History from an idea to 
reality. He knows how to do this. And he cautioned us that from the 
moment you say go to the moment you open the doors to the museum, it is 
about 10 years.
  You have to raise the money. You have to get the scholars to do the 
scholarship and the exhibition. So unless you take that first step, you 
don't get there.
  That is the advice he gave us last September: If you don't take the 
first step, you never get there. So this is the first step, and it is 
an important one.
  Madam Speaker, I want to say that along with the fabulously important 
and famous women who this museum will honor, it is also going to go to 
the heart of America, the women who maybe weren't famous but built the 
country, the women like my mother, who walked out of their homes and 
built airplanes so the United States could win World War II; the women 
who raised their children, who worked many jobs, who ran the PTA, who 
helped form the next generation; the women who are the beating heart of 
this country will be honored by this museum.
  Madam Speaker, you really don't know where you are going unless you 
have some sense of where you came from. That is why this museum will 
help all American women and men to have a brighter American future.
  I will just say this: We do not fool ourselves that having this 
wonderful museum will solve all the problems that American women face. 
We still have no family leave policy in this country, so women are 
squeezed between taking care of their children, taking care of aging 
parents, not having an opportunity to get time off from work to do the 
things that life calls them to do. We still have pay disparity in this 
country. We still lack constitutional protections under the equal 
rights amendment until we resolve the issue on the latest wonderful 
vote in Virginia. All of those things remain.
  But this museum will be a point of pride. It will be a touchstone. It 
will be something that every boy and girl in America will be able to 
know about because it is not going to be just a building. It is going 
to be a virtual reality, Secretary Bunch has told us, a virtual reality 
throughout the United States.

[[Page H1035]]

  Madam Speaker, this is a proud day for this institution. We can 
support this bill. We can send it to the Senate and look forward to the 
day when we join Congresswoman Maloney in walking through the doors of 
the women's history museum.
  Madam Speaker, I urge that we support this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1980, the 
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act.
  On March 31, 1776, future First Lady Abigail Adams wrote to her 
husband, John Adams, urging him and the other members of the 
Continental Congress to ``remember the ladies'' when fighting for 
America's independence from Great Britain and drafting a new form of 
government.
  Unfortunately, despite this nation's great history, we were slow to 
take Abigail Adams' advice to heart. It took 144 years to grant women 
the right to vote, an historic event I talked about a week ago in a 
floor speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of New Jersey's 
ratification of the 19th Amendment.
  Even this Congress has downplayed the contributions of women in 
history as evidenced by the treatment of Portrait Monument, the statue 
in the Capitol of the three greatest leaders of the suffrage movement, 
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.
  The Portrait Monument was unveiled with great fanfare in 1921 shortly 
after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, but for decades it was 
relegated to an isolated area of the Crypt without a plaque explaining 
the contributions of the three women or a description of the female 
artist who sculpted it.
  For decades, Congress cited the cost of moving the statue as reason 
enough for keeping it in the Crypt. In the 1990s, the sponsor of 
today's bill, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York, led an effort 
to raise the funds to move the statue upstairs to the Rotunda. It was 
not until 1997 that the statue was moved to its current place of honor.
  That date is significant for our purposes today. Susan Whiting, the 
chairman of the board for the National Women's History Museum 
organization has stated that ``[The statue] was the beginning of the 
entire process of eventually building a museum,''
  It's been a long road since 1997 to build a Women's History Museum 
but passing this bill today will be one giant step closer to our goal.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act. This 
legislation will authorize the Smithsonian Institution to establish a 
Women's History Museum, which will be located alongside our existing 
Smithsonian museums in our nation's capital.
  The contributions by women to the history and advancements of the 
United States are historic and consequential. Women have always served 
this nation, from nurses in the Revolutionary War to the ceaseless 
quest today for equal pay, civil liberties, and equal access to health 
care.
  I am particularly determined to ensure that the contributions and 
perspectives of women of color are reflected in this proposed 
institution, as our country must demonstrate their historic and 
unquestionable significance. The creation of the Smithsonian Women's 
History Museum will allow all people in this nation and the world to 
better recognize and appreciate the significant contributions women 
have made throughout history.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues 
to pass the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act unanimously and 
immediately.
  First, I congratulate my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Carolyn 
Maloney, on her decades of hard and successful work making the case for 
a women's museum.
  Women are underrepresented in our nation's historical accounts, 
monuments, memorials, and museums.
  Our past, present and as of now, our future are all marked by the 
absence of women's stories.
  From Native American women and early pilgrims; to Abigail Adams when 
she wrote to her husband to ``remember the ladies''; to the suffrage 
movement; to the one thousand, one hundred, and two Women Airforce 
Service Pilots that revived our World War II effort; to Rosa Parks to 
Title Nine.
  And I could go on and on and on.
  Clearly, women have transformed the history of our country.
  But the story of American women is not just in the historical 
moments. It is also the contributions of women in every aspect of our 
society.
  There is a missing contextualization of the enormous impact that 
women have had in film, literature, science, government, education, 
culture, sports, and more.
  We have the opportunity to tell the full story, so why are we only 
telling half of our history?
  With these contributions showcased in a museum, we will no longer 
ask--Why don't we have a woman's National Museum?
  But instead, we will celebrate how fitting it is for every girl and 
every woman to identify with our country's past and want to play a 
significant role in our future.
  You can't be what you can't see.
  Frankly, I cannot believe that this museum does not already exist.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for the passage of this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1980, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LESKO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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