[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H1484-H1489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1945
CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
General Leave
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include material on the subject of my Special Order in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, as a co-chair of the Democratic Women's
Caucus, I am pleased to lead this Special Order in celebration of
Women's History Month. Throughout March, we recognize the women
leaders, trailblazers, and pioneers who come before us.
We have chartered a path forward that will lift up and empower young
women and girls. The soul and moral compass of our Nation rests on the
shoulders of women throughout this history.
I am proud to fight every day so that we can improve the quality of
life for women and girls in Michigan and across this country.
As the co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the vice chair
of the Congressional Black Caucus, I have made it a mission to put
women issues and Black women issues front and center in this Congress.
But before I go into the work that we have done and are doing in this
Chamber, I want to recognize the inspirational women in my life who
helped shape who I am.
First, I want to acknowledge my grandmother, who, without a high
school education, taught me the value of education, taught me the value
of being a woman, of being a wife, of being a mother. She is my rock
and my foundation. She taught me that being a woman and being a Black
woman in America ``is to be fearless, Brenda,'' to never apologize, and
be accountable for everything that I do, and that I work hard, get my
education, and keep my faith in God. There was no door I could not walk
through or no table that I did not deserve to sit at. She had strength
and confidence in something I carry with me every single day.
Then there is my shero, Shirley Chisholm, who paved the way for Black
women like me to be in Congress. She proved every day the power that
women had to change their community. Shirley Chisholm always said: ``If
they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.''
And, my goodness, the majority of women who represent us here in
Congress are carrying their own folding chair.
So we have our first woman, our first Black American, our first
Asian-American Vice President, who has coined the phrase: ``The first,
but not the last.''
We stand on the shoulders, all of us, of giants. We continue to build
the foundation so that the next generation of girls and young women can
stand on our shoulders. Look at this Congress. There are over 140
Democrat and Republican women in the House and the Senate, the most
ever in the history of our country.
That translates to the work we are doing in this Chamber to better
the lives of women and girls. If you look at today, we voted to pass
the equal rights amendment resolution and the Violence Against Women
Reauthorization Act. These are the steps in the right direction. We
have come a long way, baby, for full equality, but we still have work
to do.
We, unfortunately, have a system in America that often suppress women
and does not support women. But we know that, ``A woman is like a tea
bag,'' like Eleanor Roosevelt said, ``you never know how strong she is
until she gets in hot water.''
And I know for a fact that women have continued to stand up against
every barrier. You point to this pandemic and you see how women,
especially women of color, have borne the brunt of this health and
economic crisis. But we keep moving and we will continue in this
Congress to fight for the women in America.
This is our responsibility, and I am glad that we have women leaders
across the Federal, State, and local governments that we have looked up
to. Every woman in this Congress today recognizes that the next
generation is looking at us and asking us to stand up.
Our Vice President of the United States, our Speaker of the House,
and half of President Biden's Cabinet, and even on the other side of
the aisle, the chair of the House Republican Party, all are women. We
are making success, and I know that we can do so much more.
I continue to work, and I want to know that when women succeed,
America succeeds, as our amazing Speaker of the House reminds us.
I am so glad to share this hour with some of our amazing women
leaders who will continue to tell us, while we have a month dedicated
to women's history, we make history every single day.
I would like to ask for my first speaker to come to the podium.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier).
Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, my
friend, my colleague, my co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus.
I rise tonight in honor of Women's History Month and the heroic,
trailblazing women of our military, who have risked their lives for our
country in the advancement of women's equity and equality.
Women have been on the front lines fighting for America's values and
freedom since the founding of our Nation. Our foremothers blazed a
trail for women like Loretta Walsh, who, in 1917, as America teetered
on the brink of entering World War I, heard and answered the call to
serve. Loretta became the first woman to enlist in the U.S. military in
a position other than nursing and was our first female chief petty
officer.
I also want to recognize Captain Kristen Griest and Lieutenant Shaye
Haver, the first women to graduate from the Army Ranger School;
Marcella Hayes, America's first Black female fighter pilot; and Mary
Edward Walker, the first female U.S. Army surgeon who served in the
Civil War and the only woman to receive the Presidential Medal of
Honor.
The strength and courage of these women and so many more like them
reinforces what we already know: There is nothing women cannot do.
When women are in positions of leadership, our country is in better
hands. I believe that this is especially true in our military.
I honor General Ann E. Dunwoody, our Nation's first female four-star
general; Admiral Michelle Howard, the Navy's first female four-star
admiral and first African American to command a U.S. naval ship; and
Air Force General Laura Richardson, the first female commander of a
combatant command.
These women have served our Nation honorably. They now must open new
doors for a generation of women to fulfill their dreams to serve our
country under safe conditions, free from sexual assault and harassment.
All of these women warriors volunteered for duty and risked their
lives while fighting rampant misogyny, including attacks from talking
heads on national TV--who have never served our country--and racism for
the women of color. Their unflinching courage has paved the way for
thousands of women serving in our Armed Forces today. Our military is
stronger and this country is safer because women serve.
We honor these military women's achievements today on the House
floor. May we never forget their sacrifice, duty, and dedication. May
they elevate a new generation of women in the military, free from bias,
racial discrimination, and sexual assault.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my amazing co-chair for
everything she does.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman
Schultz).
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding.
I rise today to honor our foremothers who first demanded equity in
and outside the home, along with the sheroes
[[Page H1485]]
of today who still battle for it amidst this deadly pandemic both on
and behind its front lines.
The onset of COVID-19 pushed so many brave women into the deadly
viral fires. It also foisted upon too many of them an inordinate share
of unpaid caretaker and teacher roles once they were safe at home.
Throughout all of history, it is women, especially those of color,
who bear the harshest health and economic burdens and fallout from such
national crises.
The data is clear: Only a full recovery that prioritizes women can
reverse this ``she-cession'' we are in.
That is why I proudly supported the American Rescue Plan, which
provides much-needed help to women across this country. This relief
package includes historic expansion of the child tax credit to help
lift children and families out of poverty, and provides paid-leave tax
credits to help more women stay in the workforce.
It also makes the investments needed to safely reopen schools and
keep the childcare industry afloat so women and families can pay for
care and get back to work.
And with the inclusion of $1,400 stimulus checks per family member
and extended unemployment assistance, women can finally regain their
footing as equal partners and breadwinners.
Yet, even among these many challenges women have faced over this last
year, we cannot overlook that, for the first time in history, we have
sworn in a Madam Vice President. The historic inauguration of Vice
President Harris will inspire countless girls to higher ambitions, and
it marks a milestone for all women of color whose work, leadership, and
vision went unrecognized for far too long.
In the Jewish faith, one of our most important tenets is the concept
of l'dor v'dor--from generation to generation. It is our responsibility
to lift up the women of tomorrow and ensure that the world provides
every opportunity for them to succeed.
This Women's History Month, while we honor and remember the women who
have carried us through this and other past national calamities, we
also celebrate that the shoulders we now stand on provide an even
clearer vision of the equity and fairness for which we all strive.
Women are the changemakers, the visionaries, and the leaders of the
future. Today, we celebrate a world in which my two daughters and all
young girls everywhere have bold, limitless visions and dreams that are
now truly possible.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida
(Ms. Lois Frankel), my co-chair.
Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding, my sister in good trouble.
This is Women's History Month, a time to reflect the gains women have
made; the struggles we continue to face; and the strong, fearless, and
selfless women who have and continue to pave the way.
I have often lamented, as have many of my colleagues here, that for
women to reach their full potential, we must be in charge of our own
reproductive destiny. No one should have to call their Governor or
Member of Congress for permission to access contraception or abortion.
And even after the landmark decision Roe v. Wade, it is a constant
battle to protect a hard-fought right to legal abortion.
We have seen Republican administrations and Republican States
legislatures create obstacle after obstacle to prevent women from
achieving reproductive freedom, blocking access to legal abortion and
even contraception.
We have seen private citizens, under the guise of protecting lives,
threaten abortion providers, including assassinating physicians that
provide abortions.
And then there are the angels on the ground who, day in and day out,
protect our precious right to reproductive freedom.
With this background, I want to highlight a courageous woman in my
hometown of West Palm Beach, Florida, who has made and continues to
make history as a great champion of women's reproductive rights. She is
one of the bravest people I know, someone I am proud to call a friend.
Her name is Mona Reis.
Mona's mission began early on in life, as a teenager. Six years
before Roe v. Wade, she participated in a Florida's Girls State program
that gives teen girls an opportunity to run the Florida State
Legislature, and she actually introduced a bill to legalize abortion in
the State. Of course, it didn't pass.
But this was just the beginning of a lifelong career and a commitment
to protecting a woman's right to choose, from working at the first
outpatient abortion clinic established in Florida in the 1970s to, now,
building her own outpatient clinic, the Presidential Women's Center, 41
years ago.
She has been fighting to make sure that all women, no matter their
age, race, or economic status, are able to access full reproductive
care, including abortion.
Her clinic has treated more than half a million women for things like
prenatal care, HTDs, family planning, and pregnancy termination.
This has been a fulfilling but sometimes dangerous mission. Every
week for 40 years, the clinic is surrounded by protesters who taunt
patients as they enter for care.
In 2005, her clinic was burned to the ground in an arson attack, but
she has continued to provide high-quality and compassionate care
despite the fact that she has had to endure so much.
Again, I want to thank the gentlewoman for allowing me to talk today.
It is an honor to recognize Mona Reis, an unsung heroine who
continues to make our communities a safer and a healthier place for
women and girls. It is an honor to know her, to thank her, to celebrate
her as we recognize Women's History Month.
{time} 2000
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, it is also significant to note that the
majority of the diversity in Congress is represented by the women
Members of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn
B. Maloney), a fighter for the ERA.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs.
Lawrence for her extraordinary leadership.
In 1921, exactly 100 years ago, just after ratifying the 19th
Amendment, the suffragists set their sights on another constitutional
change. The vote was not enough for them. They knew we needed to put
gender equality into our Constitution.
So, these women, among them my relative Alice Paul, wrote the equal
rights amendment. It was first introduced in Congress in 1923 in
celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, the
first women's rights convention in our country. It was introduced in
the House by Representative Daniel Anthony, nephew of the great
suffragist leader, Susan B. Anthony, to honor her work, as well as the
work of many others, like the great suffrage leader Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, also of New York.
Today, during Women's History Month, we honor these women as
constitution-makers. But verbal praise alone is not enough. We must
also carry out their wishes. Because now, a full 100 years later, the
equal rights amendment is still not part of the U.S. Constitution.
I thank Jackie Speier and all the women and like-minded men in this
Congress that voted to move the equal rights amendment forward.
Eighty-five percent of U.N. member states have constitutions that
explicitly guarantee equality for women and girls. These constitutional
guarantees have enabled national legal reforms that eliminated
discriminatory laws and helped usher in new laws protecting girls and
women. Where once the U.S. was a leader on gender equality, when it
comes to our Constitution, we are now far, far behind.
Today, we must fulfill the hope of our suffragist foremothers and
make equality a reality in our Nation's most fundamental document.
I must say, throughout this struggle I have always said: Where are
the women? When I walk around the Mall, they have museums for
everything, but not women. It is hard to empower women if we don't even
recognize them. So this Women's Caucus put in a bill to create a
national women's museum on the mall. I thought this would be easy. It
took us two decades to finally pass it last year, but it is now going
to be built. It was a priority of this caucus, and we made it happen.
[[Page H1486]]
I just want to close by saying that our Smithsonian Women's History
Museum will inspire visitors of all ages and all genders for
generations to come.
I am so glad to join my colleagues for tonight's Special Order to
celebrate the historical achievements of women and to look forward to
creating a more equal future for all and preserving this history and
the contributions of women in the new Smithsonian women's museum, which
is now going to be built on the mall due to this Congress and this
Women's Caucus.
I thank all of my colleagues that helped this happen and helped the
passage of the ERA today.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I can't wait for that museum.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee),
another leader and fighter for women's rights.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to
thank the Democratic Women's Caucus, Congresswomen Frankel, Speier, and
Lawrence, for hosting this Special Order on Women's History Month.
I want to thank Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for insisting that
Black women and women of color be seen in this body.
Last year, we celebrated the centennial of the ratification of the
19th Amendment, which gave some women the right to vote. We know that
women of color were not able to vote until decades later, and Black
women fought until they got suffrage in 1965.
I am proud that this January, my bill, with the support of both
Republicans and Democrats here in this body and in the Senate, passed.
It is called the Women's History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial
Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act, and it was signed into law. This
measure will ensure that prominent women from American history can be
honored on our circulating quarter dollar coins.
The currency we use is one of the most important shared ways that we
have in memorializing what is important to us as Americans. Making sure
that prominent American women are featured on our coins is an important
step in recognizing the contributions women have made in furthering
civil rights and making our country a more equitable place.
As the mint solicits public input for these coins, it is my hope that
diverse American women will be chosen and depicted, celebrating our
Nation's leaders, thinkers, and innovators.
Last election also brought a record number of women in Congress, and
there are, I believe, 120 women now in the House. I know my mentor, the
first African-American woman elected to Congress, Congresswoman Shirley
Chisolm, would be so proud. Yes, we brought our folding chairs, but I
have to just tell you, we are here to stay.
I salute my late mother, Mildred Parish Massey tonight, who blazed so
many trails. She instilled in her three girls that women are equal to
men, from day one.
She was one of the first 12 Black students to integrate the
University of Texas at El Paso. She was the first Black female civilian
at Fort Bliss, Texas, to work there for years, and she was the first in
so many segregated places.
But you know what? She told my sisters and me that ``can't'' is not
in the dictionary and that we can fulfill our dreams. But in doing
that, we have to break these barriers so that others can enter, and she
insisted that we open the doors for other women and girls.
It is so important that we celebrate Women's History Month and honor
the women trailblazers who came before us. Not only should we celebrate
women, but we should also ensure that they are protected and granted
equality. I can't think of a better way to honor Women's History Month
than for this body to pass bills to guarantee and enshrine women's
equality. It is a shame we have to do that.
One important action we can take to do that is to remove barriers to
ratifying the equal rights amendment. I have to thank my good friend,
Congresswoman Jackie Speier, for her leadership on these efforts. It is
way past time we do that.
For 244 years, women have not been able to claim the full protections
and opportunities afforded by the Constitution. Women and girls face a
devastating wage gap, gender-based violence, inadequate access to
healthcare, pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, the list goes
on. Yet, our Constitution does not explicitly protect them, and women
of color have had to fight twice as hard.
I thank Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for leading the Special Order
tonight. It is an important moment for women in this country.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Lee for
being a voice for women year after year after year.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms.
Schakowsky), who has been one of our fighters from the beginning.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin my remarks about Women's
History Month with a little quiz. Who was the first woman of color to
serve in this body, in the United States House of Representatives?
I think I hear somebody saying maybe it was Shirley Chisolm. Shirley
Chisolm certainly was a groundbreaking leader, but she was not the
first woman of color. It was a woman named Patsy Mink.
Patsy Takemoto Mink was born in the territory of Hawaii in 1927. She
became a lawyer at the University of Chicago. That is my hometown. Not
frequent for women to do that. In fact, she couldn't get a job, so she
set up her own practice.
But she got really interested in politics, and she served in the
territorial House and Senate. And guess what? She was the first woman
ever to be in that body. She was a groundbreaker.
In 1964, 5 years after Hawaii became a State, Patsy ran for the
United States Congress, the first woman of color and the first Asian
American and the first woman to represent Hawaii.
She championed early childhood education, introduced the first
childcare bill in Congress, and she was a groundbreaker by introducing
title IX. This was legislation that itself was groundbreaking. An
amendment to the Higher Education Act, title IX, ensured that women
could not be excluded from participating in school activities or
participating in collegiate athletics. Believe me, this was not an easy
bill to pass.
That same year, she actually did run for President. That was about 2
years before Shirley Chisolm did. A very short race. She was an anti-
Vietnam war candidate. Then she dropped out to run for Senate and lost
that race.
But she came back to the United States Congress to serve once again.
I have to tell you that I had the pleasure--when I came here in 1999,
Patsy Mink was here, a fierce and tiny woman whom you could not resist.
I want to say today that we need to lift the name of Patsy Mink
higher. People don't know who she is or who she was or what she
accomplished for women. I am determined that we will do something in
this House of Representatives to acknowledge and honor the great work
of Patsy Mink.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North
Carolina (Ms. Adams), who has been a trailblazer in her own right.
Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Michigan
and all of the chairs and the co-chairs of this committee.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the women of the United States House of
Representatives for Women's History Month. This Women's History Month
marks the 101st year of women's suffrage in the United States.
Despite the fact that women have had the right to vote for 101 years,
we still don't have equal justice under the law. That is why earlier
today, we passed a resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline for the
ratification of the equal rights amendment, because there is no
expiration date on equality.
Yet, to this day, women are still paid less for our work, face
workplace harassment, and are discriminated against, simply because of
who we are.
Women who work full-time, year-round, still make 82 cents on the
dollar for men's earnings. Fighting against these disparities and
ensuring our Federal Government and policies are reflective of the
whole country is why having women at every level of government is so
important, in our House, State houses, and, yes, even in the White
House.
So this month, in particular, we draw strength and inspiration from
those
[[Page H1487]]
who came before us and those remarkable women working among us today,
from Shirley Chisolm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress; to
Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman Speaker of the House; to Kamala
Harris, the first female, first African American, and first South Asian
American Vice President in United States history. She was sworn in by
the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.
A hundred years ago, only one woman, Alice Mary Robertson, was
elected to serve in Congress. Currently, a record 144 women were
elected to this Congress, with 120 women in the House of
Representatives alone.
{time} 2015
I am proud to say that when I was elected and sworn in in 2013, I
became the 100th woman. However, there is still a lot of work to be
done; 144 out of 535 Members is just 25 percent. That is just not what
our country looks like. Women make up over 50 percent of this Nation.
Women's History Month is a reminder of the importance and the urgency
of that work and the need for us to continue breaking those glass
ceilings.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman and thank her for being the
100th woman to enter into Congress.
I now yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez).
Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining, please?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 31 minutes remaining.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. I thank Mrs. Lawrence so much for gathering us
all here tonight in celebration, because celebration is what we must
do. We must celebrate not just Women's History Month, but everything we
did today. We must celebrate that we passed the extension of the ERA,
that we passed the Violence Against Women Act, that we passed the
American Rescue Plan with all of those wonderful provisions that will
lift women and children out of poverty.
I come from a place where for many years they didn't give us the
vote, they didn't give us statehood, and there was much discrimination.
But it was also a place where women and women of color have a long and
proud history of transformative leadership, and I honor a few of them
today.
One hundred years ago the suffragist Adelina Otero-Warren helped lead
the charge to ratify the 19th amendment in New Mexico. After her
success, she became the first Latina to ever run for Congress.
Unfortunately, she wasn't successful, but 100 years later I am the
first Latina to represent my district.
In my family, my grandmother, Isabel Lopez Leger helped to integrate
the segregated city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, refusing to move when the
neighbors realized she was a small, Brown, Spanish-speaking Hispana.
My big grandma, as we called her Ganga, Abelina Romero Lucero,
understood how central the vote was to achieving equity and
representation for our communities, making calls to mobilize voters
from her hospice bed. She was a Democrat until she died.
My mother, Manuelita de Atocha Lucero Leger, was punished for
speaking Spanish in the schoolyard. She took this bigotry and turned it
into advocacy, and she and my father helped pass the 1973 New Mexico
Bilingual Multicultural Education Act because she knew that language
was so essential to ``our culture and heritage,'' ``nuestra cultura y
herencia,'' and identity.
New Mexico also claims Dolores Huerta, who proudly taught us that,
``yes, it can,'' ``si, se puede.''
I close with New Mexico's beloved daughter, Secretary Deb Haaland of
the Pueblo of Laguna. New Mexico has shed tears of joy over her
confirmation. She takes to the Department of the Interior a fierce
voice borne of resilience and the love of community and our Earth which
she inherited from the 34 generations of New Mexican women before her.
Women's history is still unfolding, for we have hard work ahead of
us, don't we? Women of color, especially, are disproportionately
impacted by the pandemic, health disparities, and economic hardship. So
I am so thankful to be here with my ``sisters,'' ``hermanas'' to
celebrate our history and to recommit ourselves to the hard work we
have ahead of us.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman so much. We are standing on
the shoulders of Deb Haaland and my amazing mentor and friend, Marcia
Fudge, who have left the Halls of Congress to go to the White House to
lead the administrative staff.
I now yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath), a
community organizer who put her boots on and walked the streets, and
made change, and then blessed us by coming to Congress to continue the
fight.
Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I want to first and foremost give a great
sense of thanks and debt of gratitude to my colleague, Brenda Lawrence,
for bringing this Special Order hour today, as we are really
celebrating womanhood. That is truly what we are doing tonight.
Mr. Speaker, this month we celebrate the amazing and just absolutely
inspirational women that are all around us. As it has been said over
and over again, you know, so many amazing women reside right here in
this body, and I have to personally say, I have never met in my
lifetime a greater number of courageous and intelligent and just
amazing women that are so committed to democracy and protecting their
constituents and their communities, and I feel very humbled and honored
to actually get to serve with each and every one of them.
Whether it be a mother or a scientist, a Congresswoman or the Vice
President of the United States, we are eternally thankful for the work
that women do to help us thrive here at home and across the globe.
This week I had the opportunity to speak with four amazing women who
are fighting for change in my community in Georgia's Sixth
Congressional District.
Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid has become the first African
American and first woman to serve in her position on the Board of
Commissioners.
Aixa Pascual has dedicated her career to engage and advocate for
Georgia's Latino population.
And after 15 years of teaching, Charisse Davis joined the Cobb County
School Board to implement ideas that she learned from her experience as
an educator.
Dr. Colleen Kelley, a physician at Emory University School of
Medicine, has worked on the Moderna vaccine trial at Grady Hospital.
I truly want to thank these incredible women for all of the amazing
work that they have done in our community, because it not only serves
my community, my district, Georgia, but also the rest of the Nation.
I wish everyone a truly happy, happy Women's History Month. But I
have to honestly say, as I am sitting here today listening to all of my
colleagues talk about the amazing women that we know and amazing women
who have done so much work throughout the course of history, I would be
remiss if I did not mention my own mother, Wilma Cecelia Holman. I owe
her such a great debt of gratitude because she was one of the very
first women, Black women in Illinois to receive a master's in nursing
and to actually teach nursing. So I know that everything that I am, all
of my courage, my strength, my imagination, my creativity, my drive,
and my willingness to put my boots on and get down in the dirt, in the
trenches for the people that I love and care for in my community comes
from her.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman from Georgia.
I know there is a tradition that says, as long as you say the names
of your forefathers, they will never leave you. So I just want to
introduce into the Record Etta Cranford, who was my grandmother. At the
age of 55, she inherited a 3-year-old and 5-year-old when my mother
died, and she gave everything she had until her death to ensure that I
would be a strong Black woman in America.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Lawrence for
bringing us together for this Special Order hour.
In honor of Women's History Month, I rise to celebrate the League of
Women Voters nonpartisan work to encourage active and informed
participation in our democracy since 1920. Founded shortly before the
ratification of the 19th amendment, the League has always believed in
women's power to help create a more perfect democracy.
[[Page H1488]]
In recent years, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has
worked to combat 21st century voter suppression tactics, including
strict voter ID laws and extreme gerrymandering.
In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a decision in the
League of Women Voters v. Pennsylvania that declared our congressional
districts had been so extremely gerrymandered that they violated our
State constitution. In doing so, that decision created districts,
including mine, that are more compact, contiguous, and constitutional.
The League of Women Voters' decision paved the way for the election of
four women, myself included, to serve in our State's congressional
delegation at a time when there were none.
From the first suffragists through the present day, I want to applaud
the League of Women Voters for its ongoing work to empower voters and
defend our democracy.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. I now yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina
(Ms. Manning), a woman who has made a difference. I am looking forward
to the brilliance of her future.
Ms. MANNING. I would like to thank my colleague from my hometown for
holding this Special Order and for all she has done on behalf of women.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to celebrate Women's History Month by
highlighting the multiple and irreplaceable roles that women play in
our communities.
Generations of women have worked to balance jobs with raising
children and caring for aging loved ones. This isn't new. Women have
always disproportionately shouldered the burden of caring for family.
But for the first time, this pandemic has highlighted the toll these
various roles take on women, as so many have been forced to leave the
workforce to care for others.
Over the last year, 2.3 million women have left the workforce, a
nearly 3 percent drop in female participation in the labor force.
Several factors have contributed to this drop, but none more than the
closing of childcare facilities and schools.
The American Rescue Plan is helping women recover from this pandemic
and return to work by bolstering the childcare sector, increasing the
child tax credit, expanding paid leave, and safely reopening schools.
We must treat women with dignity and respect and put into place
systems that allow women to care for their families and excel at work.
I proudly voted to support the American Rescue Plan because it is an
important step in the right direction.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from North
Carolina (Ms. Ross).
Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Lawrence for her
leadership and for organizing this Special Order hour on this
incredible night in this incredible month of Women's History Month.
I also want to point out that all three women from the North Carolina
delegation participated, and that is true sisterhood.
I rise today to highlight an extraordinary North Carolinian in honor
of Women's History Month, Reverend Nancy Petty.
Nancy is a trailblazer in the community. As a member of the LGBTQ
community and the faith community, she has championed marriage equality
and brought these welcoming ideas to her own church, Raleigh's historic
and progressive Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. I worshipped virtually
with Pullen just last Sunday.
A kind and compassionate person, Nancy often preaches inclusivity and
understanding. She has focused on facilitating interfaith dialogue with
Raleigh's Muslim community and has partnered with the Jewish community
on social justice advocacy.
She truly represents the best of our community, and I am honored to
call her a friend and a neighbor. She has inspired a generation by her
example to treat others the way you would want to be treated.
I am so pleased to recognize Reverend Petty for this Women's History
Month and the example she sets for us all.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina.
I now yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), our
final speaker tonight, who came to Congress with a mission. She has
made her voice heard, and she has made such a difference. We welcome
her as not only a woman Member of Congress but as an amazing
Representative.
{time} 2030
Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, so many of the leaders we hear about are
public figures, elected officials, people with loud voices in the
community, but there are so many other kinds of leaders. In particular,
in connection with this month's Women's History Month, I rise to pay
tribute to some who are not often noticed, the extraordinary women who
have battled the COVID pandemic on its front lines in my community and
across our Nation.
This historic crisis has devastated my community and communities in
every corner of our country. More than 530,000 of our fellow Americans
have died. Millions have lost their jobs. Unprecedented numbers of
children and families have faced hunger.
Women have experienced a disproportionate share of these converging
crises. As a larger share of frontline workers, they have risen to the
occasion, putting the health and safety of their neighbors ahead of
their own.
One woman in my community, the Greater Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania,
has done everything she can to make sure these heroes and our most
vulnerable neighbors are not forgotten. Dr. Rajika Reed has served the
people of our community for more than 20 years as a counselor,
children's therapist, teacher, public health researcher, and
epidemiologist. Most recently, Dr. Reed has served in one of the
hospital systems in my community, St. Luke's University Health Network,
first as senior director of epidemiology and strategy and now as vice
president of community health.
Dr. Reed has been instrumental in keeping our community informed
throughout the pandemic. Dr. Reed has been particularly incisive when
speaking about the disproportionate impact of COVID on various
communities throughout the Seventh District, helping all of us
recognize and understand how rapidly and drastically the stakes can
change depending on a person's life circumstances.
By grounding every conversation in easy-to-understand data, Dr. Reed
has made sure that officials at all levels have a shared understanding
of constituents' lived reality and the challenges they face,
particularly the stark racial and economic disparities that have only
grown during the pandemic.
Still, throughout it all, Dr. Reed's warm and calm delivery has
helped soften the blow of what was at times devastating news. Her work
has helped mobilize my entire community around the shared mission of
taking care of our own and putting the most vulnerable among us first.
To Dr. Reed and women frontline workers in every corner of my
community, including many low-wage workers who still don't have the
support or pay they need, I stand with you. All of us stand with you
today and every day.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Michigan has 14 minutes
remaining.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment to thank
everyone who spoke tonight.
I want everyone to know that women are making so many strides. We are
currently on target to send women to the Moon. We are on target to make
sure that women continue to be leaders in education and healthcare. I
am proud to say that not only do we have a woman as our Vice President,
but we also have a woman as our amazing Speaker of the House. We have
six chairs of our congressional committees headed by women. We also
have over, as I said, 194 women in Congress currently.
With Women's History Month, sometimes the men will roll their eyes in
the back of their head and say: Women, why do you need a month?
Because, so often, the strides and hard work that it took for us to
accomplish what was given to privileged men are often overlooked.
I am proud to stand here today to lead this Special Order hour to
honor the women, as Congresswoman Wild said, the ones who often don't
get a platform, don't get a mic, and they just do the work every day.
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Women are the predominant group of educators. If you are educated in
America, you were probably touched by a woman. Those who are in
hospitals and went through COVID and all the suffering, the caregivers
and nurses are predominantly women.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the mother who gave birth to us. We
are often in the kitchens and other places that women are such strong
leaders, but now we have women in the C suites. We have women
manufacturing and designing. We have women in every area of America
working.
The only thing that any woman wants is the opportunity to have a seat
at the table to be able to show her brilliance. As my grandmother told
me, never apologize for your hard work, your brilliance, or your skills
and talents that you have been blessed with. You use them, and you do a
good thing with them.
And as John Lewis said, get in good trouble. The suffragists taught
us that the good trouble they went through gave us the right to vote in
America.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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