[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 26, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1294-H1295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms.
Scholten of Michigan was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the minority leader.)
General Leave
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett). Is there objection to the
request of the gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, the United States won its independence 250
years ago in the Revolutionary War, and our journey as the United
States of America began. Yet, 250 years ago, I could not be standing
where I am today. Women did not have the right to vote, to hold public
office, or to own property 250 years ago. Some women were property 250
years ago. Women were a footnote to the story of our country's founding
250 years ago.
Today, 250 years later, women make up 125 Members in the Congress,
and the Democratic Women's Caucus is 96 strong. Women now make up more
than 58 percent of college graduates, 40 percent of all businesses are
women owned, and more than 52 Fortune 500 companies are led by women.
This kind of change did not happen by accident. It happened because
our mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunties, sisters, and
cousins dared greatly and forged new paths for us to walk on. The
freedoms and privileges we enjoy today are because of those who came
before us. These are their stories.
{time} 1515
Over the next hour, we will hear from women Members across the
country who will share the stories of heroines who changed the course
of history.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina, Ms.
Deborah Ross.
Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Scholten for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde,
who, sadly, passed away last month.
A North Carolina native, Ambassador Hyde was a trailblazer who paved
the path for generations of women in our State. Her contributions to
our community span industries, from her time as a social worker and
teacher to serving as the first woman on the North Carolina Board of
Transportation.
Ambassador Hyde was an active philanthropist, never forgetting her
roots and always giving back to North Carolina causes and
organizations.
It is especially meaningful to celebrate her legacy during Women's
History Month.
As a leader and influential advocate, she pushed for ratification of
the equal rights amendment and women's full participation in the
political process. She never gave up on her vision of an America where
every woman has a chance to make her voice heard.
At a time when women are facing unprecedented attacks from the Trump
administration, we should all seek to emulate Ambassador Hyde's grit
and grace over the next 4 years. Like Jeanette, we cannot back down in
the face of threats to women's healthcare, accessible childcare, equal
pay, and more.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. Morrison).
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, as we recognize Women's History Month, I
rise, as an OB/GYN, in fierce defense of our Nation's moms and babies.
Right now, the Republican majority in Congress is launching a full
attack on America's families.
Let's start first with where we are in our country. We are facing a
serious and worsening maternal healthcare crisis.
Just look at this map. In more than half of our country, women do not
have a place to go that provides obstetric care. Among peer nations, we
have both the highest rate of maternal deaths and the highest rate of
infant deaths--in the United States of America.
This is a crisis. It is an unacceptable crisis, and it demands
immediate action from our Nation's legislators.
Yet, the Republican majority is shoving a budget through that would
gut Medicaid, which is the single largest payer of maternity care in
our country, in order to give tax cuts to billionaires.
As an OB/GYN who has spent my life caring for women and delivering
babies, let me tell you: It is unconscionable to threaten the care
women receive before, during, and after pregnancy, but that is exactly
what the Republican majority is doing with their budget.
Republicans are choosing to shut down more hospitals and clinics
across the country. Republicans are choosing to make even more of our
country into maternal care deserts. Republicans are choosing to take
healthcare away from moms and babies.
It does not have to be this way. As we celebrate Women's History
Month, I implore the Republican majority to make their policy match
their profamily rhetoric and choose to put America's moms and babies
first.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, clearly, history is still being made this
Women's History Month as we have an unprecedented number of changemaker
women from across the country who are standing up and fiercely
defending their constituents. We are so grateful for their work in
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland, Representative
Sarah Elfreth.
Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, Commander Janie L. Mines was the first
African-American woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980.
Commander Kristine Holderied, a Howard County native, was the first
woman to graduate as valedictorian not only from the Naval Academy but
from any service academy, in 1984.
Midshipman Kristen Dickmann, a Naval Academy freshman and volleyball
player, tragically passed away at the age of 19 in 2008. Her memory is
now honored every single year, for over the last decade, via a
tournament in her honor.
Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber, the Naval Academy's first
African-American female brigade commander,
[[Page H1295]]
earned that honor not even 5 years ago, in 2020.
I share these names and stories because these are women and women of
color who are an integral part of the rich history of the United States
Naval Academy that I have the privilege of representing. It is not just
the Naval Academy. They represent our military and, proudly, our
Nation.
I want to be clear that this administration's unrelenting and
reckless attack on the stories and the history of persistence,
diversity, and opportunity only serves to set us back.
When faculty at our five world-class service academies are told to
avoid divisive concepts like racism and sexism, that only threatens to
erase the stories and experiences of these brave women who just wanted
to serve our great Nation.
I strongly believe that we should have a Navy and Marine Corps that
look like our country, where our midshipmen receive an education that
teaches the accurate and full history of this Nation, where the stories
of women and people of color aren't skipped over because they are
inconvenient.
This is all critical to our national security and strong democratic
principles that we embody abroad. It is for these women and the
hundreds of thousands of women serving our Nation at home and abroad
that I am here today.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, as the first woman in history to hold my
seat in Congress, I am always thinking about the history-making women
of the past, present, and future. I am honored to highlight a few
stories of history-making women Michiganders now.
I am honored to highlight Michigander Harriet Quimby, the first
American woman to earn a pilot's license and the first woman ever to
fly solo across the English Channel. Her career in aviation was short
but accomplished.
Flying from the U.S. to England, Mexico, and more, Harriet's legacy
serves as a reminder that women can soar to whatever heights they set
their minds to.
We are so proud to claim that Sojourner Truth made her home in
Michigan for the last 27 years of her life, a fearless abolitionist and
women's rights advocate who used her powerful voice to demand justice.
Born into slavery, she escaped and dedicated her life to fighting for
freedom and equality. Her famous ``Ain't I a Woman?'' speech challenged
the exclusion of Black women from the suffrage movement, leaving a
legacy that continues to inspire generations.
Anna Howard Shaw was a trailblazer in every sense of the word,
becoming one of the first female ordained ministers in the United
States and later a physician. She dedicated decades to the fight for
women's suffrage, serving as the president of the National American
Woman Suffrage Association. Her leadership and relentless advocacy
helped secure the right to vote, proving that determination and
conviction, as well as persistence, can change the course of history.
Clara Arthur, known as the Mother of the Playground Movement,
believed in creating a better world for future generations. As
president of the Michigan Equal Suffrage Association, she worked
tirelessly to advocate for women's voting rights. Her activism extended
beyond the ballot box. She championed education, labor reforms, and
public spaces for children, ensuring that progress didn't just mean
progress for some. It meant progress for all.
Lucia Voorhees Grimes was a dedicated suffragist who played a pivotal
role in Michigan's fight for women's voting rights. As a leader in the
Michigan Equal Suffrage Association, she traveled the State organizing
campaigns, educating voters, and pushing for legislative change. Her
unwavering commitment helped pave the way for Michigan women to claim
their rightful place in the democratic process.
These are the stories of past historymakers who have changed the
course of our Nation. The freedoms we enjoy today are because they
refused to sit idly by, and now, as we see unprecedented attacks on our
healthcare, on our rights, we also see everyday women, especially in
places like my hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who refuse to sit
quiet.
I refuse to stand by while Republicans, Donald Trump, and
billionaires like Elon Musk try to gut essential programs like
Medicaid, a lifeline that millions of families rely on.
No parent should have to choose between their child's health and
paying their bills. We are fighting to protect the care that women and
families depend on because healthcare isn't a privilege for the
wealthy; it is a right for everyone.
I highlight a brave mom from my district, Abby Koroma, a mother of
two visually impaired daughters who depend on Medicaid. Without this
critical program, Abby would be forced to make impossible decisions:
whether she has enough in her bank account for treatments that could
save her children's vision or putting food on the table.
No parent should have to face that choice, but Republicans in
Congress right now, aided by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, are willing to
rip away this essential healthcare from families like Abby's just to
hand out more tax cuts to the ultrawealthy.
We won't let it happen. We are the women who are standing in the gap
and standing up for these families. We will fight every day to protect
Medicaid, to stand up for families who depend on it, and to make sure
that no one in this country is left wondering whether they can afford
the care that they need for themselves or their families.
I stand here today so that no one has to wonder who they have
fighting for them. We are here, standing together and fighting for
families across the country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the women who joined me here today to stand up
and highlight the powerful women of their home States and the impacts
that they have had on changing the course of history.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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