[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17798-17799]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 17798]]

                   APPLAUDING THE AUTHORS OF TITLE IX

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think that we have all 
benefited from the historical perspective that has been given to us 
this evening. It is certainly my honor to be able to associate with the 
remarks of my women colleagues to honor my friend and colleague, the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink).
  Even more exciting for, I hope, all of us who have had the pleasure 
of being on the floor, was to see her energy in recounting this 
historical recollection of the challenges and the battle, if you will, 
of what she had to overcome to bring us to this point. I particularly 
enjoyed the gentlewoman's emphasizing that she was a woman and a 
mother. When it came to her daughter, her daughter was first, but she 
did and made all of these sacrifices because she wanted to see young 
women who were coming up behind her to have the opportunities that she 
might not have had.
  So I want to join my colleagues, and I thank the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) for her vision and leadership, 
along with the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), for giving us 
this opportunity to come and honor the existence of Title IX, the 
landmark legislation that bans gender discrimination in school 
academics and athletics, and to applaud the authors of this 
legislation.

                              {time}  2045

  I might say to my good friend and colleague, the vote did not count, 
but the vision, the words, and fight that she puts in place were really 
what counted. We thank her for that. Might I say to former 
Congresswoman Edith Green, our appreciation as well. Their leadership 
ushered in a new era of appreciation for women in sports in academia.
  The Speaker has been listening patiently. As many of us proudly like 
to talk about our children and home towns, let me say that I am from 
Houston, Texas. I want to share a personal moment of pride, or two 
personal moments of pride; one, when the WNBA Comets won their first 
championship, I had the pleasure of being in the arena.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not embarrassed to say as a slightly older woman 
than 21 years old, I cried, I cried, because for the first time I saw 
women in a competitive sport, with the excitement, the energy, but also 
to see the community, men and women, cheering for women sportspersons, 
not because it was basketball, which seems to have taken the world by 
storm, but because women were engaged in a competitive sport, and we 
all were cheering.
  Might I say that I have a young daughter, a young woman for who I had 
the pleasure of being a mother on the sidelines, watching her play 
basketball and engaging my husband and my younger son in what she was 
doing wrong and what she was doing right. How many of us had that 
experience 20, 30 years ago, when I relished the opportunity to 
participate in sports in my high school and in college, and Mr. 
Speaker, I simply was not asked to participate. Yet, I have the 
opportunity to sit along the sidelines and applaud my young daughter, 
and watch my young son engage in debate and cheering his sister along.
  I stand to congratulate the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) and 
Ms. Edith Green for what they have made and what the future holds. I 
also congratulate the Women's World Cup team champions. Their historic 
win a few weeks ago over China was watched all over the world, and 
certainly serves as a testament to the importance of Title IX.
  Might I apologize to my constituents who invited me to be a guest 
speaker, and unfortunately, there was a television in the room, and I 
asked everyone to stop, stop the program so I could see the final 
minutes of the World Cup, and watch the women bring it to a close and 
slap 5, and I congratulate them as well, many of whom are from the 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. No, I am not from North 
Carolina, but my daughter attends that school, and the soccer women 
made me aware of that when we visited with them, and joined them in 
traveling to NASA last Monday to see off and to offer words of 
congratulations to Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, the first woman to 
pilot the space shuttle. She is flying above us now.
  I might congratulate her because I think the charge of Title IX 
helped to propel women all over the country and the world to do great 
things. We saw her go off in space last Friday, but I was with my 
colleagues, both colleagues who were here on the floor, the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) and the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) to travel down to Florida to see her off.
  Let me quickly finish by saying each of these accomplishments, Mr. 
Speaker, have served to remind us that only 27 years ago there was no 
Title IX, and women were still second-class citizens. We have come a 
long way from those days when only men were expected to be legislators, 
excel in sports, and fly in space.
  This is truly a great day for women in America and all over the 
world.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say one thing, it is vital that we do not pit the 
value of women's sports against the needs of men's sports. I want to 
say today, tonight, this evening that what the gentlewoman from Hawaii 
(Mrs. Mink) did and Congresswoman Green, both of them in the United 
States Congress, was a great thing. Let us not turn it into a wrong 
thing or a bad thing by pitting those two needy efforts against each 
other.
  I simply want to say, Mr. Speaker, as I come to a close, there is 
much that we need to do. I will cite the number of women that got 
medical degrees, and 43 percent of law degrees and doctoral degrees, 44 
percent. All of this I think is generated by the energy and enthusiasm 
when women get into a competitive mood.
  But we have a long way to go, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we need more 
women CEOs. We need to address the question of pay equity, more 
engineers and scientists. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we have yet to elect the 
first woman president of the United States of America.
  So I am grateful to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) and 
former Congresswoman Green, as authors of this energetic legislation. 
They dreamed and we believed and we accomplished. Today we honor them 
for their work, and our commitment and challenge, Mr. Speaker, is that 
we go forth to do better, to do great things, and to create equality 
for men and women in the United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the Women's Caucus 
in honor of title IX, the landmark legislation that bans gender 
discrimination in school academics and athletics. I also wish to 
applaud the authors of this legislation, Representative Patsy Mink and 
former Congresswoman Edith Green. Their leadership ushered in a new era 
of appreciation for women in sports and in academia.
  I also stand to congratulate the Women's World Cup Team champions. 
Their historic win a few weeks ago over China was watched all over the 
world and certainly serves as a testament to the importance of title 
IX.
  Finally, I would like to offer words of congratulations to Air Force 
Colonel Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle.
  Each of these accomplishments serve to remind us that only 27 years 
ago, there was no title IX and women were still second class citizens. 
We have come a long way from the days when only men were expected to be 
legislators, excel in sports and fly into space. This is truly a great 
day for women in America and all over the world. It is vital that we do 
not pit the value of women's sports against the needs of men's 
collegiate sports.
  Since title IX passed, we have seen that there have been significant 
increases in women's educational achievements. In 1994, women received 
38 percent of medical degrees, 43 percent of the law degrees, and 44

[[Page 17799]]

percent of all doctoral degrees. In 1972, the numbers for professional 
degrees were in the single digits (9 percent for medicine and 7 percent 
for law).
  In athletics, we have also seen more opportunities for women in 
intercollegiate sports. Institutions now must ensure that there is 
adequate athletic financial assistance, accommodation of athletic 
interests and abilities of women, and that the opportunities and 
treatments afforded to sports participants must be equivalent.
  Some other program components include providing access to equipment 
and supplies, opportunity to receive academic tutoring, medical and 
training facilities and services, adequate support services and 
publicity. These benefits are some of the ways institutions ensure that 
sport participants receive equivalent treatment.
  We know that title IX has had an important impact on women's sports. 
We have seen the success of the Women's National Basketball Association 
and the Women's Soccer Team as evidence that access to these programs 
in college is crucial to professional development.
  I am proud to stand here today to applaud this important legislation 
and these women who have blazed the trail of achievement for other 
women. These athletes will inspire a new generation of girls to engage 
in sports. CEO's, pay equity, and, yes, we have yet to elect this 
Nation's first women President.
  I am grateful to serve in Congress with Representative Patsy Mink, 
one of the authors of this legislation. She must have only dreamed that 
we would be here today in honor of the great accomplishments of women 
due to her work. Today, we honor your work and the work of other women 
who have fought hard to give more opportunities to women.

                          ____________________