[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 27054]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION ON WOMEN 35TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, today I rise to celebrate women 
in my home state of Vermont. It gives me great pleasure to speak in 
recognition of the Governor's Commission on Women of Vermont and to 
acknowledge their 35th anniversary.
  Over the last 35 years, the Governor's Commission on Women has 
accrued a long list of achievements in the state of Vermont. It is a 
vibrant and healthy organization, dedicated to ensuring that women's 
rights, health, life choices, careers and community service are in 
sharp focus for policymakers and citizens alike. Commission members 
know how to use their strength of advocacy to empower women and raise 
the profile and scope of key issues. To highlight a recent endeavor, 
the Commission made it a priority to give all Vermonters a better 
understanding of their health benefits by offering a series of 
educational materials on managed care plans.
  I have often said that community service is the cornerstone of 
democracy and I believe that each citizen has a responsibility to 
contribute to their community. The Governor's Commission on Women does 
just this, by addressing the pressing matters of concern throughout the 
state, such as poverty, child care and pay equity. For over three 
decades the Commission has taken on the ``tough to tackle'' issues. I 
was very pleased to partner with women's groups across Vermont, 
including the Commission, in the fight to ratify the Equal Rights 
Amendment. Although we suffered defeat on this particular issue, we 
knew we were successful in championing the message of equal rights.
  Through a combination of their hard work, commitment and vision, the 
Vermont Commission has surpassed all expectations and created new, and 
I believe lasting, community partnerships. I am proud of what they have 
been able to achieve and I hope that others throughout the state and 
nation will look to the Commission's accomplishments and be inspired to 
act as resourcefully.
  I have made it a personal priority to support the Commission's 
efforts to reach their goals and, because I am committed to raising 
awareness at the federal level about the needs of women, I rely upon 
them for guidance. From a woman's right to make her own reproductive 
health choices, to supporting efforts to thwart domestic violence, to 
addressing the life quality issue of retirement security, I have had 
the opportunity to listen, to learn and to act on each of these issues 
in Congress. I encourage my colleagues to forge the same relationship 
of mutual reliance with any organization representing women in their 
respective states. I firmly believe that we can never shy away from 
efforts to understand, and eventually ameliorate the impacts of 
discrimination, low wages and lack of opportunities.
  I extend my best wishes to the Governor's Commission on Women and to 
honor their very notable accomplishments over the past 35 
years.

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