[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           WELCOMING OUTSTANDING WOMEN FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome 24 
outstanding women who represent eight countries on the continent of 
Africa who have come at the request of the League of Women Voters, who 
have come to look at what we, the women of the House, do in order to 
empower ourselves and empower the women throughout this country.

                              {time}  1645

  I am so pleased to welcome my friends from Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, 
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These women represent non-
governmental organizations, but are interested in the political process 
and how they can better serve the people of their respective countries 
upon their return.
  As we all recognize, the League of Women Voters encourages the 
informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to 
increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences 
public policy through education and advocacy.
  They have come in that role as advocates to take back with them how 
we, the 62 women who make up the House of Representatives, function: 
the types of policies that we pass out of this House.
  I happen to serve as the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on 
Women's Issues, and I simply told them that to empower themselves is to 
become part of the democratic process, and that is to vote, to 
encourage all of the folks within their countries to vote, to be 
participatory in the election process, and then to seek the needs of 
women and families so that they can address those through an advocacy 
program to follow the needs of those respective constituents, and 
certainly it will help them to build the base that is necessary to run 
for office.
  Those of us who are women here in the House have not sought to get 
these seats initially. We were teachers and nurses and social workers 
and other types of fields of endeavor. But when the need came and when 
folks in our communities told us that the education systems were 
broken, that there were so many children who were not insured with 
health insurance, then we took up the gauntlet, and we began to build a 
base to run for office.
  We encourage not only the women who are here who see this floor, who 
see this House, the House that receives people from around the globe. 
Earlier today we welcomed the President of Mexico, Mr. Vicente Fox. We 
are welcoming them today. We welcome all who come to seek out what we 
do in the House, the people's House, a House where we pass laws to make 
the quality of life better for all people.
  It has been my pleasure to host them today with the members of the 
Congressional Conference of Women's Issues, and with women and men 
Congresspersons who came to welcome them to the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I welcome them to this House.

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