[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THIRTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE IX

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today marks the 34th anniversary of title 
IX. Since 1972, title IX has opened doors to athletics, education and 
success for millions of young women across our Nation. For 34 years, 
the program has increased participation under Republican and Democratic 
administrations, because title IX is not about politics it is about 
helping young women realize their dreams.
  The statistics are amazing--millions of young women breaking down 
barriers. But behind these numbers, the lives of these women have been 
improved because of the changes brought about through title IX.
  I have seen how title IX has changed the experience of women in my 
own family. When I went to school 30 years ago, the atmosphere was much 
different. Back then at Washington State University, I could only 
participate in a few sports, and women receiving athletic scholarships 
was unheard of.
  The difference between my daughter's generation and my own could not 
be more stark. Women of my generation never had the chance to go to 
college on a sports scholarship, even though many deserved them. Some 
of my daughter's friends have done just that.
  I am so proud of my home State of Washington, which is the first 
State in the Nation to boast two women Senators and a woman Governor. 
It is also home to WNBA champions the Seattle Storm.
  There is no doubt that title IX has opened doors for women over the 
past 34 years. The challenge for all of us today is to make sure that 
those doors of opportunity stay open for our granddaughters and great-
granddaughters.
  As we celebrate the anniversary of this important law, I urge 
President Bush and Secretary of Education Spellings to protect existing 
title IX policies and give every young girl in American the chance to 
experience the roar of a crowd--and not just cheer from the sidelines.

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