[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4512-4518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING GERALDINE FERRARO

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
following Senators be permitted to speak for 5 minutes each on the 
subject of Geraldine Ferraro: Senators Boxer, Hutchison, Stabenow, 
Shaheen, Snowe.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. We come to the floor with a heavy heart and great 
sadness. Geraldine Ferraro, a former Member of the House of 
Representatives, a Congresswoman from New York who was the first woman 
to be nominated by a major party for Vice President, has lost her 
gallant and persistent fight against cancer and has passed away.
  I thank the leadership for offering the resolution noting the many 
contributions she made to America and to express condolences to her 
family.
  For we women, before 1960, Gerry was a force of nature, a powerhouse. 
She changed American politics. She changed the way women thought of 
themselves and what we believed we could accomplish.

[[Page 4513]]

  On July 11, 1984, when Walter Mondale called Gerry Ferraro and asked 
her to be his Vice Presidential running mate, an amazing thing 
happened. They took down the ``men only'' sign on the White House. For 
Gerry and all American women, there was no turning back, only going 
forward.
  America knows Gerry as a political phenomenon. I knew her as a dear 
friend and colleague. We served in the House together in the late 
1970s. She left in 1984 to run for Vice President, and I left in 1986 
to run for the Senate. We were among the early-bird women in the House 
of Representatives. And as early birds, we were not afraid to ruffle 
some feathers. We had some good times and passed some good legislation. 
It must be historically noted that when Gerry came to the House in 
1979, only 16 women were there. In 1984, when she left, we had moved to 
23. But in 2011, on the day of her death, 74 women now serve in the 
House, 50 Democrats, 24 Republicans, and 26 of those women are women of 
color.
  In the Congress, Gerry was a fighter. She was a fighter for New York. 
She fought for transit, for tunnels. She loved earmarks, earmarks that 
would help move her community forward. She also fought for the little 
guy and gal. She was known for her attention to constituent services--
the senior getting a Social Security check, the vet who needed his 
disability benefits, the kid from a blue-collar neighborhood like 
herself who wanted to go to college. And she fought for women. She 
fought for our status and she gave us a new stature.
  When the campaign was over, she continued for all of her life to be a 
source of inspiration and empowerment for women. In those early days of 
the second wave of the American women's movement, the movement defined 
women on what we did not have, what we did not have access to. What was 
it we didn't have? Equal pay for equal work. It is hard to believe we 
were not included in research protocols at NIH. And when it came to 
having access to credit, we could not get a loan or a mortgage in our 
own name in many circumstances. We needed a husband, a father, or a 
brother to sign for it. But when Gerry was chosen for Vice President, 
she showed us what we could be, what modern women in America had 
become. Women felt if we could go for the White House, we could go for 
anything. Gerry inspired.
  On the night of July 19, 1984, in San Francisco at the Mosconi 
Center, Gerry gave her acceptance speech. She became the first woman to 
be nominated for Vice President for a major party. What a night. I was 
there--the thrill, the excitement in the room, the turbo energy that 
was there: 10,000 people jammed the Mosconi Center. Guy delegates gave 
their tickets away to alternates, to their daughters, to people who 
worked and helped out. They wanted to be there. People brought their 
children. They carried them. They put them on their shoulders to see 
what was about to occur.
  When Gerry Ferraro walked on that stage, she electrified all of us. 
The convention gave her a 10-minute standing and resounding ovation. We 
couldn't sit down because we knew a barrier had been broken. And for 
the rest, as she history, there would be more on the way.
  The campaign was hard fought. She traveled over 55,000 miles, visited 
85 cities, campaigned her heart out. But it was not meant to be. The 
ticket lost to Reagan-Bush. But though she lost the election, she did 
not lose her way. Gerry never gave up and never gave in. Her storied 
career continued: a teacher at Harvard, a U.N. Ambassador on human 
rights, always teaching, always inspiring, always empowering thousands 
of women here and around the world.
  Then in 1998, she was diagnosed with blood cancer. Once again, she 
was determined not to give up and not to give in. She began the 
greatest campaign of her life. She began the campaign for her own life. 
She fought her cancer. She not only fought her cancer, she also fought 
for cancer victims. She forged a relationship with Senator Kay Bailey 
Hutchison as well as my friendship. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison will 
tell the story herself. Her brother Allan Bailey suffered from the same 
disease as Gerry. They met through an advocacy group on multiple 
myeloma. Allan Bailey and Gerry Ferraro joined hands and joined 
together and Kay Bailey Hutchison and I did, and we introduced the 
Gerry Ferraro Research Investment and Education Act. I wanted it to be 
Ferraro-Bailey, but Allan graciously said, Gerry is a marquis name. She 
will attract a lot of attention, and we can get more money for research 
and more interest in this dreaded disease.
  That legislation passed. It showed sometimes when we come together 
out of common adversity, we find common cause and we get things done. 
That bill passed, and it is changing lives.
  Gerry did various clinical trials. Often we talked. This is what she 
said to me during the last few weeks. She said: I am glad I could be in 
those clinical trials. In many ways they helped me live. But we also 
knew the research would provide lessons so that others could live. Once 
again, her mantra was: Never give up, never give in. She had toughness, 
persistence, tenacity, and unfailing optimism in the face of adversity.
  I believe it came from her own compelling and often riveting story. 
It was that personal story that brought us together. We were both from 
European ethnic backgrounds: She Italian, my proud Polish heritage. We 
grew up in neighborhoods that were urban villages. Her father owned a 
small neighborhood dime store. My father owned a grocery store, and 
they were very much involved with their customers and community. We had 
strong mothers who wanted to make sure we had good educations. When 
Gerry's dad died, Gerry's mother took a job in the garment industry. 
She sewed little beads on wedding dresses to make sure her brother and 
Gerry had an education. Gerry did have that education. She went to 
Marymount. She became a scholarship girl because she was so smart and 
had so much talent. She felt it was the nuns who played such a big part 
in her life. They coached her to be smart, and they coached her to be a 
great debater. They taught her about her faith. For her, her faith was 
about the beatitudes, especially the one that said: Hunger and thirst 
after justice.
  The other day when Gerry and I were talking, she reminded me that not 
only did she go to Marymount, but so did Lady Gaga. She said: I am just 
sorry I can't live to go to more alumni associations.
  Then there was John, her beloved husband, a love story for the ages. 
I was there at the church over a year ago when they renewed their vows 
for their 50th anniversary. Their vows were not just for a day or for a 
year or a decade. They believed their vows were for an eternity. Gerry 
loved her husband, and she loved her children Donna, John, and Laura. 
She was so proud of them--one a doctor, one an accomplished 
businessman, another a TV producer and also worked on Wall Street. And 
the grandchildren, there were always the pictures and the stories of 
their many storied accomplishments.
  Gerry Ferraro loved her family. She loved her extended family. That 
went to her friends and her community. She loved America. Because she 
believed, as she said to me: Only in America, Barbara, could somebody 
who started out in a regular neighborhood, whose father passed away, 
leaving a mother who taught her grit and determination, go on to run 
for the Vice Presidency of the United States, to be an Ambassador for 
human rights, and to make a difference in the lives of her family and 
her community.
  Gerry, we will miss you, but your legacy will live forever.
  Mr. President, I now turn to the Senator from California, Barbara 
Boxer, and then to Senator Hutchison.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am so proud to be here with my 
colleagues Senator Mikulski and Kay Bailey Hutchison because of a woman 
who brought us all together despite any differences we might have, 
Geraldine Ferraro. I rise to pay tribute to Gerry.
  I thank Senator Mikulski. Her remarks touched on every single point

[[Page 4514]]

that needs to be made about our friend. Gerry was a trailblazer. We all 
remember the first female Vice Presidential nominee of a major party, 
the first in U.S. history. She cracked open that glass ceiling for 
women seeking higher office. It was a long time ago.
  I just looked at an Associated Press photo of when Gerry arrived in 
San Francisco to prepare for her speech at the convention. I was there 
waiting for her to arrive--a much younger version of myself, I might 
say. I don't remember what I said or did, but this picture tells a 
story. We know the old saying: A picture says a thousand words. This 
one says a million words. I have never seen anyone as excited as I 
appear to be and was in this picture. Arms open wide, body language, 
just incredulous that we had reached this milestone, all the while 
knowing what a tough, tough time it would be for Gerry, as it is for 
many women, whether they run for the Senate or for Governor or for Vice 
President. It is a tough road still, especially all these many years 
ago, more than 20 years.
  Gerry was given a very hard time by the press. Gerry was given a very 
hard time by her opponent. She proved without question that women can 
stand up to the grilling. Women can stand up to the pressure. Women can 
go toe to toe with anybody. I often say women are equal. We are not 
better or worse. We are equal. Gerry proved it. When her campaign took 
a tough turn and a lot of others would have tried to contain the 
problem, she stood there in front of the press and said: Here I am. You 
ask me anything you want, and I will stay here hour after hour. They 
knew she meant it. She would have stayed there for days because that 
was Gerry. She was open-hearted. She was straight from the shoulder. 
She always said what was on her mind, and she did it in a way that was 
also very appealing because you knew this was a woman who was willing 
to look you in the eye and not give you any song and dance. It was what 
it was. And for that she will be missed as a friend, as a colleague.
  It is difficult today to imagine what it was like then. Now we see 
our women figures here in the Senate and in the President's Cabinet and 
in the Republican and Democratic Parties making a run for President and 
Vice President. It is hard to imagine today that women were not 
actively engaged in the highest of offices. Frankly, that is Geraldine 
Ferraro's abiding legacy because, as Senator Mikulski so eloquently 
stated, she did not win that race--it was a tough race; it was a very 
tough race--but she proved a woman could do this.
  When Gerry spoke about change, she felt in her heart the history-
making moment. I remember her in a white suit, as if it were yesterday. 
In those years, TV people always said: Don't wear white. Gerry wore 
white.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. She was beautiful.
  Mrs. BOXER. She was magnificent. And that smile and her 
togetherness--at that moment in history, when not only was the whole 
country watching, the whole world was watching--it was an electric 
moment. I want to read what she said that night. She said:

       By choosing a woman to run for our nation's second highest 
     office, you sent a powerful signal to all Americans. There 
     are no doors we cannot unlock. We will place no limits on 
     [our] achievements.
       If we can do this, we can do anything.

  And those words resonated not just with people who were interested in 
politics but with women who were in the corporate world; women who were 
going to law school--just a few in those years, now so many more; women 
who just dreamed of going into health care, not as a nurse, although 
some chose that--and some men do as well--but as physicians. This was 
something I truly believe changed.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 5 additional minutes, and 
then turn it over to Senator Hutchison.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. It is 
going to run us way past the recess time.
  Mrs. BOXER. Well, Mr. President, there was only one Gerry Ferraro, so 
I would go 5 minutes and turn it over to Senator Hutchison for as long 
as she would want.
  After graduation from college, Gerry got a job as a second grade 
teacher at a public school in Queens. She applied to Fordham Law 
School. That is the law school my husband went to. She was accepted 
into the night program, despite a warning--listen to this--from an 
admissions officer that she might be taking a man's place. She got into 
law school. She was one of 2 women in a class of 179. Imagine, they 
said to her: You will be taking a man's place in law school. She 
persevered--one of just 2 women out of 179 students graduating in 1960.
  Yes, she raised her family. She adored her family. There was not a 
second that went by without her saying to one of us, anywhere in 
earshot: I have to tell you about Laura, I have to tell you about John, 
I have to tell you about what my kids are doing.
  Did my colleague want to ask a question?
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask if the Senator from California will yield for a 
brief statement.
  Mrs. BOXER. As long as it will not interrupt my statement.
  Mr. DURBIN. I will have a longer statement for the Record because I 
know Senator Hutchison is waiting, but I want to make one or two 
comments about Geraldine Ferraro.
  Mrs. BOXER. Yes.
  Mr. DURBIN. First, my image of Geraldine Ferraro is this young 
Congresswoman from California, with her arms outstretched, as you raced 
toward one another in an iconic photograph of the two of you after she 
won the Vice Presidential nomination. I will remember you and her in 
that context forever. Second, it was my honor to serve with her in the 
House and to count her as a friend. Third, in this long, long battle 
she had, this medical battle, she never failed to remind all of us that 
she was indeed one of the fortunate ones who had the resources to be 
able to fight the battle, where many people did not.
  I am going to miss Geraldine Ferraro. She was a great American.
  Mrs. BOXER. I am very glad the Senator made that statement, and I 
appreciate it very much.
  When Gerry worked as an assistant district attorney, she formed a 
Special Victims Bureau. She investigated rape, child and women abuse, 
and abuse against the elderly at a time when no one was talking about 
it.
  She was elected to Congress. Senator Mikulski has gone into that, the 
work on the Economic Equity Act. I was proud to work with both Senator 
Mikulski and Gerry Ferraro on that and Senator Snowe and others.
  I remember Senator Mikulski, Olympia Snowe, Gerry Ferraro, and 
myself--we worked to open the House gym to women. It was a battle. We 
had to resort to singing and everything else. We finally got into the 
House gym. We said, yes, women need to work out too. That is the way it 
was then. We only had 24 women in the House and Senate. Now we have 88 
of us.
  I will skip over her time as a broadcaster and all the things she did 
that Senator Mikulski talked about--her work in women's rights--but I 
wish to conclude with her brave spirit as she faced multiple myeloma, 
the bone cancer that ultimately took her life. I wish to do it in this 
context.
  I have a good friend now, whose name is Robin, and her mother is 
battling the same kind of cancer Gerry was battling. As we know, Gerry 
was given 4 or 5 years and went on, thank God, for much longer.
  This woman lives far away from her daughter Robin. When Gerry passed, 
she called her daughter and said: I need to see you. Will you come out 
and stay with me, as I battle this cancer?
  Robin said: Well, what is it, mom? You are doing great.
  She said: We just lost Gerry, and she was the one who kept my heart 
and soul together and my spirits up, and I knew she was there battling. 
Now that I have lost her, I don't know, I feel a hole, I am empty.
  That is just the most eloquent thing I could say about Gerry. This 
woman never met Geraldine Ferraro in person, but Gerry had that way 
about her that she could reach you as if she was touching you. It is a 
tremendous loss, first and foremost for the family, whom she adored 
beyond words, and, secondly, for all the rest of us who just

[[Page 4515]]

need someone like that out there standing up and being brave and 
telling it like it is and never giving up.
  Mr. President, I am so honored I could be here with my colleagues, 
and I am proud to yield to Senator Hutchison for as much time as she 
needs.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I say to Senator Hutchison, the time is 
allocated as 5 minutes, but I know you want to speak and were a very 
dear friend. Please proceed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I thank Senator Mikulski and Senator Boxer.
  Mr. President, I do want to talk about this remarkable woman because 
I think, as has been mentioned before, her loss is being felt 
throughout America for many different reasons. She was a trailblazer, 
and she was one of the great female role models of her generation.
  I wrote a book in 2004 called ``American Heroines: The Spirited Women 
Who Shaped Our Country.'' It was to profile the women who were the 
earliest trailblazers in different fields--education, sports, politics, 
journalism. Then I interviewed contemporary women who were still 
breaking barriers in those fields.
  In the public service chapter, I profiled Margaret Chase Smith 
because she was the longest serving woman elected to the Senate in her 
own right at the time and she was a true trailblazer. I then 
interviewed Sandra Day O'Connor, our first woman Supreme Court Justice, 
and Geraldine Ferraro, our first woman nominee for Vice President of a 
major party.
  I asked Gerry Ferraro in my interview with her: What was your most 
important trait for success?
  And she said:

       I think the ability to work hard and, if something doesn't 
     work, to learn from the mistake and move on. That's what's 
     happened with my own life. It goes to the personal side from 
     watching my mother, who moved on after becoming a widow with 
     two kids to support. She was thirty-nine years old. . . . 
     Then I watched her move on and do whatever was necessary to 
     get the job of educating her children done. I'm exactly the 
     same way. I'll do whatever is necessary to get the job done, 
     whatever it is. And then if I do something that doesn't work, 
     then I go to the next goal.

  I asked her what was her biggest obstacle. She almost laughed. She 
said:

       I'm sixty-eight. The obstacles in my life have changed with 
     time. An obstacle when I was a kid was being in a boarding 
     school away from my mother because my father had died. I had 
     no choice. It wasn't like the boarding schools or the prep 
     schools of today. I was in a semicloistered convent. It was 
     lonely, and I had to work hard. I wanted to go to college, 
     but we didn't have the money for college, so I knew I had to 
     get top marks in order to get scholarships. That was my 
     obstacle then.
       Money was always an obstacle when I was a kid. I taught 
     when I went to law school at night, because I couldn't afford 
     to go during the day. When I applied [for law school], they 
     would say things like, ``Gerry, are you serious, because 
     you're taking a man's place,'' you know. . . .
       And then [after getting out of law school]--

  As was mentioned earlier, she was one of only two women in her 
class--

       I was faced with the challenge of trying to find a job. I 
     interviewed at five law firms. I was in the top ten percent 
     of my class.

  But she did not get a job offer. Well, I related to that because I 
graduated from law school, after her, in 1967, and law firms in Texas 
did not hire women then either. So I know how she felt as she went 
through obstacles and obstacles and obstacles. But she said: In the 
end, ``each thing was an obstacle that I had to get by'' at the time. 
But she didn't have too many obstacles because she just picked herself 
up and kept right on going. She truly was an inspiration and a 
trailblazer for women of our time.
  Throughout her life as a public school teacher, as an assistant 
district attorney, as a Congresswoman, and as a candidate for Vice 
President, Gerry Ferraro fought for the causes that were important to 
her. When she learned she had multiple myeloma, a somewhat rare blood 
disease that is incurable, she drew upon that same fighting spirit. As 
she waged the battle with her own disease, Gerry stepped into the 
spotlight because she knew if she talked about it, with her high 
profile, she could bring help to others.
  Her testimony before Congress was instrumental in the passage of a 
bill that Senator Mikulski, who is on the floor leading this effort 
today, and I cosponsored together in 2001 and 2002. Our legislation 
gave the research community the tools they need to discover what 
triggers these deadly blood diseases, to devise better treatments, and 
to work toward a cure. In our bill, Barbara and I decided to name the 
Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Education Program for Gerry Ferraro to 
raise awareness and spread the lifesaving information about myeloma, 
leukemia, and other forms of blood cancer. Gerry Ferraro was on the 
floor of the House when her bill--our bill--passed the House of 
Representatives on April 30, 2002. Her daughter was in the gallery with 
my staffer, and there was so much joy in her eyes and her demeanor.
  But then Gerry Ferraro went about the business of fashioning the 
education program. She consulted with the doctors at Harvard, at Dana-
Farber, with Dr. Ken Anderson, her doctor. She consulted with him 
because she wanted an interactive Web site because she knew that 
doctors all over the country were searching for information on the 
treatment of this disease because they were so unaware at the time of 
what you could do to help patients.
  Well, this is personal to me because my brother Allan also has 
multiple myeloma, and I got involved in this because I watched him 
bravely fight like Gerry Ferraro was doing. And my brother is a great 
patient. He is tough like Gerry. He is fighting like Gerry. And he is 
doing really well. But we knew how hard it was because we watched Allan 
fight this disease and take many of the same drugs and have the same 
doctor consultations as Gerry. So Gerry and Allan knew each other and 
traded information, and the patients with these diseases do that. They 
reach out, they help each other because they know it is the person with 
the experience who knows how you feel when you just don't feel as 
though you can get up in the morning. People such as Kathy Giusti, who 
was also a good friend of Gerry Ferraro's, and Ken Anderson, they 
traded information, and it helped all of them to know they had that 
kind of support.
  So she was an inspiration. Her dignity and grace in fighting multiple 
myeloma will be one of the trademarks in her life, along with the other 
great trailblazing she has done.
  Just last month, the women of the Senate pulled together to return 
the encouragement. We knew Gerry was having a hard time, and we took a 
picture of the women of the Senate, we all signed it around the edges 
and we sent it to her, saying: Thanks for being our champion. Thanks 
for all you do for the women of our country.
  Gerry was not just a champion for women running for public office, 
she was a champion for women to succeed in every field, in every 
sector. She took the first powerful swing at the glass ceiling. She 
will not be here to see the woman President who is sworn into office, 
who will finish the breaking of that glass ceiling. But we will all be 
standing on the shoulders of Gerry Ferraro, and certainly that first 
woman President will as well, because she took those first steps, such 
as so many of the early trailblazers in all the different sectors. The 
first ones don't see their success, but what they do by showing the 
dignity and the courage and the tenacity and the grace does prepare the 
way for the next generation or the next woman to move to the next 
level, and that is what Gerry Ferraro has done for all the women of our 
country.
  I will always remember her friendship. I appreciate her leadership. 
We will all miss her on a personal level, but we will always remember 
in the bigger picture what she did for this country.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I thank Senator Mikulski. I yield the 
floor.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I yield the floor to Senator Snowe.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to join with my good friends 
and esteemed colleagues, Senator Barbara

[[Page 4516]]

Mikulski of Maryland and Senator Barbara Boxer of California, as we 
honor a compatriot of ours from the House of Representatives, an 
electoral trailblazer, and political torchbearer--the incomparable and 
courageous, Geraldine Ferraro, who passed away last Saturday after a 
brave and resilient 12-year battle with cancer.
  As this august body will hear many times over, Geraldine was a 
pioneering champion and a dynamic force for women and women's rights, a 
stalwart legislator and colleague of all three of ours in the U.S. 
House of Representatives, and always a dear friend through more than 
three decades. As America's first female Vice-Presidential nominee for 
a major party, Geraldine has forever secured a legendary position along 
the timeline of American political history, as Walter Mondale selected 
her as his running mate in the 1984 Presidential election.
  (Ms. MIKULSKI assumed the chair.)
  While America was learning about Geraldine on the national stage, 
Barbara Mikulski, Barbara Boxer, and I knew her as a legislative, 
sister-in-arms, if you will, as all of us served together in the U.S. 
House of Representatives. Geraldine and I were members of the same 
House freshman class that began service in January 1979 that brought 
the total number of women in the 96th Congress in the House to 16.
  And all four of us fought for myriad causes, most especially those 
affecting America's women. Looking back, I take enormous pride, as I 
know both Senators Mikulski and Boxer do, that we spoke as women first, 
not as Republicans or Democrats, that women's issues transcended 
partisan lines for us. The fact was, we just couldn't afford to draw 
partisan lines with women underrepresented in Congress. And that idea 
is what drove our agenda at the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for 
Women's Issues, which I cochaired for over 10 years in the House of 
Representatives and where Geraldine Ferarro was also at the vanguard in 
amplifying issues for literally generations of women.
  Our adherence to working together--and to the ideal of principle over 
politics--became our foundation. We determined if we didn't act, who 
would? And we started to make a difference for women, and not a moment 
too soon. Indeed, there was indeed a time in America when our laws 
specifically worked against women, when economic equality pertained 
only to economic equality among men--not women, when our laws didn't 
reflect the changing, dual responsibilities of women who were 
increasingly working as well as caring for a family.
  Well, we weren't going to accept the status quo any longer, and 
certainly Geraldine was not one to ever countenance the notion of 
``that's just the way it is.'' To the contrary. We confronted these 
disparities for women head on and introduced a package of laws that 
opened the doors of economic opportunity for the women of America by 
revising laws and giving women the tools required to succeed. That 
package was the multifaceted Economic Equity Act. Among a litany of 
provisions, we called for a study of the government's pay practices, 
sought to ensure equal credit for women in business ventures, and 
battled with Geraldine Ferraro who led the effort to end pension award 
discrimination against women who were discovering upon their husband's 
death that, unbeknownst to them, they had been left with absolutely no 
pension benefits.
  And in a group of women legislators that was not, shall we say, 
comprised of shrinking violets, no one gave greater voice to these 
issues, no one demonstrated more passion in their advocacy, and no one 
pressed for remedies to right these wrongs with more verve or skill 
than Geraldine Ferraro. She was a bulwark against injustice and a 
cherished champion for fairness in an America where women were 
increasing their roles in American life and their presence in the U.S. 
workplace and economy.
  On a personal note, I can't help but think that part of our mutual 
bond was that we came from similar backgrounds. Our families immigrated 
to this great land--hers from Italy and mine from Greece. Our heritages 
spoke to the very best of our Nation's mosaic and the American dream 
where anything is possible and the only limits you have are those you 
place on yourself. Indeed, the New York Times mentions how Geraldine's 
mother crocheted beads on wedding dresses to send her to the best 
schools. My Aunt Mary worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. night shift at a 
textile mill in Lewiston, ME, to earn money to ensure my cousins and I 
received a good education. Although Geraldine and I didn't agree on 
everything, we shared an unequivocal determination to make a lasting 
difference on issues for women and working families--an unerring focus 
that surmounted politics and party labels.
  Not surprisingly, more than 30 years later, Geraldine's legacy lives 
on through the 74 women serving the other body today, as well as the 17 
women currently serving in the Senate. How fitting it is that on the 
Monday after she passed away, my 16 Senate women colleagues and I 
submitted a resolution advocating for women's rights in North Africa 
and the Middle East. We have the moral high ground in that clarion call 
in no small part because of Geraldine's historic leadership and legacy.
  In closing, I can't help but recall the great Lady Astor, who was the 
first woman to ever serve in the British House of Parliament. In fact, 
on the day she took her seat in that distinguished body, a Member of 
Parliament turned to her and said, ``Welcome to the most exclusive 
men's club in Europe.'' Demonstrating the kind of moxie and sense of 
obligation that were hallmarks of America's Geraldine Ferraro, Lady 
Astor responded ``it won't be exclusive for long.'' she said. ``When I 
came in, I left the door wide open!''
  Geraldine Ferraro espoused and exemplified what Lady Astor so 
memorably articulated--that it is not enough to break old barriers and 
chart a new course, you have to ensure that others are able to traverse 
it as well. Geraldine spent a lifetime making certain that the path she 
helped pave was available and accessible to every woman with the 
courage and will to travel it. And so, today, it is a privilege for me 
to extol this remarkable woman whose indelible imprint upon the 
political and public policy arenas will be felt for generations to 
come.
  At this most difficult of times, our thoughts and prayers remain with 
her husband of 50 years, John--as well as their children, Donna, John 
Jr., and Laura and Geraldine's grandchildren. May they be comforted by 
the knowledge that so many share in their profound sense of loss, as 
well as the memory of a trailblazing woman who, above all else, was an 
adoring and beloved mother and grandmother who leaves an indelible mark 
upon her family, as well as an entire Nation.
  Thank you, Madam President.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I know we are about to recess, but I 
wish to take a minute or two to add my voice to all the women in the 
Senate who have been here today and thank the Presiding Officer for her 
leadership for encouraging us to honor Geraldine Ferraro.
  I remember being on the floor of the 1984 Democratic Convention when 
she gave her acceptance speech for the Vice President of the United 
States, and it was electric listening to her. It epitomized for me, and 
I am sure every woman there, the fact that women could do anything.
  Geraldine Ferraro worked tirelessly on behalf of human rights and 
women's rights around the globe. She dedicated her public service to 
the ideals of respect and equality and she lived a career that called 
on all women to challenge the glass ceilings of the world. I think it 
is particularly important because just because one woman breaks the 
glass ceiling doesn't mean opportunities are open to every woman, and 
she understood that and continued to encourage all the ceilings across 
the world to be broken for women.
  Gerry's life was a powerful example for all of us who are honoring 
her

[[Page 4517]]

today and for our daughters and granddaughters. We thank her for 
leading the way. She will be missed.
  Thank you. I yield the floor.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I rise today to reflect on the life 
and legacy of Geraldine Ferraro who lost her heroic battle with cancer 
on Saturday.
  Geraldine Ferraro was first elected to public office in 1978 to 
represent Queens in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  As a member of the Public Works and Transportation Committee, she 
pushed to improve mass transit around La Guardia Airport.
  Later, she would cosponsor the Economic Equity Act, which was 
intended to accomplish many of the aims of the never-ratified equal 
rights amendment.
  In 1984, former Vice President and a distinguished Member of this 
body, Walter Mondale, chose Gerry to join him as his Vice Presidential 
running mate, the first woman to be placed on a national ticket.
  I was privileged to serve as the mayor of San Francisco in 1984 where 
the Democratic Party held its convention that election year.
  Twenty-seven years later, as I look back on that time, I realize what 
an important and historical moment her selection was to American 
politics.
  I recall the emotion and enthusiasm of people--men and women--at the 
Moscone Center in San Francisco when Gerry took the podium.
  Sixty-four years after women won the right to vote, Geraldine Ferraro 
represented a new beginning for our politics. It was an amazing 
feeling.
  While the election didn't go the Democrats' way that year, Gerry's 
selection was a victory for a generation of young women who saw that 
anything is possible and no position in government has a ``men only'' 
sign on the door.
  As the first Vice Presidential nominee of a major party, she not only 
put a crack in the glass ceiling that year, she demonstrated the 
dedication and the competence of women in the political arena.
  I didn't know her well, but I do know her experiences well.
  I know how tough it was as a woman running for political office--only 
to find out everyone else was discussing the style of your outfit.
  I know how tough it was to be one of the first elected officials to 
speak using phrases like, ``As a mother,'' or ``If I were pregnant . . 
.''
  I know how tough it was as a woman debating men in political debates 
and then when it was over, debating a dozen reporters.
  I know how tough it was as a woman who fought and won for change to 
live to see other women make a dozen other cracks in that glass 
ceiling.
  But the same ideals Geraldine Ferraro fought for during her public 
life are the same ideals we fight for today.
  It would be another 24 years after that night in San Francisco before 
another woman from a major party was nominated for Vice President.
  And even though Hillary Rodham Clinton came close to being nominated 
in 2008 as the Democratic Presidential candidate, a woman has yet to 
occupy the Oval Office.
  There are only 16 other women besides myself serving in the U.S. 
Senate. In the 435 Member House, just 71 are women. And just six States 
have women Governors.
  Despite these statistics today, Geraldine Ferraro's career and 
example gave women across the country hope and heart.
  At the time when Gerry Ferraro and I were in office, people had 
reservations about women in office. So the press pushed you further and 
further--just to see how smart you were or how you would react.
  When I was mayor, I had to do more homework than my counterparts; I 
had to be prepared for every possible question--more questions and 
detail than my counterparts.
  There was a judgment that women were not effective. But that judgment 
of effectiveness has changed.
  It took some time, but women in office have shown we are capable of 
offering legislation, working to pass it, and being just as effective 
as our male counterparts.
  Geraldine Ferraro gave it her all. She gave women everywhere an 
example of determination. She continued that drive when she supported 
other women in national office.
  And she will continue to give us all hope and heart for decades to 
come in her place in history.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I rise today to honor the life, 
achievements, and legacy of Geraldine Anne Ferraro, who paved the way 
for aspiring women leaders and politicians across the Nation and the 
world to reach the highest positions of power.
  Geraldine dedicated her life to defending women's and children's 
rights and helping the less fortunate, whether in public service, as an 
attorney, as a Congresswoman, or as Ambassador to the United Nations 
Commission on Human Rights. Her career was a turning point for women in 
politics, and an inspiration for women everywhere.
  In the early 1950s, when women were not expected to attend college, 
Geraldine was already breaking through the ``glass ceiling.'' The 
daughter of Italian immigrants, she worked her way through college and 
in 1956 became the first woman in her family to receive a college 
degree. In 1960, she graduated with honors from law school, where she 
was one of only 2 women in her graduating class of 179 students. She 
became a strong advocate for abused women and for the poor while 
serving as assistant district attorney for Queens County, NY, where she 
headed a new bureau that prosecuted sex crimes, child abuse, and 
domestic violence.
  Her passion to change America for the better took her all the way to 
the U.S. Congress, where she fought for equal pay, pensions, and 
retirement plans for women. She was also a leader on environmental 
issues. In 1984, she led passage of a Superfund renewal bill and called 
for improvements in the handling of environmental site cleanups.
  Geraldine will be remembered not only as a pioneer for women's and 
children's rights but for human rights around the world. As the U.S. 
Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Geraldine 
supported the Commission's decision to condemn anti-Semitism as a human 
rights violation. And in 1995, she led the U.S. delegation in the 
historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.
  But what Geraldine will forever be remembered for is that she made 
possible what was previously unthinkable, that a woman could be a 
candidate for Vice President of the United States. When former Vice 
President and Presidential candidate Walter Mondale selected Geraldine 
Ferraro to be his running mate in 1984, she became the only Italian 
American to be a major-party national nominee as well as the first 
woman.
  In 1984, Geraldine fought a tough race, venturing into unchartered 
territory and blazing a trail. Even though Geraldine lost that race, 
she went where no woman had ever been before, teaching us that ``when 
women run, women win.''
  A tireless champion for women in the political arena, Geraldine 
helped women politicians gain a stronger voice and run for public 
office. It is because of Geraldine that women today, including myself, 
can go even farther than before. Generations of female politicians will 
forever stand on her shoulders.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, an incredible woman died this week after 
a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.
  Geraldine Ferraro led a trailblazing life, constantly achieving and 
proving the naysayers wrong.
  She was one of two women in her graduating class from Fordham law 
school, taking night classes after teaching all day.
  She was an attorney in a male-dominated New York District Attorney's 
Office.
  She was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
from New York's 9th District in Queens--a district that most people 
assumed would not elect her, not because she was a woman but because 
she was a Democrat.

[[Page 4518]]

  If she had done nothing more, Gerry Ferraro would have earned her 
place in history.
  But then, on July 11, 1984, just 64 years after American women won 
the right to vote, Geraldine Ferraro agreed to be Walter Mondale's 
running mate in his race for the White House--the first time in history 
that a woman had ever run on the Presidential ticket of a major 
political party.
  ``I didn't pause for a minute'' she later wrote.
  It's hard for many people today, particularly young people, to 
understand what a revolutionary act it was for Geraldine Ferraro to 
agree to break that barrier. Less than 20 years earlier, want ads in 
American newspapers were still segregated into ``men's jobs'' and 
``women's jobs''--and believe me, Vice President of the United States 
was not listed under ``women's work.''
  As a result of Gerry Ferraro's courage, the doors of opportunity 
swung open for millions of women--not just in politics, but in every 
profession.
  She said often that ``[c]ampaigns, even if you lose them, do serve a 
purpose . . . [the] days of discrimination are numbered.'' She was 
right.
  For the last 12 years of her life, Gerry Ferraro fought a terrible 
blood cancer called myeloma. Once again, she was a pioneer, using a new 
drug which enabled her to live well beyond her physicians' initial 
estimate.
  Each injection cost over $1,000 and she went to twice weekly 
treatments. She was always aware that she was fortunate to be able to 
afford those life-extending treatments. Even when times were the worst, 
Gerry Ferraro was an eloquent and energetic advocate for more funding 
for cancer research, and for help for the 50,000 Americans who are 
living with cancer and can't afford the treatments for their illness.
  Gerry's mother taught her the first lessons about being a strong and 
independent woman.
  When Geraldine was just 8 years old, her father died. She saw her 
widowed, immigrant mother work long hours as a seamstress so that she 
could afford to send her children to good schools. She was living proof 
for Gerry that, with hard work, you can make a good life for your 
children in America. She never forgot what her mother did for her and 
kept her maiden name after she married as a sign of respect.
  Gerry Ferraro was a true egalitarian. When she learned that because 
she was married she was paid less than male attorneys, she quit and ran 
for Congress. She fought for the equal rights amendment and cosponsored 
the Economic Equity Act to end pension inequality.
  President Clinton appointed her to the United Nations Commission on 
Human Rights, and later the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations 
Commission on Human Rights.
  I had the opportunity to serve with Gerry in the House of 
Representatives in a very difficult time, and I am honored to have 
called her my friend. I offer my deepest condolences to her husband 
John, her children Donna, Laura and John Jr., and her eight 
grandchildren. Geraldine's passing is a deep loss for so many people, 
but her hard work and accomplishments will continue to live.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, America's favorite people are pioneers. We 
are a nation that celebrates those who first touched the moon, 
discovered the technologies that changed the world, and fought for what 
is right before everyone else.
  We believe in the brave and admire those who believe in their own 
dreams--those who pursue them fearlessly, who leave a trail for the 
rest of us to follow and a legacy to emulate.
  This week, America honors a woman we will always remember for 
breaking one of the highest glass ceilings in history. For two 
centuries, in election after election, Americans went into voting 
booths and saw lots of Williams and Johns and Jameses on the ballot. 
Then, in 1984, they saw the name Geraldine.
  As the first woman on a major Presidential ticket, Geraldine Ferraro 
continued America's proud pioneer tradition. It wasn't the first time 
she led the way. Congresswoman Ferraro worked her way through law 
school at a time when few women did so. When the people of Queens, NY, 
elected her to the House of Representatives she was 1 of only 16 women 
Members. There was only one at the time serving in the Senate. Today 
there are 76 women serving in the House--one of whom was the first 
woman Speaker of the House--and 17 in the Senate.
  I served in the House of Representatives with Congresswoman Ferraro 
and am deeply saddened by her death. She was an inspiration to my 
daughter and nine granddaughters, and to all of us who believe in our 
Nation's eternal pursuit of equality. On behalf of the people of 
Nevada--a State settled, built, and strengthen by pioneers--I honor the 
memory of my friend, Geraldine Ferraro.

                          ____________________