Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Suffragists Day to promote awareness of the importance of the women suffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 105, supporting goals and ideals of a National Suffragist Day to promote awareness of the importance of the women suffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, as a woman who has not only enjoyed the privileges and responsibilities of voting, but also of serving my country in elected office, I am extremely proud to co-sponsor this resolution honoring those women who fought for my right, and the right of all women, to participate in the process of governing.

This bill recognizes the tireless work and innovative ideas of women in particular. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Carrie Chapman Catt, Maud Wood Park, Lucy Burns, and Alice Paul were visionaries in their own times, and remain inspirations to us today. These seven women each challenged a system of male dominance, and asserted the role of women in politics and governance. Many of their methods of civil disobedience and peaceful protesting were taken up by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s, which expanded voting rights to even more of the population.

July 19th will be the anniversary of the first women's rights convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. To celebrate their accomplishments and raise awareness of the importance of the suffragists who fought for and won the right of women to vote in the United States, this bill designates July 19th as National Suffragists Day.

Mr. Speaker, any of these women would be amazed and proud to see an America where women are not only able to vote, but they are able to run for office. It is incredibly appropriate that this body, presided over by a woman for the first time in its history, should honor their work through a day set aside to raise awareness of their struggle.

Mr. Speaker, I am especially pleased to support this resolution because it gives much deserved recognition to one of my heroes, Sojourner Truth, the great abolitionist and suffragist.

In 1843, deciding her mission was to preach the word of God, Sojourner Truth--the name she gave herself as a traveling preacher who speaks the truth--left New York and traveled throughout New England, calling her own prayers meetings and attending those of others. She preached ``God's truth and plan for salvation.''

After months of travel, she arrived in Northampton, Massachusetts, and joined the Northampton Association for Education and Industry, where she met and worked with abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Olive Gilbert.

As we know, during the 1850s, slavery became an especially issue in the United States. In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law, which allowed runaway slaves to be arrested and jailed without a jury trial, and in 1857, the Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott case that those enslaved had no rights as citizens and that the government could not outlaw slavery in the new territories.

While traveling and speaking in states across the country, Sojourner Truth met many women abolitionists and noticed that although women could be part of the leadership in the abolitionist movement, they could neither vote nor hold public office. It was this realization that led Sojourner to become an outspoken supporter of women's rights.

In 1851, she addressed the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, delivering her famous speech ``Ain't I a Woman?'' The applause she received that day has been described as ``deafening.'' From that time on, she became known as a leading advocate for the rights of women. Indeed, she was one of the nineteenth century's most eloquent voices for the cause of anti-slavery and women's rights.

It was to give proper recognition to her contributions to the struggle to abolish slavery and secure equal rights for women that I introduced H.R. 4510 which would direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and to display the bust in a suitable location in the Capitol. In February of this year, that legislation became law.

I strongly support H. Con. Res. 105, and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 105--A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Suffragists Day to promote awareness of the importance of the women suffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States.

One suffragette in particular comes to mind--Ms. Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth was an ex-slave, abolitionist and feminist who fought for women's rights. In that regard, she delivered her famous ``Ain't I A Woman'' speech at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

Her speech dispels the perception of women as fragile beings unable to hold our own in society. Ms. Truth outlined the work she has done-- planting, plowing and gathering in barns. All without the assistance of a man. She then raises the question; Ain't I a woman?

Sojourner Truth called for the extension of voting rights to all women. Her presence at the Convention was an important milestone in the women's movement and her speech left an indelible mark on the Convention, thus becoming a milestone of the women's rights movement.

Sojourner's thought provoking speech resonates even today. Her courage helped to empower and ignite the spark in future generations of women.

Fannie Lou Hamer, an ideological descendant of the suffrage movement became known as the lady in the civil rights movement that was ``sick and tired of being sick and tired.''

Shirley Chisholm was the daughter of Caribbean immigrants. She was the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress, (a beneficiary of a voting rights district). And the first black woman candidate for President of the United States. Shirley Chisholm was another descendant of the suffrage movement.

And, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the bravery, perseverance and determination of women such as Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm--women on whose shoulders I stand--Here I Stand-- elected in the 110th Congress and representing a voting rights district.

If Americans are honest, the list of individuals that have benefitted from the blood, sweat and tears of the women suffragists would fill volumes.

It is my hope that all suffragists, in particular those of color such as Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer whose contributions have historically been sidelined, are recognized for the vital role that they played in giving all women the right to vote in the United States.

I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisles to join me in voting in the affirmative for this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H. Con. Res. 105, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Suffragists Day. This resolution promotes awareness of the women's suffragist movement and the brave individuals who fought to make the right to vote a reality for all women.

I want to thank my colleague, Representative Berkley, for sponsoring this important legislation.

The women's suffragist movement has a long history in America. Today it may seem hard to believe, but less than one hundred years ago, women did not have the right to vote in federal elections in this country.

National Suffragists Day would honor women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who together founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.

These two leaders, along with other courageous women such as Lucretia Mott, Alice Paul, Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis, and countless other brave Americans, fought tirelessly to achieve their God-given rights to freedom and opportunity.

I have introduced legislation of my own to posthumously honor Alice Paul and raise awareness of her powerful contributions to the suffragist movement and American society.

Finally, due to the sacrifice, hard work, and diligence of women like Alice Paul, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in the summer of 1920, giving women the right to vote on a national level.

While today's resolution honors some great Americans of the past, it also provides us with an opportunity to look at the current state of women in our country.

We have come a long way as a nation since the summer of 1920. My home state of California is represented by two female Senators. We have a woman serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and a very strong female presidential candidate.

Still, there is much more that needs to be done. Inequalities in pay, health care discrepancies, and a lack of good and affordable childcare still haunt many women in the United States today.

We must remain vigilant. We must ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity for success and happiness. With that in mind, I urge my colleagues to cast a vote for honoring and increasing awareness of suffragists in America, and support H. Con. Res. 105.

I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding, and a special thank you to Mr. Waxman.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be here today in support of a resolution that I have reintroduced that would promote the goals and ideals of creating a day in honor of the women of America's suffragist movement.

The goal of this resolution is to recognize the anniversary of the inaugural women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. The suffragists are role models who inspired an entire generation and continue to inspire generations of young American women, just as they have two young women from the State of Nevada, Hannah Low and Destiny Carroll, who started their own petition drive to pay tribute to the efforts of these great suffragists.

Hannah Low and Destiny Carroll presented a petition to me with hundreds of signatures from their fourth grade class in support of creating a day to recognize the achievements of our brave suffragists.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of Hannah and Destiny, and I thank them for serving as an inspiration for this resolution.

While it may seem unbelievable to us now, it was not that long ago that women did not have the right to vote in our great Nation. On July 19, 1848, the first public appeal for women's suffrage was made, and a new movement was born for equality.

We owe these suffragists a debt of gratitude for their efforts in their fight to give women the right to vote and to be full participating members in our Nation's political process. I hope that recognizing the anniversary of the inaugural women's rights convention in 1848 will keep alive the memory of the struggle to win the fundamental right, the right to vote, for women. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to imagine a time when our Nation's women did not have the privilege to vote. Thankfully, we have moved past those times to where we currently have the highest number of female Members in the history of the Congress. Although I think it is very difficult for people to realize, in the history of this Congress, we have had only 249 women, and 90 of them are serving now.

As we all know, the struggle for women to achieve this came at great sacrifice. The fight lasted over many decades because of dedicated perseverance of many women. These pioneers were revolutionary in their fight for equality. They worked tirelessly knowing there would be a future when women were seen as equal to men with the ability to vote.

The historical Seneca Falls Convention, held in 1848, was led by a group of innovative women, including Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Following the convention, they formed the National Woman's Suffrage Association and the American Woman's Suffrage Association which merged together in 1890. Through public speeches, marches, parades, pickets, arrests and even hunger strikes, the members of the associations fought their battle across the country. Their historic efforts came to fruition on August 18, 1920, when the Congress ratified the 19th amendment of the Constitution thereby granting women the right to vote. The goal of the suffragist movement endured over 50 years.

Schools around the world teach their students the rich history of the movement, and it is with pleasure that we promote continued awareness through a National Suffragists Day.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.