[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1029-H1035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SMITHSONIAN WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM ACT
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1980) to establish in the Smithsonian Institution a
comprehensive women's history museum, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1980
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Smithsonian Women's History
Museum Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Since its founding, the United States has greatly
benefitted from the contributions of women.
(2) Historical accounts, monuments, memorials, and museums
disproportionately represent men's achievements and
contributions and often neglect those of women. For example--
(A) a study of 18 American history textbooks concluded that
10 percent of the material documented contributions of women;
(B) 9 statues out of 91 in the United States Capitol's
National Statuary Hall depict women; and
(C) only one of the 44 monuments operated by the National
Park Service specifically honors the achievements of women
after the 2016 designation of the Belmont-Paul Women's
Equality National Monument.
(3) There exists no national museum in the United States
that is devoted to the documentation of women's contributions
throughout the Nation's history.
(4) Establishing a comprehensive women's history museum
representing a diverse range of viewpoints, experience, and
backgrounds is necessary to more accurately depict the
history of the United States and would add value to the
Smithsonian Institution.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MUSEUM.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
Smithsonian Institution a comprehensive women's history
museum, to be named by the Board of Regents in consultation
with the council established under section 4.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the museum established under
this section shall be to provide for--
[[Page H1030]]
(1) the collection, study, and establishment of programs
relating to women's contributions to various fields and
throughout different periods of history that have influenced
the direction of the United States;
(2) collaboration with other Smithsonian Institution
museums and facilities, outside museums, and educational
institutions; and
(3) the creation of exhibitions and programs that recognize
diverse perspectives on women's history and contributions.
SEC. 4. COUNCIL.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
Smithsonian Institution a council to carry out the duties set
forth under subsection (b) and other provisions of this Act.
(b) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The council established under this section
shall--
(A) make recommendations to the Board of Regents concerning
the planning, design, and construction of the museum
established under section 3;
(B) advise and assist the Board of Regents on all matters
relating to the administration, operation, maintenance, and
preservation of the museum;
(C) recommend annual operating budgets for the museum to
the Board of Regents;
(D) report annually to the Board of Regents on the
acquisition, disposition, and display of objects relating to
women's art, history, and culture; and
(E) adopt bylaws for the operation of the council.
(2) Principal responsibilities.--The council, subject to
the general policies of the Board of Regents, shall have sole
authority to--
(A) purchase, accept, borrow, and otherwise acquire
artifacts for addition to the collections of the museum;
(B) loan, exchange, sell, and otherwise dispose of any part
of the collections of the museum, but only if the funds
generated by that disposition are used for additions to the
collections of the museum; or
(C) specify criteria with respect to the use of the
collections and resources of the museum, including policies
on programming, education, exhibitions, and research with
respect to--
(i) the life, art, history, and culture of women;
(ii) the role of women in the history of the United States;
and
(iii) the contributions of women to society.
(3) Other responsibilities.--The council, subject to the
general policies of the Board of Regents, shall have
authority--
(A) to provide for preservation, restoration, and
maintenance of the collections of the museum; and
(B) to solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts,
bequests, and devises of personal property for the purpose of
aiding and facilitating the work of the museum.
(4) Ensuring diversity of political viewpoints in exhibits
and programs.--In carrying out its duties, the council shall
ensure that the exhibits and programs of the museum reflect
the diversity of the political viewpoints held by women of
the United States on the events and issues relating to the
history of women in the United States.
(c) Composition and Appointment.--
(1) In general.--The council shall be composed of 25 voting
members as provided under paragraph (2).
(2) Voting members.--The council shall include the
following voting members:
(A) The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
(B) One member of the Board of Regents, appointed by the
Board of Regents.
(C) 23 individuals appointed by the Board or Regents. In
appointing members under this subparagraph, the Board of
Regents should give special consideration to appointing--
(i) members of the Congressional Commission;
(ii) board members of the National Women's History Museum,
a nonprofit, educational organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that was
incorporated in 1996 in the District of Columbia and that is
dedicated for the purpose of establishing a women's history
museum; and
(iii) scholars and representatives of organizations that
are committed to the study of women's history.
(3) Initial appointments.--The Board of Regents shall make
initial appointments to the council under paragraph (2) not
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(d) Terms.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in this subsection,
each appointed member of the council shall be appointed for a
term of 3 years.
(2) Initial appointees.--As designated by the Board of
Regents at the time of appointment, of the voting members
first appointed under subparagraph (C) of subsection (c)(2)--
(A) 8 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year;
(B) 8 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; and
(C) 7 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.
(3) Reappointment.--A member of the council may be
reappointed, except that no individual may serve on the
council for a total of more than 2 terms. For purposes of
this paragraph, the number of terms an individual serves on
the council shall not include any portion of a term for which
an individual is appointed to fill a vacancy under paragraph
(4)(B).
(4) Vacancies.--
(A) In general.--A vacancy on the council--
(i) shall not affect the powers of the council; and
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment was made.
(B) Term.--Any member of the council appointed to fill a
vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which
the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for
the remainder of that term.
(e) Compensation.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
member of the council shall serve without pay.
(2) Travel expenses.--A member of the council shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from
the home or regular place of business of the member in the
performance of the duties of the council.
(f) Chairperson.--By a majority vote of its voting members,
the council shall elect a chairperson from its members.
(g) Meetings.--
(1) In general.--The council shall meet at the call of the
chairperson or on the written request of a majority of the
voting members of the council, but not fewer than twice each
year.
(2) Initial meetings.--During the 1-year period beginning
on the date of the first meeting of the council, the council
shall meet not fewer than 4 times for the purpose of carrying
out the duties of the council under this subchapter.
(h) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members of the
council holding office shall constitute a quorum for the
purpose of conducting business, but a lesser number may
receive information on behalf of the council.
SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE MUSEUM.
(a) Director.--
(1) In general.--The museum established under section 3
shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the
Secretary, taking into consideration individuals recommended
by the council established under section 4.
(2) Duties.--The Director shall manage the museum subject
to the policies of the Board of Regents.
(b) Staff.--The Secretary may appoint two additional
employees to serve under the Director, except that such
additional employees may be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing
appointments in the competitive service.
(c) Pay.--The employees appointed by the Secretary under
subsection (b) may be paid without regard to the provisions
of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5,
United States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates.
SEC. 6. EDUCATIONAL AND LIAISON PROGRAMS.
(a) Programs Authorized.--The Director of the museum
established under section 3 may carry out educational and
liaison programs in support of the goals of the museum.
(b) Collaboration With Schools.--In carrying out this
section, the Director shall carry out educational programs in
collaboration with elementary schools, secondary schools, and
postsecondary schools.
SEC. 7. BUILDING.
(a) In General.--
(1) Location.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Board of Regents shall
designate a site for the museum established under section 3.
(B) Sites for consideration.--In designating a site under
subparagraph (A), the Board of Regents shall select from
among the following sites in the District of Columbia:
(i) The site known as the ``South Monument site'', located
on the National Mall and bordered by 14th Street Northwest,
Jefferson Drive Southwest, Raoul Wallenberg Place Southwest,
and Independence Ave Southwest.
(ii) The Northwest United States Capitol site, bordered by
3rd Street Northwest, Constitution Avenue Northwest, 1st
Street Northwest, and Pennsylvania Ave Northwest.
(iii) Any other appropriate location as identified by the
Board of Regents in consultation with the council established
under section 4.
(C) Availability of site.--
(i) In general.--The sites described in clauses (i) and
(ii) of subparagraph (B) shall remain available until the
date on which the Board of Regents designates a site for the
museum under subparagraph (A).
(ii) Transfer to smithsonian institution.--If the site
designated for the museum is in an area that is under the
administrative jurisdiction of a Federal agency, as soon as
practicable after the date on which the designation is made,
the head of the Federal agency shall transfer to the
Smithsonian Institution administrative jurisdiction over the
area.
(D) Factors considered.--In designating a site under
subparagraph (A), the Board of Regents shall take into
consideration each of the following factors:
(i) An estimate of the costs associated with each potential
site.
(ii) An assessment of the suitability of the space of each
potential site, including size, proximity to other buildings
and transportation, and other external environmental
conditions, as appropriate.
[[Page H1031]]
(iii) The recommendations of the Congressional Commission.
(E) Consultation.--The Board of Regents shall carry out its
duties under this paragraph in consultation with each of the
following:
(i) The Chair of the National Capital Planning Commission.
(ii) The Chair of the Commission on Fine Arts.
(iii) The Chair of the Congressional Commission.
(iv) The chair and ranking minority member of the
Committees on Appropriations and Rules and Administration of
the Senate.
(v) The chair and ranking minority member of the Committees
on Appropriations, House Administration, and Transportation
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
(F) Priority.--In designating a site under subparagraph
(A), the Board of Regents shall give priority to a site which
is on or near the National Mall.
(b) Construction of Building.--The Board of Regents, in
consultation with the council established under section 4,
may plan, design, and construct a building for the museum,
which shall be located at the site designated by the Board of
Regents under subsection (a).
(c) Nonapplicability of Provisions Relating to Monuments
and Commemorative Works.--Chapter 89 of title 40, United
States Code, shall not apply with respect to the museum.
(d) Cost Sharing.--The Board of Regents shall pay--
(1) 50 percent of the costs of carrying out this section
from Federal funds; and
(2) 50 percent of the costs of carrying out this section
from non-Federal sources.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) The term ``Board of Regents'' means the Board of
Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.
(2) The term ``Congressional Commission'' means the
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National
Women's History Museum, established under section 3056 of the
Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015
(Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3810).
(3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Smithsonian Institution to carry out this Act, including
the planning, design, construction, and operation of the
museum established under section 3, such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2021 and each succeeding fiscal
year.
(b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization under this section shall remain available until
expended.
(c) Use of Funds for Fundraising.--Amounts appropriated
pursuant to the authorization under this section may be used
to conduct fundraising in support of the museum established
under section 3 from private sources.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lofgren) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian
Women's History Museum Act.
H.R. 1980 will establish a comprehensive women's history museum
within the Smithsonian Institution. We cannot tell the story of America
without telling the story of women in America.
From the days leading up to our founding through today, the United
States has benefited from the contributions, accomplishments, and
sacrifices of women.
In the 1760s, the Daughters of Liberty came together to protest
unjust laws like the Townshend Acts, helping to spark the American
Revolution. Soon after the Revolution, Abigail Adams urged her husband,
John, and other Members of the First Continental Congress to:
``Remember the ladies.'' She would later become one of President Adams'
most influential advisers and confidants.
In the years leading up to the Civil War, Harriet Tubman escaped from
slavery and guided dozens of slaves to freedom throughout the
Underground Railroad, and she didn't stop there. She went on to raise
money for newly freed slaves and joined other women like Elizabeth Cady
Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in their fight for women's suffrage.
During World War II, 6.5 million women entered the labor force to
support the war effort, including my own late mother, who helped build
airplanes in south San Francisco to fight the Nazis. They were
exercising new power with jobs outside the home, and this power has
continued to grow over time, albeit more slowly than many of us would
like.
Later in the 20th century, Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery bus
boycott, and Sandra Day O'Connor took the bench as the first woman ever
appointed to the Supreme Court.
More recently, Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the first and second
female Speaker of the House. In 2018, a record 102 women were elected
to the House of Representatives.
However, these and countless other accomplishments by women
notwithstanding, historical accounts, monuments, and museums
disproportionately represent the achievements of men while neglecting
those of women. Furthermore, studies have shown that history textbooks
discuss the accomplishments of men exponentially more often than those
of women. This should change.
The contributions and experiences of American women deserve
celebration and recognition, and I can think of few better ways to
celebrate and recognize American women than by establishing a women's
history museum at the Smithsonian, our country's preeminent museum and
research institution.
The Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act mirrors the highly
successful National Museum of African American History and Culture Act.
Like that bill, this bill calls for a 50-50 split between Federal and
non-Federal funding, a model that worked very well for the National
Museum of African American History and Culture.
The House Administration Committee considered this legislation at a
hearing with Secretary Lonnie Bunch in September. During our markup in
November, we agreed to an amendment offered by the minority to ensure
diversity of political viewpoints in exhibits and programs.
Women have come a long way since the Daughters of Liberty began
boycotting British goods and organizing protests in the 1760s. But
despite how far we have come, we still have a long way to go. I am
hopeful that today, a century after women were granted the right to
vote, we will take a critical step in creating a museum to recognize
these achievements and inspire our daughters and our daughters'
daughters to follow in the footsteps of the incredible women who came
before them as we continue our unending work to form a more perfect
Union.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1980, which would establish
a national women's history museum within the Smithsonian Institution.
Throughout our history, women have made enduring and significant
contributions to our Nation's scientific, cultural, economic, artistic,
and civic life. It is critical to preserve and share these stories
because women's history is America's history.
That is why I, like the 293 bipartisan cosponsors of this bill,
support a museum in our Nation's Capital dedicated to showcasing these
contributions.
This bill is the result of much hard work. A bipartisan commission
extensively studied the complex issues surrounding the establishment of
a museum. Their final report, issued in 2016, recommended the creation
of a comprehensive national women's history museum and that it be part
of the Smithsonian Institution. H.R. 1980 embodies this recommendation.
It is critical that the eventual new museum reflects the full
spectrum of views among American women, including conservative voices
and opinions. During committee markup of this bill, my colleague Mark
Walker's amendment to ensure the diversity of political viewpoints in
the museum's exhibits and programming was unanimously adopted.
The Smithsonian faces a challenging task ahead. Creating a new museum
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takes an enormous amount of effort and resources, with cost estimates
approaching $650 million.
Further, the Smithsonian has ongoing major capital improvement
projects, a nearly $1 billion deferred maintenance backlog, and storage
capacity issues.
As I have stated before, I think it is imperative that we, as
policymakers, holistically consider all the multifaceted components
with these projects and how they fit into the long-term strategic plan
of the Smithsonian.
These are challenges but should not be obstacles to moving forward.
With strong leadership at the Smithsonian and the partnership of
Congress, a Smithsonian women's history museum can become a reality. I
look forward to one day visiting it and sharing that experience with my
own daughter.
Before I yield, I would like to commend my colleague across the
aisle, Representative Maloney, and my colleague standing to my right,
the lead Republican sponsor, Mr. Fitzpatrick, on their dedication to
pushing this bill through the legislative process. I thank both of them
and their staffs for their hard work to get here.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, we are fortunate that the author of this
bill, the gentlewoman from New York, is here with us today. She is
someone who has been pursuing this idea for our country for so many
years, and she would never give up until we got to this day.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York
(Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who has been tireless and persistent. We
would not be here today without the effort of Chairwoman Maloney.
{time} 1315
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank my good
friend, Zoe Lofgren, for her leadership in so many ways and for being
part of this success today. It would not have happened without the
gentlewoman, and I am deeply grateful.
There is a saying that women hold up half the sky. I would say that
is an understatement. Women have made an incredible, lasting
contribution to our country since its founding, yet there is not one
comprehensive women's museum dedicated to women's achievements and
their contributions to our great country anyplace in America.
We have sliver museums like an arts museum or First Ladies museum or
an Annie Oakley museum or Women of the West, but not a comprehensive
museum, which the Smithsonian is planning with research and the ability
to have exhibits across the country to tell the story of American
women.
Under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer, we will be changing that today by voting on H.R. 1980, the
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act.
This is a bipartisan effort. We have an overwhelming number of
cosponsors--293--thanks to the efforts of all of my colleagues,
including Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who is the lead on the other
side of the aisle; Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence; Congresswoman Eleanor
Holmes Norton, who is chairing a committee meeting now; and the Problem
Solvers Caucus led by Josh Gottheimer and Tom Reed--bipartisan--
Congresswoman Susan Brooks; and many, many others.
I am particularly grateful to Congressman Fitzpatrick for reaching
out to me before this Congress even began to tell me he wanted to be a
leader--as his brother was--on this bill and get it across the finish
line.
I also express my appreciation to Michael Fitzpatrick, Brian's
brother, who supported this bill as a leader for many years. He is
greatly missed. He was a great statesman, and he is part of the success
with us today.
The journey of this moment started for me with a walk around the
National Mall. I was looking at all the museums, and I saw them
dedicated to air, space, spies, law enforcement, textiles, the Postal
Service, arts--all enriching institutions.
But I found myself asking: Where are the women?
Where is half the population of this country?
Today, with the passage of H.R. 1980, the House is taking a step
toward changing that.
Unfortunately, women have been left out of the telling of our
Nation's history. Sadly, if you walk around this Capitol, Madam
Speaker, and you count the over 100 statues, only nine are of women.
If you look at our 2,500 National Historic Landmarks across our
Nation, only 5 percent of our national landmarks honor women. And
studies have shown women are underrepresented in the textbooks that we
use in our public schools.
Getting to this point has been a very long road that took from 1998
to 2014 for Congress to finally pass my bill that I worked on for years
with then-Representative Marsha Blackburn to create a congressional
commission to study the establishment of a women's museum.
This bipartisan commission was appointed by Republican and Democratic
leadership and chaired by Jane Abraham, a Republican, who has become an
incredible partner in this effort. Eighteen months later, the
commissioners submitted a unanimous report that the U.S. needs and
deserves--and it is long past due--a Smithsonian women's history museum
and set out a vision of how to build it.
We took those recommendations and put them into a bill, with the
Smithsonian's input, that is before us today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1
minute.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today we will
pass this important bill, and I hope the Senate will quickly do the
same. I am grateful for the leadership of Senators Collins and
Feinstein who are leading this effort in the Senate.
My response to those who ask why this museum is so important is, if
we do not even recognize women, how can we empower them?
We need the efforts and the ability to excel, but from all of our
residents, male and female, to win in a competitive world. That is why
this bill should be supported by every Member of this House and,
hopefully, the Senate.
This is not about politics, it is not about partisanship, and it is
not a Democrat or a Republican issue. It is an American issue
recognizing the contributions of our mothers, our sisters, and our
daughters. This is about giving all women our rightful place in
history.
Madam Speaker, I thank Zoe Lofgren so much, and I urge a strong,
strong vote in support of this bill.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, again, I thank my
colleague, Mrs. Maloney, for making this bill a reality in partnership
with my good friend, as I mentioned in my opening statements, Mr.
Fitzpatrick.
This is the epitome of bipartisanship here on the floor of the House
of Representatives today.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Levittown,
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), who left his favorite job out in the
world as a special agent fighting corruption at the FBI.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Davis for
yielding, and I thank Chairwoman Maloney for her leadership, her
partnership, her friendship, and passion that she has shown to get us
here today.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to proudly support the Smithsonian
Women's History Museum Act. I was proud to join the chairwoman in
introducing this legislation last year. I am even happier to be here
today to support it on the floor.
Madam Speaker, women's contributions to the development of our Nation
are immense, however, only 5 percent of the approximately 2,400
national monuments honor women, and as the first museum in the United
States dedicated to the full story of women's history, this museum will
tell the diverse story of the women who helped shape the United States
of America.
H.R. 1980 will finally establish a comprehensive women's history
museum in the Smithsonian Institution. The museum will honor and
document women's contributions to United States history and exhibit
diverse perspectives across our history. For too long the contributions
of women and the contributions that they have made to our
[[Page H1033]]
Nation have been overlooked and underappreciated. This is unacceptable.
Women have been making contributions to America since our founding, and
it is time that they get the recognition they deserve.
This bipartisan bill sends a message loud and clear that women
deserve an entire museum to show the important role that they have
played in building the greatest Nation on Earth. It is time for
Congress to authorize the creation of this national museum, and I am
proud to stand with Chairwoman Maloney and all my colleagues to support
this legislation.
Madam Speaker, as the saying goes, if you can see it, you can be it.
Let's show women across America, young and old, the contributions that
they and their predecessors have made to the United States of America
can be theirs as well.
Again, I thank Chairwoman Maloney so much for engaging our bipartisan
Problem Solvers Caucus to be very instrumental in getting us here
today.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), who is a leader for women in Congress and in
the country.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, it is with great excitement today that
I stand in strong support of the bill to establish the women's museum
in the Smithsonian chain of museums in our country.
I want to share a story with you, Madam Speaker. When I walked
through the doors of the Smithsonian African American Museum, someone
asked me: How do you feel?
I said, I feel like this country has finally recognized the
contributions and who I am in this country.
We have not been able to make that commitment to women. When we all
walk into museums in this great country, it is a reflection for the
generations to come of the struggles and the accomplishments that
different cultures and populations have had on this great country.
I stand here today because of the women before me who have struggled
and fought. I stand on their shoulders. I want to be a woman of whom
the girls behind me will be able to say: Because of her, I can be.
This is a vote for our children, the girls who are coming after, and
the little boys who need to learn and respect the history of women in
this great country.
I stand in support, and I ask all my colleagues to please support
this. This is a step that we, as women, must not let go of.
I want to recognize my colleague, Chairwoman Maloney, who has never
given up on this.
Madam Speaker, as women, we know we have to work twice as hard, but
we get the job done.
Vote on this museum.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon), who is a fighter
for her whole territory.
Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Madam Speaker, I thank the
gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I am here today standing in support of H.R. 1980,
because I firmly believe in honoring women trailblazers who have shaped
history and the story of our country, women who demonstrate leading by
example.
It is just what Brenda Lawrence was saying: we need to demonstrate
how we can achieve that empowerment tool, and I think this museum is
going to be just that.
Women like our first female Supreme Court Justice from Puerto Rico,
Sonia Sotomayor; our first Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor;
civil rights activist Rosa Parks; astronaut and astrophysicist, Sally
Ride; the first Latina to be elected to Congress, former Representative
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; and Representative Jeannette Rankin, the first
woman elected to Congress; are the better examples.
Each of them in her respective field illustrated the strength and the
commitment of women when they set themselves a goal. They are just a
few of the women who transformed the American landscape, making it
possible for me to be here today as the first female representative of
Puerto Rico and now the vice-chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus.
According to the Census, women are 50 percent of the total population
of the country--165 million women in America--yet there is not one
comprehensive museum dedicated to the history of women in the United
States; and of the 2,400 national monuments, only 120--just 5 percent--
honor women.
The role of women in the building of this Nation was not properly
recognized while it was happening. We must create a space where that
history that was not told in their own time can be studied, propagated,
and given the high relief it deserves.
Madam Speaker, I support this bill because I think it is time to
honor how women shaped what is America today.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, speaking of women
leaders in this institution, it is bittersweet because she is not
coming back after this year, but I stand here and yield 2 minutes to
the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), who is my good friend and
my classmate from the 2012 and 2013 cycle.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my
strong support for H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum
Act.
I want to thank Representative Maloney for championing this important
legislation. Her determination to honor American women, which started
back in 1998 and the fact that she has brought this type of legislation
forward ever since then is a true testament to her grit.
I also want to thank the chairwoman of the House Administration
Committee. I want to thank the ranking member of the House
Administration Committee. I really welcome their leadership, and they
have seen the importance of this legislation.
The Smithsonian Institution was established in 1846 to increase the
diffusion of knowledge, and I can think of no better subject matter on
which to increase and diffuse knowledge today in 2020 than educating
Americans and those who visit our country about the amazing American
women who have come before us.
A museum dedicated to American women's history will help ensure that
my daughter and my son--future generations--understand the impact that
our women have had on our country's past; and with a greater
understanding of our country's past we can better navigate the future.
Establishing this museum to collect, study, and establish programs
covering historical contributions of women will inspire generations of
women to come--women like Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to ever
come to this body, the U.S. House, from Montana in 1916 before women
even had the right to vote.
{time} 1330
Women like Lucille Ball, and we all love Lucy, she was the first
woman to run a television studio and capture the attention of viewers
around the globe.
Women like Dr. Mae Jemison, an engineer and physician, she was the
first African American woman to travel to space.
Women like these three--and there are thousands more--who deserve to
have their stories shared with folks around the world and people here
at home.
Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this
strong bipartisan piece of legislation to create this national museum
dedicated to American women's history. It will celebrate the
achievements of American women.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30
seconds to the gentlewoman.
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I think it is important to
note that in this 116th Congress, where you had a record-breaking
number of women come to this body--101 women, more than ever before,
and hopefully, even more will be coming in future Congresses--I urge
passage of this important piece of legislation.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), my good friend, classmate, a
leader on women's issues, and somebody I knew before we both got
elected to this institution.
Mrs. WAGNER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from
[[Page H1034]]
across the river in Illinois. I have the great privilege of
representing Missouri's Second Congressional District, and he is a
leader in this Congress, but most of all, he is a wonderful friend and
colleague.
Madam Speaker, I also commend my good friend, Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney from New York. We have worked in a bipartisan fashion on so
many issues, especially when it comes to the scourge of human
trafficking, violence against women, taking care of the most vulnerable
in our society. I thank her for her commitment.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian
Women's History Museum Act. This important bill will honor the immense
contributions that women have made to our country by establishing the
first national women's history museum.
Women from my hometown of St. Louis have a proud history of service
and heroism. During the First World War, a brave group of St. Louis
women volunteered to go to war-torn France to start a hospital for
injured Allied soldiers. They were among the first Americans to deploy
to Europe and some of the very last to leave. When they departed for
France in May 1917, the United States had not even entered the war, and
many remained in France for a year after the armistice. They treated
more than 60,000 patients before they returned home to St. Louis.
Through their courage, ingenuity, determination, and integrity,
American women have been instrumental in the growth of the United
States as a global force for good. I am so proud that their stories
will be remembered for the next generation of women leaders.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece
of legislation.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have no further
speakers, and I am prepared to close.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, our speakers have all been detained at
markup so I would invite the gentleman to close, and then I will also
close.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I support this wonderful piece of legislation. It is
talking about leadership. You can't get much better leadership than
Chairwoman Maloney. This is an issue she has been tenacious on.
It is one I am proud to work with the majority party on. At a time
when America doesn't think we are a bipartisan institution, I hope
today is one of those instances where they can turn on C-SPAN, or maybe
it will get reported in the 24-hour news cycle, but we are going to
come together to do something that is great, not just for America but
America's history.
Madam Speaker, since I have some time left, we are talking about
women, strong women who have been a part of this institution. She
doesn't know I am doing this because she is sitting right next to me,
but we are going to see the retirement of an institution here in this
House. Come April 1, my House Administration minority staff is going to
lose our institution, our institutional knowledge, Ms. Mary Sue
Englund.
Mary Sue has worked for government for 31 years, 27 years here in the
House. Working with the likes of Bill Thomas makes me look easy, I
think. I don't know all the rest of them before I got here, but the
chairpersons of the committee before I got here, I know Mary Sue, when
I met her, she was working for then-Chair Candace Miller, and she
worked for Chairman Gregg Harper. For her to stay on and work with us
in the minority, I am honored.
It is people like Mary Sue who make this institution great. It is
people like Mary Sue who are going to be missed. And it is people like
Mary Sue who I enjoy embarrassing today because I didn't tell her I was
going to do this.
Madam Speaker, if the folks in the gallery would rise today to give
Mary Sue the sendoff that she deserves.
Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois has 7 minutes
remaining.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Clearly, I will not use that all, but you want to talk about
empowered women? I am joined here in this House today by three young
ladies who are the daughters of somebody I used to work with when I was
a staffer.
Ray Fitzgerald died too soon, in 2009. Ray, a former staffer, went
back home to Naperville, Illinois. When his youngest daughter, Lucy,
was 1, he succumbed to a deadly stomach cancer.
Those three girls, along with their mom, Kristin, are fighting the
fight to eradicate stomach cancer and working with us each and every
day.
I am proud to see that we are going to have a museum that is going to
recognize the people like Mary Sue and the Fitzgeralds--Kristin, Nora,
Maggie, and Lucy.
We have to make sure that we continue this fight. Even after today's
bipartisanship is shown, we have to make sure that we stand together in
a bipartisan way, because if we don't, then we don't have the ability
to get a brighter future for Nora, Maggie, and Lucy Fitzgerald, along
with their mom, Kristin.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, please,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I will just say a few words here in closing.
First, I again thank Carolyn Maloney, who, for the last 22 years, has
worked to be here on this day.
I think it took Carolyn 22 years, a female Speaker of the House, 101
women in the House, and a female chair of the Committee on House
Administration to come together and get to this day where I believe we
are going to finally approve this bill and send it over to the Senate.
Hopefully, it will be such a large vote that the Senate will feel a
degree of pressure to do the right thing.
Madam Speaker, just a word of caution on how long it takes after we
vote to approve this and the Senate, hopefully, and the President,
hopefully, will sign it, if we pass it.
Secretary Lonnie Bunch is the secretary for the Smithsonian Museum.
He has done a fabulous job. But one of his claims to fame is that he
brought the National Museum of African American History from an idea to
reality. He knows how to do this. And he cautioned us that from the
moment you say go to the moment you open the doors to the museum, it is
about 10 years.
You have to raise the money. You have to get the scholars to do the
scholarship and the exhibition. So unless you take that first step, you
don't get there.
That is the advice he gave us last September: If you don't take the
first step, you never get there. So this is the first step, and it is
an important one.
Madam Speaker, I want to say that along with the fabulously important
and famous women who this museum will honor, it is also going to go to
the heart of America, the women who maybe weren't famous but built the
country, the women like my mother, who walked out of their homes and
built airplanes so the United States could win World War II; the women
who raised their children, who worked many jobs, who ran the PTA, who
helped form the next generation; the women who are the beating heart of
this country will be honored by this museum.
Madam Speaker, you really don't know where you are going unless you
have some sense of where you came from. That is why this museum will
help all American women and men to have a brighter American future.
I will just say this: We do not fool ourselves that having this
wonderful museum will solve all the problems that American women face.
We still have no family leave policy in this country, so women are
squeezed between taking care of their children, taking care of aging
parents, not having an opportunity to get time off from work to do the
things that life calls them to do. We still have pay disparity in this
country. We still lack constitutional protections under the equal
rights amendment until we resolve the issue on the latest wonderful
vote in Virginia. All of those things remain.
But this museum will be a point of pride. It will be a touchstone. It
will be something that every boy and girl in America will be able to
know about because it is not going to be just a building. It is going
to be a virtual reality, Secretary Bunch has told us, a virtual reality
throughout the United States.
[[Page H1035]]
Madam Speaker, this is a proud day for this institution. We can
support this bill. We can send it to the Senate and look forward to the
day when we join Congresswoman Maloney in walking through the doors of
the women's history museum.
Madam Speaker, I urge that we support this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1980, the
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act.
On March 31, 1776, future First Lady Abigail Adams wrote to her
husband, John Adams, urging him and the other members of the
Continental Congress to ``remember the ladies'' when fighting for
America's independence from Great Britain and drafting a new form of
government.
Unfortunately, despite this nation's great history, we were slow to
take Abigail Adams' advice to heart. It took 144 years to grant women
the right to vote, an historic event I talked about a week ago in a
floor speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of New Jersey's
ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Even this Congress has downplayed the contributions of women in
history as evidenced by the treatment of Portrait Monument, the statue
in the Capitol of the three greatest leaders of the suffrage movement,
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.
The Portrait Monument was unveiled with great fanfare in 1921 shortly
after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, but for decades it was
relegated to an isolated area of the Crypt without a plaque explaining
the contributions of the three women or a description of the female
artist who sculpted it.
For decades, Congress cited the cost of moving the statue as reason
enough for keeping it in the Crypt. In the 1990s, the sponsor of
today's bill, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York, led an effort
to raise the funds to move the statue upstairs to the Rotunda. It was
not until 1997 that the statue was moved to its current place of honor.
That date is significant for our purposes today. Susan Whiting, the
chairman of the board for the National Women's History Museum
organization has stated that ``[The statue] was the beginning of the
entire process of eventually building a museum,''
It's been a long road since 1997 to build a Women's History Museum
but passing this bill today will be one giant step closer to our goal.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act. This
legislation will authorize the Smithsonian Institution to establish a
Women's History Museum, which will be located alongside our existing
Smithsonian museums in our nation's capital.
The contributions by women to the history and advancements of the
United States are historic and consequential. Women have always served
this nation, from nurses in the Revolutionary War to the ceaseless
quest today for equal pay, civil liberties, and equal access to health
care.
I am particularly determined to ensure that the contributions and
perspectives of women of color are reflected in this proposed
institution, as our country must demonstrate their historic and
unquestionable significance. The creation of the Smithsonian Women's
History Museum will allow all people in this nation and the world to
better recognize and appreciate the significant contributions women
have made throughout history.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues
to pass the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act unanimously and
immediately.
First, I congratulate my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney, on her decades of hard and successful work making the case for
a women's museum.
Women are underrepresented in our nation's historical accounts,
monuments, memorials, and museums.
Our past, present and as of now, our future are all marked by the
absence of women's stories.
From Native American women and early pilgrims; to Abigail Adams when
she wrote to her husband to ``remember the ladies''; to the suffrage
movement; to the one thousand, one hundred, and two Women Airforce
Service Pilots that revived our World War II effort; to Rosa Parks to
Title Nine.
And I could go on and on and on.
Clearly, women have transformed the history of our country.
But the story of American women is not just in the historical
moments. It is also the contributions of women in every aspect of our
society.
There is a missing contextualization of the enormous impact that
women have had in film, literature, science, government, education,
culture, sports, and more.
We have the opportunity to tell the full story, so why are we only
telling half of our history?
With these contributions showcased in a museum, we will no longer
ask--Why don't we have a woman's National Museum?
But instead, we will celebrate how fitting it is for every girl and
every woman to identify with our country's past and want to play a
significant role in our future.
You can't be what you can't see.
Frankly, I cannot believe that this museum does not already exist.
I urge my colleagues to vote for the passage of this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1980, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. LESKO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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