WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

On 2025-03-26, Representative Hillary J. Scholten (D-MI-3) delivered a floor speech titled "WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered taxes, defense.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 55 (Wednesday, March 26, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 26, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1294-H1295] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. Scholten of Michigan was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.) General Leave Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett). Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan? There was no objection. Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, the United States won its independence 250 years ago in the Revolutionary War, and our journey as the United States of America began. Yet, 250 years ago, I could not be standing where I am today. Women did not have the right to vote, to hold public office, or to own property 250 years ago. Some women were property 250 years ago. Women were a footnote to the story of our country's founding 250 years ago. Today, 250 years later, women make up 125 Members in the Congress, and the Democratic Women's Caucus is 96 strong. Women now make up more than 58 percent of college graduates, 40 percent of all businesses are women owned, and more than 52 Fortune 500 companies are led by women. This kind of change did not happen by accident. It happened because our mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunties, sisters, and cousins dared greatly and forged new paths for us to walk on. The freedoms and privileges we enjoy today are because of those who came before us. These are their stories. {time} 1515 Over the next hour, we will hear from women Members across the country who will share the stories of heroines who changed the course of history. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina, Ms. Deborah Ross. Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Scholten for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde, who, sadly, passed away last month. A North Carolina native, Ambassador Hyde was a trailblazer who paved the path for generations of women in our State. Her contributions to our community span industries, from her time as a social worker and teacher to serving as the first woman on the North Carolina Board of Transportation. Ambassador Hyde was an active philanthropist, never forgetting her roots and always giving back to North Carolina causes and organizations. It is especially meaningful to celebrate her legacy during Women's History Month. As a leader and influential advocate, she pushed for ratification of the equal rights amendment and women's full participation in the political process. She never gave up on her vision of an America where every woman has a chance to make her voice heard. At a time when women are facing unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration, we should all seek to emulate Ambassador Hyde's grit and grace over the next 4 years. Like Jeanette, we cannot back down in the face of threats to women's healthcare, accessible childcare, equal pay, and more. Ms. SCHOLTEN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Morrison). Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, as we recognize Women's History Month, I rise, as an OB/GYN, in fierce defense of our Nation's moms and babies. Right now, the Republican majority in Congress is launching a full attack on America's families. Let's start first with where we are in our country. We are facing a serious and worsening maternal healthcare crisis. Just look at this map. In more than half of our country, women do not have a place to go that provides obstetric care. Among peer nations, we have both the highest rate of maternal deaths and the highest rate of infant deaths--in the United States of America. This is a crisis. It is an unacceptable crisis, and it demands immediate action from our Nation's legislators. Yet, the Republican majority is shoving a budget through that would gut Medicaid, which is the single largest payer of maternity care in our country, in order to give tax cuts to billionaires. As an OB/GYN who has spent my life caring for women and delivering babies, let me tell you: It is unconscionable to threaten the care women receive before, during, and after pregnancy, but that is exactly what the Republican majority is doing with their budget. Republicans are choosing to shut down more hospitals and clinics across the country. Republicans are choosing to make even more of our country into maternal care deserts. Republicans are choosing to take healthcare away from moms and babies. It does not have to be this way. As we celebrate Women's History Month, I implore the Republican majority to make their policy match their profamily rhetoric and choose to put America's moms and babies first. Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, clearly, history is still being made this Women's History Month as we have an unprecedented number of changemaker women from across the country who are standing up and fiercely defending their constituents. We are so grateful for their work in Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland, Representative Sarah Elfreth. Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, Commander Janie L. Mines was the first African-American woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980. Commander Kristine Holderied, a Howard County native, was the first woman to graduate as valedictorian not only from the Naval Academy but from any service academy, in 1984. Midshipman Kristen Dickmann, a Naval Academy freshman and volleyball player, tragically passed away at the age of 19 in 2008. Her memory is now honored every single year, for over the last decade, via a tournament in her honor. Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber, the Naval Academy's first African-American female brigade commander, [[Page H1295]] earned that honor not even 5 years ago, in 2020. I share these names and stories because these are women and women of color who are an integral part of the rich history of the United States Naval Academy that I have the privilege of representing. It is not just the Naval Academy. They represent our military and, proudly, our Nation. I want to be clear that this administration's unrelenting and reckless attack on the stories and the history of persistence, diversity, and opportunity only serves to set us back. When faculty at our five world-class service academies are told to avoid divisive concepts like racism and sexism, that only threatens to erase the stories and experiences of these brave women who just wanted to serve our great Nation. I strongly believe that we should have a Navy and Marine Corps that look like our country, where our midshipmen receive an education that teaches the accurate and full history of this Nation, where the stories of women and people of color aren't skipped over because they are inconvenient. This is all critical to our national security and strong democratic principles that we embody abroad. It is for these women and the hundreds of thousands of women serving our Nation at home and abroad that I am here today. Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, as the first woman in history to hold my seat in Congress, I am always thinking about the history-making women of the past, present, and future. I am honored to highlight a few stories of history-making women Michiganders now. I am honored to highlight Michigander Harriet Quimby, the first American woman to earn a pilot's license and the first woman ever to fly solo across the English Channel. Her career in aviation was short but accomplished. Flying from the U.S. to England, Mexico, and more, Harriet's legacy serves as a reminder that women can soar to whatever heights they set their minds to. We are so proud to claim that Sojourner Truth made her home in Michigan for the last 27 years of her life, a fearless abolitionist and women's rights advocate who used her powerful voice to demand justice. Born into slavery, she escaped and dedicated her life to fighting for freedom and equality. Her famous ``Ain't I a Woman?'' speech challenged the exclusion of Black women from the suffrage movement, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire generations. Anna Howard Shaw was a trailblazer in every sense of the word, becoming one of the first female ordained ministers in the United States and later a physician. She dedicated decades to the fight for women's suffrage, serving as the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Her leadership and relentless advocacy helped secure the right to vote, proving that determination and conviction, as well as persistence, can change the course of history. Clara Arthur, known as the Mother of the Playground Movement, believed in creating a better world for future generations. As president of the Michigan Equal Suffrage Association, she worked tirelessly to advocate for women's voting rights. Her activism extended beyond the ballot box. She championed education, labor reforms, and public spaces for children, ensuring that progress didn't just mean progress for some. It meant progress for all. Lucia Voorhees Grimes was a dedicated suffragist who played a pivotal role in Michigan's fight for women's voting rights. As a leader in the Michigan Equal Suffrage Association, she traveled the State organizing campaigns, educating voters, and pushing for legislative change. Her unwavering commitment helped pave the way for Michigan women to claim their rightful place in the democratic process. These are the stories of past historymakers who have changed the course of our Nation. The freedoms we enjoy today are because they refused to sit idly by, and now, as we see unprecedented attacks on our healthcare, on our rights, we also see everyday women, especially in places like my hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who