The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1608-E1609 on Sept. 14, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT
______
HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which enshrined into law on August 26, 1920, the right of American women to vote. It is with deep admiration and respect that I pay tribute today to the brave women in our history, particularly Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, whose courage and determination blazed a trail in the fight for women's equality.
Since the adoption of the 19th Amendment, women have continued to reach significant milestones in that fight for women's equality, including having a greater presence in our government. Today, 17 women serve in the Senate and 76 in the House, and you, Madam Speaker, are making history as the first female Speaker of the House. Also noteworthy is the unprecedented participation of women in our judicial branch. The Supreme Court was without the service of a single woman for nearly 200 years until September 25, 1981, when Sandra Day O'Connor was confirmed as the first woman Supreme Court Justice. Today, for the first time in history, there are three women serving simultaneously on our Nation's highest court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.
While we acknowledge that much progress has been made in the fight for women's equality, we must also recognize that significant work remains to be done. For the first time in our Nation's history, women make up half of the entire U.S. workforce, yet according to the U.S. Department of Labor, they still do not receive compensation packages equivalent to those of their male counterparts.
My home state of Indiana reflects both these significant milestones in the fight for gender equality in the United States and the disparities that still exist. In 1920, Julia Nelson became the first woman to serve in our state legislature. Nine decades later, 31 of the 150 seats in the Indiana General Assembly are filled by women. Clearly, much work remains in our efforts for women's equality in our communities, our states, and our Nation.
Madam Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in marking the 90th anniversary of the legal guarantee of women's right to vote, and in acknowledging that the promise of freedom and equality in America requires our ongoing focus to diminish those remaining gender-based inequities. In doing so, we honor the memory of the pioneers of women's suffrage like Mott, Cady Stanton, and Anthony, and create better futures for our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends.
____________________
