[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 refuse to sit 
quiet.
  I refuse to stand by while Republicans, Donald Trump, and 
billionaires like Elon Musk try to gut essential programs like 
Medicaid, a lifeline that millions of families rely on.
  No parent should have to choose between their child's health and 
paying their bills. We are fighting to protect the care that women and 
families depend on because healthcare isn't a privilege for the 
wealthy; it is a right for everyone.
  I highlight a brave mom from my district, Abby Koroma, a mother of 
two visually impaired daughters who depend on Medicaid. Without this 
critical program, Abby would be forced to make impossible decisions: 
whether she has enough in her bank account for treatments that could 
save her children's vision or putting food on the table.
  No parent should have to face that choice, but Republicans in 
Congress right now, aided by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, are willing to 
rip away this essential healthcare from families like Abby's just to 
hand out more tax cuts to the ultrawealthy.
  We won't let it happen. We are the women who are standing in the gap 
and standing up for these families. We will fight every day to protect 
Medicaid, to stand up for families who depend on it, and to make sure 
that no one in this country is left wondering whether they can afford 
the care that they need for themselves or their families.
  I stand here today so that no one has to wonder who they have 
fighting for them. We are here, standing together and fighting for 
families across the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the women who joined me here today to stand up 
and highlight the powerful women of their home States and the impacts 
that they have had on changing the course of history.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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