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“SENATE RESOLUTION 123--DESIGNATING MARCH 2021 AS ``NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH''” mentioning Susan M. Collins was published in the Senate section on pages S1653-S1654 on March 18.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SENATE RESOLUTION 123--DESIGNATING MARCH 2021 AS ``NATIONAL WOMEN'S
HISTORY MONTH''
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Markey, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Warren, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Warner, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Booker, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. King, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Sinema, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mrs. Fischer, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Carper, and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 123
Whereas National Women's History Month recognizes and spreads awareness of the importance of women in the history of the United States;
Whereas, throughout the history of the United States, whether in their homes, in their workplaces, in schools, in the courts, or during wartime, women have fought for themselves, their families, and all people of the United States;
Whereas, even from the early days of the history of the United States, Abigail Adams urged her husband to ``Remember the Ladies'' when representatives met for the Continental Congress in 1776;
Whereas women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions in the United States;
Whereas women led the efforts to secure suffrage and equal opportunities for women, and also served in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, labor movements, civil rights movements, and other causes to create a more fair and just society for all;
Whereas suffragists wrote, marched, were arrested, and ultimately succeeded in achieving--
(1) the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which provides, ``The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.''; and
(2) the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), which extended the protection of the right to vote to women of color and language minorities;
Whereas women have been and continue to be leaders in the forefront of social change efforts, business, science, government, math, art, literature, music, film, athletics, and other fields;
Whereas women now represent approximately half of the workforce of the United States;
Whereas women once were routinely barred from attending medical schools in the United States, but now are enrolling in medical schools in the United States at higher numbers than men;
Whereas women previously were turned away from law school, but now represent approximately half of law students in the United States;
Whereas, since the American Revolution, women have been vital to the mission of the Armed Forces, with more than 200,000 women serving on active duty and 2,000,000 women veterans representing every branch of service;
Whereas more than 10,000,000 women own businesses in the United States;
Whereas Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1916 and Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas was the first woman elected to the United States Senate in 1932;
Whereas Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was the first woman to serve in both Houses of Congress;
Whereas, in 2021, a record total of 144 women are serving in Congress, including 120 women in the House of Representatives and 24 women in the Senate;
Whereas President Jimmy Carter recognized March 2 through 8, 1980, as ``National Women's History Week'';
Whereas, in 1987, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the first joint resolution to pass Congress designating
``Women's History Month'';
Whereas, in 1987, President Ronald Reagan issued a Presidential proclamation proclaiming March 1987 as ``Women's History Month'';
Whereas, in 2020, Congress passed the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act (title I of division T of Public Law 116-260) to establish a national women's history museum on or near the National Mall in Washington, DC; and
Whereas, despite the advancements of women in the United States, much remains to be done to ensure that women realize their full potential as equal members of society in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates March 2021 as ``National Women's History Month'';
(2) recognizes the celebration of National Women's History Month as a time to reflect on the many notable contributions that women have made to the United States; and
(3) urges the people of the United States to observe National Women's History Month with appropriate programs and activities.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month to recognize the extraordinary achievements of past generations of women, and to pay tribute to the vital role they have played in the political, economic, and social development of this nation.
Women's History Month provides a special opportunity to reflect upon women's countless accomplishments that touch all aspects of our society--from government, to business, the arts and sciences, the military and much more. I look upon the courage our predecessors displayed with great admiration, and I continue to be inspired by those who blazed the trail for women like me.
In December of this past year, I was incredibly proud to see the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, which I co-led with Senator Susan Collins, enacted into law. This law will create a long overdue, permanent museum to collect, study, and create programs that celebrate women's experiences and contributions.
However, the last year also brought with it the loss of a number of pioneering women, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, and the brave Civil Rights Movement champion Lucille Bridges. Though these icons are no longer with us, their contributions will live on and their accomplishments have shattered glass ceilings for future generations of women. May we honor their work and memory with a commitment to elevate and support future women leaders.
This past election year marked a new high water mark for women in politics, as more women ran for and were elected to office in 2020 than ever before. Of the many notable wins, I was overjoyed to see my friend and former Senate colleague, Vice President Kamala Harris, elected to the nation's second-highest office. The election of more women to places of power is crucial for our continued progress.
I am eager to work with Vice President Harris and the 144 women serving in Congress in 2021 to address the challenges before us.
One of our first priorities must be to address the ongoing pandemic, which has had devastating consequences for the health of our country and economy. The pandemic has also uniquely harmed women and girls--
especially women of color. A disproportionate number of women have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and are often unable to maintain work commitments with children learning from home while schools are closed. As far as we have come, this unequal harm borne by women during the pandemic reminds us of the work toward equality that is yet to be done. We must continue our work to ensure fairness and equity for women everywhere.
As we undertake to celebrate Women's History Month, I ask my colleagues to celebrate with me how far we have come and to continue the fight for the progress of all women--especially those who are struggling during these trying times.
Thank you Mr. President and I yield the floor.
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