Series of speeches along with my good friend from california, a senior democratic senator. Senator Dianne Feinstein to memorate a consistent significant milestone in our nations history. 100 years ago today, the Senate Finally passed the 19th amendment which affirmed the right of women to vote in elections. Madam president , all of us that in 1775, as the Second Continental Congress was forging a new nation conceived in liberty, Abigail Adams admonished her husband john to remember the ladies. Despite her advice, it took nearly a century and a half for women to achieve their rightful place as full u. S. Citizens. 1919, the United StatesSenate Passed the 19th amendment to our constitution. The courage and determination exhibited by generations of rewarded inn were two sentences. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any states. N account of sex Congress Shall have the power to enforce this by appropriate legislation. It, madam president. Those of the words of the 19th amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote. Today to join my 24 women Senate Colleagues in cosponsoring a resolution commemorating this centennial. Wearingow roses we are our a historic ended during symbol of the victory that we celebrate today. It has often been said as emerson put it, that there is properly no history. Only biography. The story of womens suffrage biography. Remarkable mott led the Senate Convention of 1848. This marks the first time that american women formally demanded the vote. The convention produced the landmark declaration of the declaration of independence as a template. It states, we hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men and women are created equal. The womens Rights Movement was linked to the abolition of slavery. Lucretia mott made her position clear. Of said, i have no idea submitting tamely to injustice inflicted either on me or on the slaves. I will oppose it with all the moral powers with which i am endowed. Among the most vigorous advocates of womens suffrage were those who knew too well the last of oppression. The escaped slave, frederick douglass, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Important incident in the march of history occurred in 1872. Susan b anthony and 14 other women in rochester, new york in aally voted president ial election. They were probably arrested. Susan b anthony was put on trial, convicted and ordered to or facene of 100 imprisonment. For voting. She bravely refused, saying she would never submit to the highhanded outrage upon my citizens rights. Chose notity wisely to pursue collecting the fine. Suffrage leaders realized that nothing short of a constitutional amendment would one modeled after the 15th amendment come a which granted the vote to all men regardless of race. Such as laterrs alice paul stepping forward, a to change thesed hearts and minds of political leaders and the public. In addition to marches, rallies and petitions, they enlisted the power of the pulpit and the ss in there just cause their just cause. It took more than four decades for this strategy to succeed and strong women played key roles. , theyn Reed Valentine daughter of the legendary speaker of the u. S. House of representatives Thomas Brackett reed led the main womens suffrage association. Activist Lawrence Brook white house became a nationally known suffrage organizer and offered these words to opponents of this cause. , theaid, if you must know world is mine as yours. I am proud to report that when the 19th amendment came to the senate floor, on that historic , both maines ago republican and Frederick Hale were among the 56 voting in favor, following Senate Passage all that remained were 36 of the then 48 states to vote for ratification. State toame the 19th amendment. 19th but madam president , it was not easy. An earlier referendum on womens suffrage in maine got slobbered of 21. Olls by a margin women were not allowed to vote on their own future, which obviously skewed the results. Recognizing the inherent unfairness of this situation, maines republican governor George Milliken called an emergency session of the state legislature and ushered the measure through by a vote of 7268. 1920, only onef more states was needed to reach the magic number of 36. Nation lied on the state of tennessee. Discouraging. S after two rollcall votes, separate opponents, who were read in their lapels were in a dead heat with the yellow rose supporters. If the measure failed to pass in tennessee, the 19th amendment would not be ratified. At the last possible moment, the youngest tennessee lawmaker, harry burn, despite the red rose which indicated you were in opposition that he wore, cast his vote in favor of ratification. After abating and angry mob by climbing out of a thirdfloor window in the Capital Building and hiding in the attic, representative burn explained he changed his mind after he received a letter from his dont forgetg him to be a good boy and to do the right thing. Sure the presiding officer is familiar with this story. , one of mydent inspirations in public service, maine senator Margaret Chase smith once addressed the question of what is a womans proper place . Was,amous answer everywhere. The rest of her answer describes the importance of the struggle and the success that we celebrate today. Any properf there is place for women today, it is that of alert and responsible citizens in the fullest sense of the word. It is a great pleasure to join my colleagues and particularly the senior democratic woman senator Dianne Feinstein in california in saluting the courageous and persistent women who over many long decades and through much difficulty guided ,ur nation to that proper place by giving women the longoverdue right to be full citizens in the right to vote. Madam president , it is my great pleasure to yield to my friend and distinguished colleague, senator feinstein. Sen. Feinstein i want to thank my distinguished colleague from the great state of maine. Much, susan. Thank you for your work here, for your care, your concern and for your vigilance on all issues that affect women. Thank you so much. Madam president , i am proud to join Susan Collins and all of my colleagues on the floor today, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Congress Passing the 19th amendment to the United States constitution. Before the 19th amendment, women were actually denied the same basic civil rights as men. We were not allowed to attend a college. We could not become doctors, lawyers or politicians. Married women have no right to property and even the women were required to follow the law, they had no say in electing the lawmakers. Simply put, women were secondclass citizens and so it is against this backdrop that the Womens Suffrage Movement took place, took shape decades ago, to fight to achieve equality for us and the fight began at the polls. In 1916, president Woodrow Wilson faced a tough reelection campaign. At the time, 12 states allowed women to vote. The newly formed womens party campaigned forcefully in those states against wilson because of his strong opposition to women suffrage. Women voted against wilson by notable margins, causing the first known gender gap in a president ial election. Although Woodrow Wilson ultimately won a second term, the womens party made clear they were a force to be reckoned with. I could not be more prouds of and frages suffrage suffer jet who bought for decades to secure our right to vote and made the groundwork or a womans right to hold office. It is because of fearless women like alice paul, lucy burns, dorothy day that i stand here on the floor of the senate, representing the largest state in the union, california. In the first election held after the 19th amendment, women one Public Office in 23 states. Today, women are represented in all levels of government federal, state and local. In 1992, the first year i was elected to the senate, a historic number of women one elected office. 24 new women were elected to the United States house of representatives that year and water women four women, others were elected to the senate. A century, women set another record of 102 women serving in the congress and on theore holding seats United States supreme court. Women are still shattering the glass ceilings. In 2014, janet yellen became the first woman to lead the federal reserve. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated by a Major Political party for president of the United States. Just this year, after being elected the first female speaker of the house in 2007, nancy pelosi became the first woman to be reelected speaker of the house. , i became the first woman to serve as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary committee. This is significant for me because i was inspired by anita alls testimony before the male Senate Judiciary committee to run for this office. Even though there are more women in leadership positions across industries, there is still work to be done. According to the American Association of university women, between women earned . 53 for every one dollar earned by men. Susan collins, we have a long way to go. , women continue to face discrimination and harassment at schools and in the office as well as high rates of sexual about violence. Before i close, i would like to address an issue that has unfortunately been in the news of quite a bit. That is the latest attacks on womens health. Whatould not forget Justice Ginsburg told the Senate Judiciary committee during her confirmation hearings in 1992. I was there and here is what she , the decisionte whether or not to bury child is essential to a womans life, her wellbeing and dignity. Thedecision it is decision she must make for herself. When government controls that decision for her, she is being treated less than a full adult human responsible to her choices. In the past month, six states have passed laws that ban cases of rapein and insist. Rights. Just last month in a case challenging abortion restrictions in indiana, Justice Thomas authored an opinion comparing contraceptives to eugenics and demonstrate a clear hostility to griswold and roe. Between the indiana case, the various unconstitutional state laws, and other reproductive rights cases on the courts docket, many legal observers believe roe today remains in jeopardy. As a United States senator, i will continue fighting for equal rights for women, and i will honor the legacy of women who blaze the trail. Im honored to recognize those women and the progress weve made as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Congress Passing the 19th amendment to the United States constitution. Thank you, madam president. I yield the floor. A senator madam president i want to thank senator from california for her remarks and the senator from illinois, senator duckworth. Senator from illinois. Todayome to the floor founders whose gender or skin tone may not be represented on mount rush more but whose brilliance, resilience helped ensure that the democracy we have today is strong and true. Because this democracy wasnt just built by George Washington or thomas jefferson. It wasnt perfected in the 18th century when the ink dried on the four original pages of the constitution. It was shaped by women like Abigail Adams who i named my first daughter after. It was strengthened by suffragists like sow Sojourner Truth who worked tirelessly. Who used emancipation to call for freedom and a voice for all, women, black, white, you name it. It was formed by illinoisans like ida b. Wells who demanded that women of color have a place at the forefront of the Suffrage Movement. It was forged by women like Mary Livermore who channeled her frustration over womens inequality into action. Spearheading chicagos first ever Suffrage Convention 150 years ago and marking illinois as a leader in the fight for womens rights. Our democracy was sharpened by the group of illinoisans who traveled to washington, d. C. In 1913 joining thousands of other women in their march down pennsylvania avenue. Protesters who were vilified, berated, jostled and tripped and even jailed but who withstood it all to call for constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. And this union was made more per expect when the 19th amendment finally passed congress 100 years ago today. These women raised their voices on the picket lines so we could make ours heard at the polls. They risked safety and security, withstood hypocrisy and overcame misogyny, refusing to stay silent so that their daughters and their daughters daughters would inherit the democracy she deserved. For that we are forever in their debt, but of course every americans right to vote wasnt truly secure thad day in 1919 secured that day in 1919 nor was it later that week when illinois became one of the first states to ratify the amendment. Or in 1965 when lyndon b. Johnson picked up a pen and signed the Voting Rights act into law. And its it still is not secure today. Not when voters suppression tactics stood blocks so many blacks and some in power are still fighting to install modern day poll taxes. So we cant get complacent. What began at seneca falls continues with us today as it now falls to our generation to keep alive the work of yesterdays suffragists. To keep pushing for bills like the Voting Rights advancement act to ensure that bigoted state laws dont disenfranchise any american. It falls on us to keep fighting for that more Perfect Union, to keep making our voices heard, whether thats here on the senate floor or anywhere else so that finally some day soon every american can make theirs heard at the ballot box. Thank you. I yield back. Madam president , i would suggest the absence of a quorum. The clerk will call the roll. Madam president , the senator from maine. I ask unanimous consent that proceedings under the call be dispensed with. Madam president , i would recognize the senator from alaska, senator murkowski. Thank you, madam president. The senator from alaska. Thank you, senator collins. Thank you, senator collins. Madam president , i would ask unanimous consent that anthony sponos and edith spear, interns from my office be granted privileges to the floor for the remainder of the year. Without objection. Thank you, madam president. I rise today to join my colleagues as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the date congress sent to the states this question, the ratification of a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote. Our ancestors have long sought the promise of a better life for themselves and their children. Many of our forebears came to this country seeking religious liberty, economic security, or personal freedom. And since 1788 they were drawn to the promise of these words, that we the people of the United States in order to form a more Perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of america. Today most in this body and across the country would agree that womens full participation in the life of her community and nation are crucial if the promise laid out in our constitutions preamble is ever to be fully realized. But in 1788 and for many years thereafter, women could not own property, could not open a bank account on their own, or even control the money that they earned through their own work. They could not control their destiny or indeed their own bodies. Justice, tranquility, the general welfare and the blessings of liberty were for women what men said they were. That all began to change. June 4, 1919, the date when finally after so many years of struggle and failure the required number of senators voted aye for house joint resolution 1, proposing an amendment to the constitution extending the right of suffrage to women. It was very simple. Very simple yet intensely powerful, a resolution with just one article that read the right of citizens of the United States ridicule, sometimes even imprisonment and violence. In 1906, an editorial in the New York Times defined the word suffragette as a demanding screecher and a woman who ought to have more sense. Walking in parades in support of the right to vote, women had insults and worse heralded at them. Suffragettes were physically attacked. Beginning in june 1917, it got much worse. Here in washington, d. C. Police began arresting women who were picketing the white house in suppo