Good evening. My name is Jane Campbell and as president ceo of the United StatesCapitol Historical Society, i have the honor of serving as the master of ceremonies for this event. I want to acknowledge that several of my Board Members are here, i have to be especially nice to them. They are my bosses. Don carlson, my board chair, sean perry giles who else is here from the board way your hand. Thank you very much for all that you do to keep the society. The Capitol Historical Society was founded in 1962, chartered by congress to encourage in the most comprehensive and enlightened manner an understanding by the american of the significance of, the capitol, as the tangible symbol of their representative of government. And we celebrate the capitol every day before we get started with todays program, we to take a moment to the passing of my immediate predecessor, former congressman ron harrison, who served the third president of the society from 2000 through 2018. Rons tenure was characterized by strength in the face challenges, growth in that we serve the american people. So join me for a moment of silence. Thank you. Our full tribute to ron can be viewed on our web site. And i hope you take a moment to do it. He was really a very a very special person. Among the greatest arcs of American History is the continual effort to expand who is included in the people. In the early of the republic, only land white men could participate, in our great experiment. But they a document that stands to this day the ratification of the 15th amendment expanded, the franchise to africanamerican men. It still took a little work to make that real. The 19th amendment brought women into the. And until the first woman, frances of illinois, joined the collection at National Hall the capitol sculptures depicted only men and capital art was mainly men, allegorical women. With the exception of pocahontas, the of freedom, which stands the building is perhaps the most famous. And each of our speakers will take a replica. The statue of freedom, made from marble from the capitol as our thank you. Serving in public is extremely challenging and rewarding and so i want to tell you that we are going to start with our senator who is here today and were going to let senator lamar talk because shes got to run two votes and then shes finished. Im going to introduce the house members and introduce the whole crew of them, and then theyre going to pass mic one to another deal. Okay. Senator lummis operates her familys cattle ranches and the Sweet Grass Development in Laramie County with her brother and sister. Shes a three time graduate of the university of wyoming and Animal Science biology and law. She was first elected to the United States house in 2008. And quickly earned her reputation as a no nonsense conservative and a principled policymaker. Shes a Founding Member of, the House Freedom caucus and dedicated champion of wyomings mineral and energy resources. As the chair of the western, she made it her business to explain to eastern lawmakers just how invasive the federal government is in the lives and business of westerners. Led the bipartisan effort to pass the National Forest system stewardship in 2018, which now maintains over 157,000 miles of trails within National Forest. Her distinguish career in Public Service as a member of the wyoming legislature, state treasurer and a member of house brings her today to represent wyoming in the United States senate. Senator lummis. Thank you so much and thank you for taking the reins of this Great Organization and for preserving the history of this great nation in this great capital. Were really grateful to, all of you who are involved. Thanks so im excited to go first because wyoming was, the first government in the world to continuously grant or recognize better said, womens to vote. When wyoming was still territory, its territorial recognize its womens right to and memorialized it into law in 1869. A full. 55 zero years before the 19th amendment to the United States constitution. So a woman named louisa swain was the very first woman to vote in a government continue recognizing womens right to vote. She voted in laramie, wyoming on september 6th of 1870. Now was followed by a very distinguished group, women who not only were leaders in early wyoming government, but also who were involved in the National Movement to recognize womens right to vote. One of those women, Esther Hobart morris, is recognized, raised in a statue in this great building. Our other statue by the is of chief washakie, an eastern shoshone, an indian man who was so beloved in wyoming. A great leader of the shoshone tribe. And a Great American man himself. So its so proud. Im so proud to be here. Represent both our Indian Community and the women of. Wyoming, as acknowledge the women who are recognized by statute in building. Okay. So louisa swain was first and then about 15 minutes after louisa swain voted, there was a second woman who voted in cheyenne, and it was kind of a race to the ballot because. They knew that they were going to recognized or memorialized forever. So louisa swain wasnt, who grew up in the east. She was. And she found some relatives that helped raise. Met a nice man. Married and moved it to laramie, wyoming. She was a quaker. And in in laramie, the women decided that because they kind of knew this woman going to be an important in history they wanted to someone who was very up stand being in the community and would represent women well for rest of history. So they chose louisa swain and. She had a bucket of lard on her way to the Grocery Store and she stopped to vote and memorial rights that vote she so we a Federal Building after her in cheyenne wyoming my hometown we did this just last and its the first Federal Building in the whole region thats named after a woman. So were finally getting around to recognizing our own history. Something thats true about easterners is you really are much better about recognizing your in history our history is so recent that we forget its truly historical. The people that ive met in my life are historical figures in their own right. But they were old when i met him. You know, sitting and, you know, you think about chiefs sitting bull and his his grandson. I were very dear friends. So we the west unique, you know, and im so proud to be from a state recognizes women and indians and that our not terribly diverse population is proud of that as well. So heres a little more about esther. Maurice, she took a chance move to South Pass City in a covered wagon in 1869. She got involved immediately in the fray for womens suffrage and she made history in 1870 when she was appointed justice of the peace for south past city. Upon her appointment, the county telegraphed wyoming youngest and one of the richest territories in United States gave equal rights to women in action as well as words. So theres a lovely statue of her in this great Capitol Building and she went on to be the Vice President of the National American womens suffrage association. And so she fought for every womans right to vote for the rest of her time. So we had the first man excusing first women delegates to the and republican national. We had the first woman governor, the first woman statewide official, and this early history, this fabulous history of recognizing women. And then, you know, once 19th amendment passed, we started taking it for granted. And we werent effective in recognize kissing and getting to step up and lead. But were catching back. And thanks people like Esther Hobart, maurice, we have that opportunity. You know, i i im going to introduce your next speaker, if thats okay, because i to go off and vote. But i served with you. Yeah, were doing debbie, right . Were going to do more. Laurel, the next speaker. It is. Its going to be hard. I just met laurel. Okay, no problem. You can Say Something nice. I am going to say nice about debbie. Okay. And so Debbie Wasserman schultz was a member of the u. S. House when i came to the u. S. House. My very congressional delegation trip was led by Debbie Wasserman schultz, and we went to israel we went to egypt. We went to turkey. And i learned so much from Wasserman Schultz about, the middle east, about israel, specifically and its a trip ill never and it was the quintessential. American delegation we had jewish people, christian people. We had mormons we had baptists, we had lutherans, we had democrats, we had republicans. And it was a but everyone came together as americans on this trip. And it was part of it was just because of the sheer strength of this woman who led that trip, debbie yeah. And and these women, im very proud i got to serve with. So for carrying on in the u. S. House and was a pleasure to serve with you and still is. Thank you. Thank you. And one day youll be able to say all these nice things about congresswoman laurel lee because i will tell you that congresswoman has a unique connection to hall. I met her when she was secretary of state in florida and she had a role in Mary Mcleod Bethune to statuary hall. And i know that got a place to go. So im just going to give one sentence about her and she identifies herself this her first term in congress. But she comes with a strong background and has been recognized for her role in understanding election and security and a national expert. Congresswoman come join us. Thank you so much. It is truly an honor to get to be here and to celebrate the good, the great women of statuary hall. It is truly a privilege me to get to mention one of floridas statues in statuary hall, who is . The great dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune. While i floridas secretary of state. I had the privilege of being involved in the statue itself the creation the getting it here and some of the celebrate and honor of her tremendous legacy. She was an influential educator, civil rights leader and activist. She championed African American womens rights suffer, kids rights and education. She truly is an example of the very best of what we have to offer as floridians a source of such tremendous pride for all of us who come here, see the great leaders of our country and of our state. I also want to say what a privilege it is to be here with the senior members of my delegation. It is so true that while we may not all vote the same way or hold the same views. There are more important things that unite us and a connection that we have to celebrate the great women of our state and celebrate each other is one such thing and it a privilege to me always to get to be with you and to see the members of my delegation who been such leaders in our and have done such important things, our communities over the years. So i thank you for including me in the celebration tonight and look forward to working with you all as go forward. Welcome to congress. And now were going to have fabulous women. One from florida. You know, if youre following program, remember that, you know, humans plan, god laughs. Thats especially true in congress. So heres what i was going to say. I was going to you that our leadoff hitter tonight was going to be congresswoman debbie. Wasserman schultz who is a trailblazer for sure. She, at 26, became the youngest elected to the florida house. And in 2004, she was the first jewish woman ever elected to elect to represent florida in congress. She is tenacious. She hardworking. She is a passionate advocate and a tireless fighter for progressive values, for the safety and security of families and children. And she proudly, lee, shared her balance of work, family in her public life for nearly two years. She quietly faced her own personal battle with cancer after, seven surgeries and winning her reelection. She decided the way she would share her story was by introducing a bill to make sure that the cdc educated young women that they could in fact get cancer and, that Early Detection made a difference. And then she thought, well, maybe wasnt enough. And so she decided she would start the congressional softball game. And the captain. And so that every year, people would be reminded about the story. And so were going start with Debbie Wasserman schultz and then shes going to turn it over to her colleague, who is congressman armon lois frankel. Lois frankel, i first met. You will not remember this when she and i were both legislators. I was from ohio. Was from florida. And and we were mayors together. So congresswoman lois frankel describes herself as a working mom and now a working, which i just got to be that, too. Isnt that cool . And so it will be a real joy for congresswoman Debbie Wasserman to introduce lois, who is now the cochair of the democratic womens caucus. Thank you. So its really thank you so much, jane. Its really its, really special to be introduced by Jane Campbell, someone who when i was a young legislator who i really attempted to emulate i found, you know, when youre when youre in elected official, particularly a state legislator and former state legislative colleagues will know this, you know, you you sort look around the country for other members who think like you and the legislation that theyre introducing. And jane was always one of those that i found myself always introducing the similar or this even same piece of legislation in my state legislature as she did in ohio. And so its just great to be able to see that youve landed here and are taking care of the legacy of the United States capitol. So we appreciate it so much and thank you thank you thank you to the Capitol Historical Society for hosting us and for even conceiving this. Not surprising because jane is our ceo. I am thrilled to join my fellow women colleagues and former colleagues. Good to see congresswoman cheri bustos, who i think is going to lead you on a tour and a little while, and also our fantastic shortstop on, the congressional womens softball game for for many years. And were going to miss you this year. So bringing me coming back here and being with the. Being with the Capitol Historical Society and focusing on natural and National Statuary hall during womens History Month really brings me back to the time that i the years many years i chaired or was the Ranking Member of the legislative Branch Appropriations subcommittee. So i was only in my second term. I was learning the many of the legislative branch, but i immediately knew that the Historical Societys mission aligned with why i wanted to do, as the chair of the legislative branch proposed bill. So we had just inherited the Capitol Visitor Center where we are now. That project was mired in delays and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget fun times, but cbc mission just like the Historical Societys mission, was too vital for us to neglect or, you know, kick the can down the road, bringing the United States congressional story to the public was so important. And wow, did we certainly deliver that story . The visitor center, much like our Capitol Building, is filled with beauty and history. All around. Yet in our telling of critical story, much like americas narrative, we too often neglect to honor womens voices, contribute actions and legacies. But in these halls of congress, we can repair that injustice by ensuring the story of women and girls are shared in our nations most powerful halls. Whether its mother joseph, humanitarian educator and one of the architects of the northwest United States, or Esther Hobart. Morris as you already heard from my friend cynthia lummis, the first woman to hold a Judicial Office both in the nation and possibly in the modern world. Or sarah winnemucca, the first native american author and activist. These 11 women that are represented here with and honored with statues in the halls of congress are some of the brightest and boldest that our nation has to offer. Now, i would remiss if i didnt also mention 11 the most recent addition to these halls, dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune from the great state of florida. Yes, you can applaud her because she is an incredible she was a pioneering educator, a civil rights activist and public servant. And most people know her for starting now. What is now Bethune Cookman university. But she did so much more for our state and our nation. She also advised president Franklin Roosevelt and was the sole africanAmerican Woman offici