Women's History Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, in 1981, we started a national celebration in the United States honoring women. Congress passed legislation which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week of March 7, 1928, as Women's History Week.

Throughout the next 5 years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as Women's History Week.

In 1987, Congress passed a new statute which designated the entire month of March, 1987, as Women's History Month.

Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women's History Month.

Since 1985, Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women's History Month.

We have so many women all throughout our country and each one of our congressional districts who have gone above and beyond and have etched their place into history through their outstanding service to their community and their country.

We have women who serve in our military, who are teachers in our classrooms, women who are first responders, artists, and businessowners.

I certainly wouldn't be able to be where I am today, standing here in this Chamber, if not for all the women in my life, especially my two daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

There are two women who have strong New York-1 roots. One is from Setauket. Anna Strong was an American patriot and a member of the Culper Spy Ring, George Washington's military intelligence unit.

As part of George Washington's network of spies, she literally put it all on the line for liberty during the American Revolution, hanging different garments on her clothesline as a signal to other patriots on the movements of the British forces throughout Long Island.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was the First Lady to our 35th President, John F. Kennedy. Jackie O was born on the east end of Long Island in Southampton. In addition to her role as First Lady, she is also remembered for her contributions to the arts and historic preservation.

In each one of our districts, we can personalize what Women's History Month means to our individual districts because etched in the history going back in generations there is so much sacrifice to be able to not only take care of their families, but to advance their communities and their country.

The freedom and liberty that we cherish here in this Chamber would not be possible without the sacrifices of so many whom we honor throughout the year at different times, but it is the month of March in particular that we take an extra special pause to say thank you.

Before I served in Congress, I served in the New York State Senate. During my time there, there were countless measures to be supported ensuring that women are protected and given access to opportunity, security, and prosperity. As one of our colleagues, Virginia Foxx, recently pointed out, every issue is a woman's issue.

In 2012 and 2013, while serving in the State senate, I had the opportunity to vote in favor of the New York State Senate's Women's Equality Agenda, which passed the senate in both years.

It was a robust package of legislation to help with various protections, including what I am supportive of: equal pay for equal work.

I also voted to create a workforce training program within the Department of Labor. I fought for this program because, with the current state of the economy, many women and their families are struggling.

This program would help women to obtain higher paying jobs and give them access to better opportunities to provide for themselves and their families.

In State houses all across this country and local governments as well, there are opportunities to provide more of a chance for that woman and her family to be able to achieve truly the American Dream.

But sometimes government, regulations, and laws can block and prevent that access, access to educational opportunities, the ability to maybe own your own small business and grow it into something greater.

It is our duty, whether you are serving as a village mayor or a local town supervisor or if you are a Member of the United States Congress, to seek out opportunities to best represent those for whom we are elected to be their voice and ensure that they are given maximum opportunity to succeed.

I am pleased to be joined this afternoon by Mrs. Diane Black, who is an amazing, exceptional woman in her own right.

I am sure that, at some point, there will be a Women's History Month Special Order in this Chamber a couple of generations from now where they will be talking about all of your outstanding service. You have not only served your district well, but have served our entire country well.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black).

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Mr. ZELDIN. I thank Mrs. Black for her important words and again for all her service.

One of the things that I will forever be inspired by with regard to Mrs. Black's service here in this Chamber is how much she values family and the strength of a strong family and the need for champions at all levels of government to fight on their behalf.

I mentioned earlier my two daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, identical girls. They are 9\1/2\. They are finishing fourth grade. When they were born, they were less than a pound and a half. They were born 14\1/2\ weeks early.

I was actually in Iraq in 2006, and a Red Cross message came out and said that my wife, Diana, went into labor and the babies weren't going to make it. It was a sad time. It was the 22nd week.

The doctors at Georgetown University Hospital were amazing. Somehow they managed to keep my daughters alive for 3 more weeks. They were born in the 25th week.

These girls went through more in their 3\1/2\ months in the hospital than I would ever wish upon anyone to have to experience. You learn a lot about prayer.

I hope this is okay. We probably accepted prayers in about 16 different religions during that experience. We would see these twins on one side of our girls, and the twins might be growing faster than ours. We might say to ourselves why aren't our girls growing as quickly as those two. But then on the other side there might be triplets, and you are watching parents mourn the loss of one of their triplets.

You learn to count your blessings, understanding that it is not about you. It is about them. Thanks to the miracle of prayer and modern medicine, they were able to come home.

They were on about a dozen medications each and heart monitors. It wasn't easy. They didn't hit 8 pounds until they were about 13 months old. But these girls were so strong. What they experienced during their time in the hospital was absolutely amazing to me and my wife.

They had multiple surgeries while they were there. There was a time where one of my daughters went into what is call septic shock, which has a 80, 90 percent mortality rate. While she was in septic shock, she had a stroke.

The doctors actually recommended that my wife and I discontinue treatment. Mikayla wasn't getting any better, but she wasn't getting any worse for about 24 hours, up to this point where the doctors were recommending that we discontinue treatment and let her go.

We decided that, if she was going to keep fighting, we would keep fighting with her. We elected to do this really risky brain surgery. My wife and I went to her and said goodbye. We went to the waiting room expecting the worst and hoping for the best.

The doctors came to us when surgery was done and said that Mikayla is not out of the woods yet, but things went better than expected. With a whole lot of fight, strength, prayer, and a lot of amazing medicine and expertise at that hospital, they are doing great. They are doing great.

Now, Mikayla ended up getting some early intervention when she was younger. My two daughters are equals with their peers. They have caught up to them. Just think of how many opportunities were provided to these girls from the moment they went into the hospital to today to be able to survive and to succeed.

Now, there are a lot of decisions that get made here in this Chamber that impact women, future women leaders of our country, young girls and boys who aren't old enough to vote.

Yet, some of the most important consequences of the decisions made in this Chamber impact not just the women of today, but those of tomorrow who don't even have a vote.

There are women in this Chamber now. I have a few freshman colleagues who come to mind. And there are several women who were elected.

Elise Stefanik is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She just turned 31 years old.

Martha McSally is the first female fighter pilot in American military history. She is serving here now as a freshman. I believe a happy birthday is in order to her.

I would say maybe happy 27th birthday, if you are listening. I don't want to get myself into trouble, but happy birthday to Martha.

Mia Love is the first Black Republican woman, but she is Mormon and Haitian. She is all sorts of firsts and is inspiring so many.

All of the three women I have just mentioned--and there are more that I could mention--are inspiring my daughters' generation to aim high because you may be a veteran, you might become a teacher, you might some day be an elected official or an artist or a businessowner.

It is good to have role models. That is why I speak about Anna Strong, an American patriot, who is part of that story of how our Nation was founded. Or, as I mentioned, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was born in the First Congressional District of New York.

The decisions that we make here in this Chamber impact that next generation not even old enough to vote. So when we talk about the economy and budgets and debts and deficits, do you know what? I am not as concerned about the person who is part of making that decision or has a voice as much as a strong passion and emotion for that young girl who is going to be inheriting the consequences of passing the buck off to people who aren't even old enough to vote.

I spoke of my daughters, I talk about health, I talk about prayer, I talk about education, and the decisions that are made in this Chamber, in State houses, and local governments that provide opportunities for the business owners and the teachers while we pause on Women's History Month to honor those who have come before us. It is every day while we serve, every day that we serve, that we should pursue those opportunities in any way possible for anyone around now or that future generation.

I am proud to say that the highest ranking Republican woman in the United States of America is standing right next to me. We all deeply admire Cathy McMorris Rodgers on so many levels for her outstanding leadership in this Chamber. I know that some of the women's names I just mentioned who now serve here, or my daughters who are looking for role models in life, that so many look up to you as they do Mrs. Black, who spoke just before you.

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. McMorris Rodgers for being a strong leader, a trailblazer, and a role model to many women who serve here in this Chamber and to, I am sure, countless women inside of her district and all around this country.

She continues her service here today as an important leader and voice in this Chamber.

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Brooks for being here. Hopefully, for all of those young girls who come home from school and, as part of their routine, they are watching C-SPAN right now, looking for inspiration on what to do with their life--high school, college-- you try to figure out what the right path is for you and you search around for role models.

I can only imagine how many women have asked the gentlewoman: How? What is the path? Tell me. There really isn't one path to get to this Chamber or to be that teacher or that veteran; but the gentlewoman has pursued a path that, I am sure, inspires so many in her home district, and I greatly thank her for her service to our country.

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Mr. ZELDIN. I would also venture to guess, during the gentlewoman's time as a prosecutor in our judicial system, that there have been countless women whom she has seen firsthand who have searched for that advice on how to go through that really tough challenge in their lives and their feeling vulnerable or trapped but with that strength of character of knowing there is someone around to help them out of tough times.

The gentlewoman's experiences throughout that path must give her an incredible perspective for those women who might, right now, be in abusive relationships or who have suffered something traumatic in their lives and don't know where to go. They feel trapped.

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Mr. ZELDIN. I am witnessing, firsthand, the gentlewoman's giving back many times over. I thank her for participating in honor of Women's History Month and for all she does in creating her own legacy and trailblazing herself, which I am sure will be spoken about for many years to come.

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, as Mrs. Brooks departs, I think of Cathy McMorris Rodgers' words in that this has been an inspiring hour. I just think of these three women who are standing before me and what they have accomplished. Gosh.

I now yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black). I thank her for being here and for making this an important hour and important message on so many different levels.

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Mr. ZELDIN. I can only imagine how many stories the gentlewoman might have along the way of the people with whom she came in contact.

Mr. Speaker, for me, my parents were divorced and remarried, so I grew up with four parents. I went through a few divorces with them. Now, my grandparents were married for over 71 years. If they lost everything--if they didn't have a home, if they didn't have any money, if they didn't have any friends--and if they only had each other, they would have been happy. They found success in life as soon as they had found each other.

Before the gentlewoman leaves, I just want to let her know how much so many Members of this Chamber appreciate everything she does. Whatever it is that she has experienced or encountered in life in her path to get here today, she makes the most of every minute of being in this Chamber on behalf of keeping our families strong, and I value that very much.

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Mr. ZELDIN. After this hour is over, at another time, maybe the gentlewoman can give me advice, since I have two 9-year-old girls at home, as to what is in store for me in 2 or 3 years. I hear these vicious rumors that things might change.

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Mr. ZELDIN. If they ever give me a hard time, I will say that Diane Black told me that this was only going to be temporary.

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Mr. ZELDIN. All right. Hopefully, I won't be doing that as a last resort. I might make that plan A.

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Mr. ZELDIN. I thank the gentlewoman. In all seriousness, she really does provide inspiration for so many in how much she values a strong family.

It is obvious that he also has a soft spot in his heart for the importance of honoring those in our lives and in our country who have come before us and who serve today to make this place extra special.

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas.

I would imagine anyone who was wondering what Women's History Month was all about should just listen to your remarks as you pay exceptional tribute to some amazing women from your home State of Texas who all left a mark not only in your life, but in others' lives as well.

These are women who, I am sure, are getting celebrated all throughout your State and this country not just by you, but by others as well.

In my home State of New York, it is tough. They give us a month and here tonight they give us an hour. There really are so many different women who gave us this opportunity to take us to today where the two of us can stand here on this particular House floor and speak to each other about such an important topic that apparently 25 years ago didn't even happen. It wasn't even until the early 1980s that we even started recognizing a women's history week.

So here we are, and I am glad that you are part of it. I can see that there is a lot of inspiration from women in your life.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of people here in this Chamber who all find different issues that interest them that they focus heavily on and move the ball forward in a very positive way.

The one thing that I have experienced during my time serving here-- and I am in my first term and serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee--is that, as the subcommittee chairman of the Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee, what I have experienced is that you do a lot to keep America safe, to keep the women and men of your district and this country safe.

So I really do appreciate your service. Because this is not just about reflecting on service in the past, but challenging ourselves to do even more and to provide more opportunity forward.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

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Mr. ZELDIN. Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, as we come toward the end of our hour remembering and celebrating the women who have come before us and who serve today, trying their hardest to create more opportunities going forward, I would like to mention eight young ladies from the First Congressional District of New York who I was proud to nominate to service academies this year:

Taya Coniglio, Skylar Grathwohl, and Gabriella Franco were nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Ally McFayden and Dana Fasano were nominated to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Chelsea Chamberlin, Isabella Cortes, and Emma Fasolino were nominated to the U.S. Military Academy.

These eight young ladies have stepped up wanting to raise their hand to defend our country. Going off to a service academy comes with an obligation to wear that uniform and serve on Active Duty afterwards.

For anyone who signs up post-9/11, you understand what it is that you are signing up for. To just think that these young ladies were 2, 3 years old on September 11, 2001, all that they know is the post-9/11 America and world. Yet, they are signing up to want to serve our country as officers.

There are over 2 million women veterans. So as we consider legislation in this House, I cosponsored H.R. 1356, the Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act, which assists our women veterans.

While we try to provide more access to health care for our women veterans, there are many opportunities available to us that still have not yet been achieved and pursued to victory.

Women make up 15 percent of the U.S. military's Active-Duty personnel and 18 percent of the National Guard and Reserve forces.

H.R. 1356 will improve VA facilities for women veterans, hold VA medical facility directors accountable for performance measures, ensure the availability of OB/GYN services in VA medical centers, and calls for a GAO study on the VA's ability to meet the needs of women veterans.

Whether it is the eight young ladies I mentioned who wanted to go to U.S. service academies or those who are currently, as we stand here, over in harm's way in the Middle East and elsewhere, away from their families and who have sons and daughters here at home--and they may not just be on their first deployment. They may be on their fourth or fifth or sixth deployment.

When they come home, whether they come home in one piece, whether they come home with the physical or mental wounds of war, whether they need assistance pursuing educational or vocational opportunities, I want to thank our women veterans for their service to our Nation.

We honor all women during this hour, but I wanted to close by paying an extra special tribute and thank you to our women veterans and, once again, to all of the women in my life.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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