Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

Floor Speech

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

The 19th Amendment played a pivotal role in paving the way for a new agenda that would finally put women's issues at the forefront of our democracy. Not only did it help women move closer to equality, it created more opportunities for jobs, fairer wages, access to education, and more health benefits. Eventually, more women began to run for office.

Madam Speaker, 100 years later and women have made an impact at the ballot box like never before, electing a record-breaking number of women to Congress. But there is still work to be done.

We are still fighting for full equality for all women, including LGBTQ women.

We are still fighting for reproductive rights. We have seen countless States enact laws that strip away a woman's reproductive freedom, criminalizing a decision that should be between her and her doctor. But core to women's constitutional liberties is autonomy over their own body and well-being. In order to truly support women, we need to safeguard and improve, not limit, access to comprehensive healthcare.

As we celebrate the strides that women have made in our country, we also recommit ourselves to the fight that women have endured since the founding of our Nation.

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