19th Amendment

Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Collins.

I rise today proudly wearing a yellow rose in solidarity with 24 other women who serve in the U.S. Senate to recognize what is a very historic milestone in our Nation's history. Almost 100 years ago, after decades and decades of struggle by brave women and men, our Nation finally extended to women the most fundamental right of our democracy-- the right to vote. The struggle for women's suffrage was fought in every corner of our country, and communities all over the Nation are planning to recognize their contributions over the next year.

Today marks precisely 100 years to the day that the Senate passed the 19th Amendment. I am proud to state that a week later, on June 10, 1919, Wisconsin became the first State in our Union to ratify the 19th Amendment. I am always proud to say that my home State was the very first to ratify women's right to vote, narrowly beating our neighbor to the south, the State of Illinois, because of a paperwork error. You know, we are still first. I am especially happy that I will forever have bragging rights over my friend from Illinois, the co-chair of the Senate caucus, Senator Tammy Duckworth, because Illinois wasn't quite quick enough and Wisconsin did it first.

I am also proud today to wear a purple ribbon. This ribbon is in recognition of the women of color who fought and marched alongside their White colleagues in the suffrage movement but whose contributions went largely unsung and many of whom were still denied the right to vote after the 19th Amendment was ratified.

As we observe and celebrate this historic moment, we must be careful not to mistake progress for victory. With just 131 women currently serving in Congress, we are well short of equal representation in government. Government works best when legislatures reflect the people they work for--when they look like America. That is why it is important to increase the number of women who serve in public office. Women are half the population. We should be half of our Nation's government, too.

When I first entered public service, I had the opportunity to sit on the Madison City Council. I remember well a meeting when I had one of those light bulb moments of the difference that women make when we serve.

The city council that day was debating whether to extend service and add an additional bus route that went directly to the Madison Area Technical College's new campus. I remember listening to my male colleagues and their participation in the debate. There was a lot of focus on funding and logistics and finger pointing at which body in government should bear this responsibility. At first, they didn't seem to think that the city council should take action to add another bus route.

Then I began hearing the voices of my female colleagues. They began speaking of and describing their experience traveling to campus. They spoke about evening classes and having to walk a long distance down a poorly lit road to get to the nearest bus stop. They spoke about the dangers of walking home alone at night. Most women can identify with the fear of walking or commuting home late at night. It seemed that the men in the debate hadn't thought about it in the same way before that moment. The whole debate changed as soon as women's voices were heard, and the city council ultimately voted to fund a new route that went right to the campus door.

Women bring their life experiences to the job. It helps inform our debate, our votes, and the policies that we deliver. My experience with the women of the U.S. Senate, past and present, is that they ran for office and came to Washington to solve problems. I feel like we are guided by the idea that our job is to work together and to get things done. That is what we do, both Democrats and Republicans, as we work together to deliver solutions.

I worked with my colleague Senator Susan Collins to pass legislation to better support the more than 40 million family caregivers in this country who contribute millions of dollars each year in uncompensated care for their loved ones. I worked with my colleague Senator Joni Ernst to pass legislation to provide our Nation's farmers and agricultural workers with the mental health resources they need to deal with the extreme economic stress that our farmers have faced in recent years. I worked with my colleague Senator Lisa Murkowski to pass legislation that will bring more obstetricians to rural areas and expand access to maternity care to women so they no longer have to drive hours to get the healthcare they need or to deliver their babies.

I appreciate these partnerships and the many others that I have been able to experience, and I look forward to continuing to work together on a bipartisan basis to deliver results for the American people. With more women in public office, you will see more solutions to the challenges and problems we face. Women get stuff done.

In 2017, I was proud to lead bipartisan legislation to establish the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission and ensure that we give this important anniversary the recognition and celebration it deserves. I am thrilled to say that the Commission is now hard at work in developing, supporting, and lifting up commemorative efforts across this country. It is working with private organizations and government at every level to encourage and help facilitate their events.

I give a particularly heartfelt thank-you to my friend and former Senator Barbara Mikulski, who helped to get the Commission started and is now actually serving as a Commissioner.

I look forward to seeing the great work of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission as we get closer to the formal anniversary celebration of when the 19th Amendment finally became part of our Nation's charter.

I am grateful today for the brave women who came before us and fought for the right of all American women to have a say in their own government. Thanks to their struggle, their persistence, and their determination to bring women the right to vote, I stand here today as one of 25 women who serves in the U.S. Senate and represents the great State of Wisconsin.

We have more work to do, but in 2018, more women ran for office and won than ever before in our Nation's history. As a result, we have a new Congress that is starting to look just a little bit more like the people it aims to represent. Let's keep building on that progress, and let's keep working together on solutions to the challenges we face today.

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