WCPI Mourns the Passing of Congresswoman Pat Schroeder
The Women’s Congressional Policy Institute (WCPI) mourns the passing of former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. She was the longest serving Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, serving as Democratic Co-Chair from 1979-1994.
During her 12 terms in the House of Representatives, Pat served on the Judiciary Committee and was the first woman to serve on the Armed Services Committee. She chaired the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families from 1991-1993. Pat sponsored landmark legislation for women, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, Women’s Health Equity Act, and Violence Against Women Act, and was instrumental in the decision to allow women to fly combat missions. She was just one of 15 women in a class of 500 at Harvard Law School and was elected to Congress as a 32-year-old mother of two, a rarity at the time, when only 14 women were serving in the House.
Pat Schroeder’s groundbreaking work in Congress improved the status of women and girls. She will be sorely missed.