On October 1, Members of the House paid tribute to their colleague, Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI), who passed away on September 28. Rep. Mink’s congressional career spanned 24 years, beginning in 1964 when she was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. With her election, she became the first woman of color ever to be elected to Congress. In 1976, she made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate and was re-elected to her previous House seat in 1990.
Congresswoman Mink was widely recognized for her work on social and economic justice, women’s rights, education, and child care. She was the champion of Title IX, the federal law that guarantees equity for women in education, and on the occasion of its 30th anniversary this summer she said that Title IX was her greatest legislative accomplishment. Other Members agreed with that characterization.
“When we consider that over 80 percent of women in senior executive service positions today report having participated in organized sports after grammar school, we can know that Patsy Mink’s work has changed the face of the nation,” stated Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA).
“There would be no Title IX without Patsy Mink,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). “She was the mother of Title IX. And when we look at those soccer fields with those little girls in their uniforms or when we watch the UConn women Huskies play that game, we know who is responsible for making that happen.”
In an effort to recognize her contributions, the House Education and the Workforce Committee on October 2 approved a resolution (H. J. Res. 113) that would rename Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. Sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the resolution was approved by voice vote and is expected to be considered by the House.
In addition to renaming the Title IX program, Rep. Marcy Kaptur is circulating a letter urging the Speaker of the House to work with Members to secure private financing for a portrait or sculpture of Rep. Mink that would be prominently displayed within the House.
“She was a trailblazer,” said Rep. Kaptur. “Her career embodied a series of firsts,” she added, pointing out that Rep. Mink became the first woman admitted to the Hawaii bar.
“Patsy Mink was a thoughtful, passionate, kind, strong, gentle, and lovely person who bravely and courageously fought and spoke out for those who could not always do it for themselves,” said Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT).
“She was able to illuminate and humanize issues in a way that I will never forget,” said Rep. Amo Houghton (R-NY).
