On December 11, the House Administration Committee held a hearing, “Establishing a Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Women’s History Museum.”
In a statement supporting the establishment of the museum, Chair Candice Miller (R-MI) said, “[W]omen play a major role in our nation’s rich history. They have stepped to the forefront of innovation, business, politics – you name it – whether within their own community, their state, or across the entire nation. Their stories are important to share as their accomplishments make up the very fabric of our nation. That is why I believe Congress should seriously consider the establishment of a national women’s museum paid for and maintained entirely with private funds. And creating a commission to study this endeavor is an important first step.”
For many of us, this isn’t just a hearing, it is a chance to take a historic step forward,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). In describing H.R. 863, the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Women’s History Museum Act, Rep. Maloney said, “Following the model set with the establishment of previous national museums, such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, H.R. 863 would establish a commission to evaluate the idea of, and make recommendations to the president and Congress concerning, a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, DC, on or near the National Mall. Most importantly, the commission will fund its own costs so that taxpayers will not shoulder the funding of this project. All of the funding necessary would be raised by the nonprofit National Women’s History Museum, Inc.”
Speaking in support of the legislation, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said, “Now more than ever, women are starting and running their own companies, and moving into positions of leadership in the corporate world. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women hold more than 51 percent of all management, professional, and related occupations, and that number will only continue to rise. But let us not forget about those women who persevered and changed the course of history at times in our history when opportunities for women were limited and frowned upon. Our nation would not be what it is today without visionaries like Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight alongside her countrymen in the Revolutionary War; or Susan B. Anthony, who fought for women’s right to vote; or Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross; or, last but not least, Jeannette Rankin, the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress in 1916.”
Joan Bradley Wages, president and chief executive officer, National Women’s History Museum, also testified.
