Barbara Lee: “First of all, I would like to thank the Democratic Women's Caucus, Congresswomen Frankel, Speier, and Lawrence, for…”

“First of all, I would like to thank the Democratic Women's Caucus, Congresswomen Frankel, Speier, and Lawrence, for hosting this Special Order on Women's History Month. I want to thank Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for insisting that Black women and women of color be seen in this body. Last year, we celebrated the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave some women the right to vote. We know that women of color were not able to vote until decades later, and Black women fought until they got suffrage in 1965. I am proud that this January, my bill, with the support of both Republicans and Democrats here in this body and in the Senate, passed. It is called the Women's History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act, and it was signed into law. This measure will ensure that prominent women from American history can be honored on our circulating quarter dollar coins. The currency we use is one of the most important shared ways that we have in memorializing what is important to us as Americans. Making sure that prominent American women are featured on our coins is an important step in recognizing the contributions women have made in furthering civil rights and making our country a more equitable place. As the mint solicits public input for these coins, it is my hope that diverse American women will be chosen and depicted, celebrating our Nation's leaders, thinkers, and innovators.…”