Political Quotes

“I come to the floor to mark a milestone in the fight for gender equity in America. Forty-four years ago, a committed group of people fought and made huge strides in the battle to equalize opportunities for women in education. They passed title IX. Many people across the country think the sole purpose of title IX was to revolutionize women's athletics, but title IX does so much more. Title IX provided new opportunities for women who for too long faced discrimination, disparagement, and quotas in our education system. We owe so much of the progress we have made in the past 44 years since the passage of title IX to my good friend Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink. Patsy was a woman perennially ahead of her time. Gender discrimination in our education system was not an abstract issue for Patsy. She felt the weight of it personally. Patsy dreamed of becoming a doctor, but her dream of becoming a doctor was shattered when she tried to get into medical school and was told their quota for women had already been filled. Years later, a quota prevented her daughter Wendy from enrolling at Stanford University. These experiences fueled Patsy's fight for gender equity. Even in the face of overwhelming odds on the way, Patsy's determination resulted in the passage of title IX. Upon Patsy's death, title IX was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. The fruits of Patsy's efforts are plain for everyone to see.…”