Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for being co-chair of the Women's Caucus and for being an amazing mother. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to illustrate the importance of 100 years of women in Congress. On April 2, 1917, Jeannette Rankin from Montana was sworn in as the first woman ever to serve in Congress. Her life was filled with extraordinary achievements, and she was one of the few suffragists elected to Congress and the only Member of Congress to vote against the U.S. participation in both World War I and World War II. She has said that ``I may be the first woman,'' but we all know she said ``I won't be the last,'' holding the door open for all of us to follow behind her. While we have a long way to go for women representing Congress, in 2017, we are in the company of 104 amazing women in Congress. We are 19 percent of the 535 Members who serve. Thirty-eight of the 104 women in Congress are women of color: 18 African Americans, 10 Latinos, nine Asian Pacific Islanders, and one multiracial Member. In 1951, Ruth Thompson, a longtime lawyer and judge, became the first woman to represent my home State of Michigan in Congress. She was the first woman to serve on the House Judiciary Committee. Since then, we have had nine more female Members from Michigan, including myself. I am proud to be in the 115th Congress to stand alongside Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Senator Debbie Stabenow.…”