Michele Bachmann: “Mr. Speaker, I rise with regard to H.R. 406 honoring the early suffragist Alice Paul who worked hard to provide better…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise with regard to H.R. 406 honoring the early suffragist Alice Paul who worked hard to provide better treatment for American women in our legal and in our political system. As the congressional chairman of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Washington, D.C., Alice Paul performed a critical role in persuading Congress to pass the 19th amendment which guaranteed American women the right to vote. She later stated that her work in passing this amendment was "the greatest thing I have I ever did." Alice Paul is rightly venerated by American feminists. But few recall her work to also expose the effects of legalized abortion as "the ultimate exploitation of women." In fact, toward the end of her great career, Alice Paul grew frustrated with America's women's rights movement as it drifted away from its original mission of advocating for a better life for American women and in favor of legislation for abortion. Alice Paul was highly critical of this shift, and she harbored grave reservations about abortion on demand. Mr. Speaker, I encourage you and my colleagues to join me in honoring this courageous women's career in its entirety.”