Marsha Blackburn Pushes Bill To Construct Monument Dedicated To Women's Suffrage On National Mall

3 months ago

During remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) spoke about her bill that would construct a monument dedicated to the women's suffrage movement on the National Mall.

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Transcript

00:00 Thank you, Mr. President.

00:03 One hundred and five years ago today, this chamber did something truly historic.

00:09 It passed the 19th Amendment to secure the right to vote for American women.

00:15 The amendment's ratification by the states one year later marked the largest

00:21 enfranchisement in U.S. history, extending the vote to 26 million Americans.

00:29 This incredible achievement fulfilled more than 70 years of tireless efforts

00:35 by brave suffragists to make our country a more perfect union, including many Tennessee women.

00:44 Abby Crawford Milton from Chattanooga, Ida B. Wells from Memphis, and Dallas Dudley from Nashville.

00:54 On this anniversary, I'm especially reminded of Feb Byrne of Nyota, Tennessee.

01:01 In the summer of 1920, the Tennessee General Assembly was in a heated debate

01:08 about whether Tennessee would ratify the 19th Amendment.

01:12 At the time, 35 states had already voted to ratify the amendment,

01:18 so only one more was needed to make the 19th Amendment the law of the land.

01:26 On the day of the vote in Nashville, Feb Byrne wrote a letter to her son, Harry Byrne,

01:33 the youngest member of the Tennessee state legislature.

01:38 She urged her son to support the amendment.

01:42 She wrote, and I quote, "Hurrah and vote for suffrage and don't keep them in doubt," end quote.

01:50 At first, Harry pinned a red rose, the symbol of anti-suffragist movement, to his shirt

01:59 and voted to table the amendment in back-to-back deadlock votes.

02:05 But with his mother's letter in his coat pocket, Harry ultimately listened to her advice,

02:12 switched his vote, and switched to a yellow rose on that lapel,

02:18 making Tennessee the 36th and final state to ratify the 19th Amendment.

02:26 As the first woman to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate,

02:31 I have a special appreciation for the women who fought this fight,

02:36 and I've worked to honor their legacy and advance their cause.

02:42 But as we remember the suffragists on this anniversary,

02:46 it's important to recognize that women are still fighting for a seat at the table

02:52 and recognition for their achievements.

02:55 Look no further than the National Mall right here in our nation's capital.

03:00 This two-mile stretch of land, America's front yard as it is known,

03:06 honors our nation's history and ideals with monuments, memorials,

03:11 and statues of incredible Americans who have made tremendous sacrifices

03:17 to make our country a more perfect union.

03:21 Yet, among the 40 monuments, not one is dedicated to American women.

03:29 That's why, alongside Senator Baldwin,

03:33 I introduced the bipartisan Women's Suffrage National Monument Location Act,

03:40 which would finally secure a monument honoring women's history on the National Mall.

03:47 This monument will commemorate the women's suffrage movement,

03:52 the passage of the 19th Amendment,

03:55 and the incredible women who fought to secure the vote for millions of Americans.

04:02 The House unanimously passed this legislation in November.

04:06 Now the Senate should vote to make this memorial a reality

04:12 and honor the giants who paved the way for generations of American women.

04:18 Mr. President, I urge every member of this chamber to join Senator Baldwin and me

04:26 in supporting the Women's Suffrage National Monument Location Act.

04:32 I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.

Marsha Blackburn Pushes Bill To Construct Monument Dedicated To Women's Suffrage On National Mall

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