III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 292

Recognizing the 20th century as the ‘‘Century of Women in the United

States’’.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 13, 2000

Mr. CLELAND (for himself, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BOND, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr.

BRYAN, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. KERRY, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs.

LINCOLN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. ROBB, Mr. COCHRAN,

and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on the Juduciary

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 20th century as the ‘‘Century of Women

in the United States’’.

Whereas women made unparalleled strides during the 20th

century in education, professions, legal rights, politics,

military service, religion, sports, and self-reliance;

Whereas at the dawn of the 20th century, most women in the

United States were denied the right to vote;

Whereas the Women’s Suffrage movement, the largest grassroots political movement in the Nation’s history, involved

about 2,000,000 women and took more than 70 years of

petitions, referenda, speeches, national and State campaigns, demonstrations, arrests, and hunger strikes;
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•SRES 292 IS

Whereas women won the right to vote throughout the United

States with the ratification of the 19th amendment to the

Constitution of the United States in 1920, and by the

end of the century, women were voting in larger numbers

than men in some national elections;

Whereas women represent an increasing share of people being

awarded college and postgraduate degrees;

Whereas women are increasingly owning their own businesses

and working to narrow the gap in earnings between

women and men, and in 1999 women earned 73 cents for

every dollar earned by men in contrast to the 57 cents

they received in 1973;

Whereas during the 20th century, women served their country proudly and capably in the armed services, including

duty in both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Panama,

Libya, the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Kosovo, and all major

contingencies including in warfighting roles;

Whereas in World War I, women were only allowed to serve

in the Army as nurses, and with over 30,000 women

serving in World War I, approximately 10,000 women

served as volunteers overseas, with no rank and no benefits;

Whereas women now serve in all ranks, in all branches of the

armed services, as pilots, intelligence specialists, drill instructors, specialists, and technicians, soldiers, airmen,

and marines on the battlefields, and as sailors aboard

Navy and Coast Guard ships at sea;

Whereas women were once denied the right to enter the national academies for military service or to compete to become astronauts or combat pilots, in 1976 Congress

passed, and President Ford signed into law, legislation
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•SRES 292 IS

authorizing the admission of women into the military

service academies;

Whereas women are now excelling in military academies and

emerging as part of the military leadership of the future,

and have served with distinction as members of combat

squadrons and as commanders and members of the space

shuttle crew;

Whereas the 20th century saw women in new roles as justices

on the United States Supreme Court, members of the

President’s Executive Cabinet, United States Senators

and Representatives, and women’s services have become

invaluable in appointed and volunteer positions and as

Federal legislators, State and local legislators, Governors,

judges, Cabinet officers, county commissioners, mayors,

city council members, directors of Federal, State and

local agencies;

Whereas women have become prominent figures in amateur

and professional sports highlighted in 1999 with the

United States Women’s Soccer Team winning the World

Cup in a stunning victory; and

Whereas women can look back at the opportunities created

during the 20th century and look ahead toward even

greater accomplishments in the 21st century: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—

2 (1) commends the accomplishments and unfail3 ing spirit of women in the 20th century; and

4 (2) recognizes the 20th century as the ‘‘Century

5 of Women in the United States’’.

Æ