IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 634 

Acknowledging the 25th anniversary of the nomination of Representative 

Geraldine A. Ferraro as the first woman selected by a major political 

party as its candidate for Vice President. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 13, 2009 

Mr. CROWLEY (for himself, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. 

ENGEL, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. MASSA, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HALL of New York, 

Mr. MCMAHON, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. FILNER, Mr. MURPHY of New York, and Mr. NADLER of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

House Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Acknowledging the 25th anniversary of the nomination of 

Representative Geraldine A. Ferraro as the first woman 

selected by a major political party as its candidate for 

Vice President. 

Whereas, July 19, 2009, marks the 25th anniversary of Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro’s acceptance of the 

nomination of the Democratic Party for the office of Vice 

President of the United States; 

Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro worked her way through 

law school at Fordham University, at a time when very 

few women did so; 


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•HRES 634 IH 

Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro then joined the Queens 

County District Attorney’s Office, where she supervised 

the prosecution of a variety of violent crimes, including 

child and domestic abuse; 

Whereas in 1978, New York’s Ninth Congressional District 

in Queens elected Congresswoman Ferraro to the United 

States House of Representatives, where she was one of 

only 16 women Members of the House; 

Whereas her House colleagues rewarded Congresswoman Ferraro’s legislative and political talents by making her part 

of the elected House leadership, as Secretary of the 

House Democratic Caucus; 

Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro’s legislative achievements 

included her sponsorship of the Women’s Economic Equity Act, landmark legislation to end pension discrimination, and provide increased job training and opportunities 

for women re-entering the workforce; 

Whereas in 1984, Congresswoman Ferraro’s status as a leader was confirmed when she was named Chairwoman of 

the Platform Committee for the Democratic Convention, 

the first woman to hold that position; 

Whereas when she was nominated as the running mate of 

Vice President Walter F. Mondale in the 1984 presidential race, Congresswoman Ferraro became the first 

woman ever chosen to run on the national ticket of either 

of the two major political parties; 

Whereas that nomination also marked the only time an 

Italian-American has been nominated as a major-party 

candidate in a national election; 

Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro’s Vice Presidential candidacy continued the progress begun by women who 


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•HRES 634 IH 

achieved political firsts before her, including Jeanette 

Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, Margaret 

Chase Smith, the first woman elected to the Senate in 

her own right, Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first Asian 

American/Pacific Islander woman elected to Congress, 

and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman 

elected to Congress; 

Whereas Congresswoman Ferraro’s candidacy helped to tear 

down barriers to the full and equal participation of 

women in national politics; 

Whereas in 1984, there were two women Members of the 

United States Senate, and 22 women Members of the 

United States House of Representatives; 

Whereas in the current, 111th Congress, there are 17 women 

Members of the United States Senate, and 75 women 

Members of the House, including the first woman ever to 

serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy 

Pelosi; 

Whereas in 2008, our country saw historic barriers fall with 

a presidential race that featured historic candidacies in 

both parties, and culminated in the election of the first 

African-American president in our Nation’s history; 

Whereas in January 1993, President Clinton appointed Ms. 

Ferraro a United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, a role from which 

she championed the rights of women around the world; 

and 

Whereas Geraldine Ferraro’s 1984 bid for Vice President 

helped our daughters join our sons in believing they could 

achieve anything they set their minds to: Now, therefore, 

be it 


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•HRES 634 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes that Geraldine Ferraro’s vice3 presidential candidacy forever enriched the American 

4 political landscape and forged a new path for Amer5 ican women, and congratulates her on the 25th anni6 versary of the acceptance of her nomination; 

7 (2) pays tribute to Congresswoman Geraldine 

8 A. Ferraro’s work to improve the lives of women and 

9 families not only in the Ninth Congressional District 

10 of New York, who she represented so well, but also 

11 the lives of women and families all across the United 

12 States; and 

13 (3) appreciates Geraldine Ferraro’s life story, a 

14 daughter of immigrants who studied hard to become 

15 a teacher and later worked her way through law 

16 school and served as a prosecuting attorney, a wife 

17 and mother who has fought to create a more just 

18 world in which her three children and all children 

19 could thrive, and a Congresswoman and Vice Presi20 dential candidate who inspired a generation, espe21 cially women, to run for and serve in public office. 

Æ 


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