[Pages H3471-H3477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

COMMISSION TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF A NATIONAL WOMEN'S
HISTORY MUSEUM ACT

Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 863) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential
Creation of a National Women's History Museum, and for other purposes,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 863

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Commission to Study the
Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National
Women's History Museum established by section 3(a).
(2) Museum.--The term ``Museum'' means the National Women's
History Museum.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

(a) In General.--There is established the Commission to
Study the Potential Creation of a National Women's History
Museum.
(b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 8
members, of whom--
(1) 2 members shall be appointed by the majority leader of
the Senate;
(2) 2 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives;
(3) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of
the Senate; and
(4) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of
the House of Representatives.
(c) Qualifications.--Members of the Commission shall be
appointed to the Commission from among individuals, or
representatives of institutions or entities, who possess--
(1)(A) a demonstrated commitment to the research, study, or
promotion of women's history, art, political or economic
status, or culture; and
(B)(i) expertise in museum administration;
(ii) expertise in fundraising for nonprofit or cultural
institutions;
(iii) experience in the study and teaching of women's
history;
(iv) experience in studying the issue of the representation
of women in art, life, history, and culture at the
Smithsonian Institution; or
(v) extensive experience in public or elected service;
(2) experience in the administration of, or the planning
for, the establishment of, museums; or
(3) experience in the planning, design, or construction of
museum facilities.
(d) Prohibition.--No employee of the Federal Government may
serve as a member of the Commission.
(e) Deadline for Initial Appointment.--The initial members
of the Commission shall

[[Page H3472]]

be appointed not later than the date that is 90 days after
the date of enactment of this Act.
(f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission--
(1) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and
(2) shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment was made.
(g) Chairperson.--The Commission shall, by majority vote of
all of the members, select 1 member of the Commission to
serve as the Chairperson of the Commission.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

(a) Reports.--
(1) Plan of action.--The Commission shall submit to the
President and Congress a report containing the
recommendations of the Commission with respect to a plan of
action for the establishment and maintenance of a National
Women's History Museum in Washington, DC.
(2) Report on issues.--The Commission shall submit to the
President and Congress a report that addresses the following
issues:
(A) The availability and cost of collections to be acquired
and housed in the Museum.
(B) The impact of the Museum on regional women history-
related museums.
(C) Potential locations for the Museum in Washington, DC,
and its environs.
(D) Whether the Museum should be part of the Smithsonian
Institution.
(E) The governance and organizational structure from which
the Museum should operate.
(F) Best practices for engaging women in the development
and design of the Museum.
(G) The cost of constructing, operating, and maintaining
the Museum.
(3) Deadline.--The reports required under paragraphs (1)
and (2) shall be submitted not later than the date that is 18
months after the date of the first meeting of the Commission.
(b) Fundraising Plan.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall develop a fundraising
plan to support the establishment, operation, and maintenance
of the Museum through contributions from the public.
(2) Considerations.--In developing the fundraising plan
under paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider--
(A) the role of the National Women's History Museum (a
nonprofit, educational organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that was
incorporated in 1996 in Washington, DC, and dedicated for the
purpose of establishing a women's history museum) in raising
funds for the construction of the Museum; and
(B) issues relating to funding the operations and
maintenance of the Museum in perpetuity without reliance on
appropriations of Federal funds.
(3) Independent review.--The Commission shall obtain an
independent review of the viability of the plan developed
under paragraph (1) and such review shall include an analysis
as to whether the plan is likely to achieve the level of
resources necessary to fund the construction of the Museum
and the operations and maintenance of the Museum in
perpetuity without reliance on appropriations of Federal
funds.
(4) Submission.--The Commission shall submit the plan
developed under paragraph (1) and the review conducted under
paragraph (3) to the Committees on Transportation and
Infrastructure, House Administration, Natural Resources, and
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committees on Rules and Administration, Energy and Natural
Resources, and Appropriations of the Senate.
(c) Legislation To Carry Out Plan of Action.--Based on the
recommendations contained in the report submitted under
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), the Commission
shall submit for consideration to the Committees on
Transportation and Infrastructure, House Administration,
Natural Resources, and Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Rules and
Administration, Energy and Natural Resources, and
Appropriations of the Senate recommendations for a
legislative plan of action to establish and construct the
Museum.
(d) National Conference.--Not later than 18 months after
the date on which the initial members of the Commission are
appointed under section 3, the Commission may, in carrying
out the duties of the Commission under this section, convene
a national conference relating to the Museum, to be comprised
of individuals committed to the advancement of the life, art,
history, and culture of women.

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.

(a) Director and Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Commission may employ and compensate
an executive director and any other additional personnel that
are necessary to enable the Commission to perform the duties
of the Commission.
(2) Rates of pay.--Rates of pay for persons employed under
paragraph (1) shall be consistent with the rates of pay
allowed for employees of a temporary organization under
section 3161 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) Not Federal Employment.--Any individual employed under
this Act shall not be considered a Federal employee for the
purpose of any law governing Federal employment.
(c) Technical Assistance.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), on request of
the Commission, the head of a Federal agency may provide
technical assistance to the Commission.
(2) Prohibition.--No Federal employees may be detailed to
the Commission.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

(a) Compensation.--
(1) In general.--A member of the Commission--
(A) shall not be considered to be a Federal employee for
any purpose by reason of service on the Commission; and
(B) shall serve without pay.
(2) Travel expenses.--A member of the Commission shall be
allowed a per diem allowance for travel expenses, at rates
consistent with those authorized under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) Gifts, Bequests, Devises.--The Commission may solicit,
accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of
money, services, or real or personal property for the purpose
of aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission.
(c) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Commission shall
not be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App.).

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

The Commission shall terminate on the date that is 30 days
after the date on which the final versions of the reports
required under section 4(a) are submitted.

SEC. 8. FUNDING.

(a) In General.--The Commission shall be solely responsible
for acceptance of contributions for, and payment of the
expenses of, the Commission.
(b) Prohibition.--No Federal funds may be obligated to
carry out this Act.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn
B. Maloney) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming.

General Leave

Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Wyoming?
There was no objection.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
H.R. 863 establishes a commission to study the potential creation of
a National Women's History Museum.
The commission will prepare a report with key findings that include
an evaluation of potential locations for the museum in Washington,
D.C.; guidance on whether it should be part of the Smithsonian
Institution; and cost estimates for constructing, operating, and
maintaining the facility.
In terms of fiscal responsibility, H.R. 863 requires an independent
review of the report to analyze the ability of the museum to operate
without taxpayer funding.
With the information generated by the report, Congress will be able
to evaluate the proposed museum. This legislation does not authorize
the museum to be built or authorize spending of taxpayer dollars of any
kind.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as
much time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, the National Women's History Museum has a rightful
place in our Nation's Capital, and it is very appropriate that we are
considering this legislation the week of Mothers' Day.
I believe we should all be able to agree that, when our children and
their children visit our Nation's Capital, they should be inspired by
the stories of the men and women who helped shape this country. Sadly,
today, that is not the case.
Women's contributions to our country are largely missing from our
national museums, memorials, statues, and textbooks. The bill before us
today seeks to finally change that.
It would be the first National Women's History Museum in Washington
and the first in the United States of Americas and, I believe, the
first in the entire world that would chronicle the important
contributions of American women to America.
H.R. 863 would create a bipartisan, eight-person commission to
develop a plan and recommendations for a National Women's History
Museum in our Nation's Capital.
The commission, which would be funded entirely with private
donations, would have 18 months to submit its

[[Page H3473]]

recommendations to Congress and the President.
Congress will then have to consider these recommendations, and a
second bill would be needed to support the establishment of a women's
museum, so the bill before us enables a commission to study this and
for Congress, then, to react to their proposals.
Now, I would like to stress that this has been a very strong,
bipartisan effort. I am proud to have worked on this bill with
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who has been a wonderful partner and
has done so much to get us where we are today. She has been
outstanding.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has been a great champion of this
effort for years, along with Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis and many,
many other Members from both parties whose support has been absolutely
essential.
I would like to thank Speaker Boehner, Democratic Leader Pelosi,
Majority Leader Cantor, and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer for their
support as well.
Thank you to the leadership and members of the House Administration
and Natural Resources Committee for ushering this legislation through
their committees with unanimous support, Congressmen Brady and Miller
and Congressmen DeFazio and Hastings.
We are all working on this together because we believe that ensuring
our country's full story is told, not just half of it, is part of our
patriotic responsibility that rises above party lines, and we are
working hard to make sure that this is a bill that can be supported by
Members of both parties.
As I mentioned, no public funds would be used to support this
commission, and the commission is required to consider a plan for the
museum to be constructed and operated by private funds only. No
taxpayer dollars will be involved.
Most importantly, neither this bill nor the commission it would
create would set the content of this museum. That part will come later,
after Congress acts on the commission's recommendations and the museum
is finally established.
One could imagine a museum featuring original women thinkers ranging
from Ayn Rand, who authored ``Atlas Shrugged,'' to Mary Whiton Calkins.
Ms. Rand, I suspect you may know about her, but you may not have heard
of Ms. Calkins.
She was born in 1863 and studied at Harvard, under the influential
American philosopher, William James, who believed her Ph.D. to be the
most brilliant examination for a Ph.D. that he had ever seen; but Mary
was not granted a degree because, at that time, Harvard had a policy
against conferring degrees on women.
Despite the setback, she went on to become a charter member of the
American Philosophical Association and the first woman president of the
American Psychological Association.

{time} 1430

But most people have never heard of her or her accomplishments
because when the story of America has been told, the story of many
remarkable women has all too often been left out.
Currently in the Nation's Capital and near The Mall or on The Mall,
there is an Air and Space Museum, a Spy Museum, a Textile Museum, a
National Postal Museum, even a Crime and Punishment Museum and a media
museum. These are all wonderful, enriching institutions that are
destinations for millions of visitors every year. But there is no
museum in the country that shows the full scope of the history of the
amazing, brilliant, courageous, innovative, and sometimes defiant women
who have helped to shape our history and make this country what it is.
Even though women make up 50 percent of the population, a survey of
18 history textbooks found that only 10 percent of the individuals
identified in the texts were women; less than 5 percent of the 2,400
National Historic Landmarks chronicle the achievements of women; and of
the 210 statues in the United States Capitol, only nine are of female
leaders.
As an example, while nearly every high school student learns about
the midnight ride of Paul Revere, how many of them learn about Sybil
Ludington? She is the 16-year-old whose midnight ride to send word to
her father's troops that the British were coming was longer than Paul
Revere's, just as important, and, in many ways, was even more
remarkable. But her ride has been long forgotten.
On display in our Capitol Rotunda is a statue of three courageous
women who fought so hard for women to gain the right to vote. And it is
my hope that in 2020, on the 100th anniversary of women gaining the
right to vote, that we will open the doors to this important museum.
I urge the passage of this long overdue legislation, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann).
Mrs. BACHMANN. I thank my wonderful colleague from the State of
Wyoming.
Madam Speaker, I would like to stipulate, first of all, that all
Republican women are pro-women and that all Republican men that serve
in this Congress are pro-women, as are the Democrat women and the
Democrat men in this Congress.
A ``no'' vote on the current legislation, which I advocate for, very
simply, is a vote to stand up for the pro-life movement, a vote to
stand up for traditional marriage, and a vote to stand up for the
traditional family.
There already are 20 women's museums in the United States, including
one affiliated with the Smithsonian Museum and including one right next
to the United States Capitol. So why would we be building another?
I rise today in opposition to this bill because I believe,
ultimately, this museum that would be built on The National Mall, on
Federal land, will enshrine the radical feminist movement that stands
against the pro-life movement, the pro-family movement, and the pro-
traditional marriage movement.
The idea of celebrating women is admirable. It is shared by everyone
in this Chamber. No one disputes that. And a few of the museum's
proposed exhibits are worthy. No one disputes that.
I, for one, am honored to be featured in an online exhibit about
motherhood that highlights our 23 foster children and our five
biological children.
However, I am deeply concerned that any worthy exhibits are clearly
the exception and not the rule. A cursory view of the overall content
already listed on the Web site shows an overwhelming bias toward women
who embrace liberal ideology, radical feminism, and it fails to paint
an accurate picture of the lives and actions of American women
throughout our history.
The most troubling example is the museum's glowing review of the
woman who embraced the eugenics movement in the United States, Margaret
Sanger. She is an abortion trailblazer, and she is the founder of
Planned Parenthood, which this body has sought to defund. Yet the
museum glosses over Margaret Sanger's avid support for sterilization of
women and abortion and for the elimination of chosen ethnic groups,
particularly African Americans, and classes of people. I find Margaret
Sanger's views highly offensive, yet she is featured over and over
again as a woman to extoll on this Web site and, ultimately, in this
museum. Adding in a conservative woman to balance out Sanger's
inclusion does not alleviate the fact that the museum tries to
whitewash her abhorrent views and props Margaret Sanger up as a role
model for our daughters and for our granddaughters.
The list of troubling examples goes on, including the fact they leave
out the pro-life views of the early suffragettes.
But let's face it, we wouldn't be here today if it weren't the
museum's ultimate goal to get a place on The Federal Mall, for land,
and for Federal funding. If you look at their authorizing legislation,
you will see that it was a template for this legislation: begin with a
commission, then congressional approval, and finally Federal funding.
For 16 years, this group has tried to raise financial support, and the
museum has only been able to raise enough to cover the current
operating expenses and salaries of those trying to get this museum.
Nothing has gone toward the $400 million for its building.
As it is currently written, the legislation lacks the necessary
safeguards to ensure that the proposed museum will not become an
ideological shrine

[[Page H3474]]

to abortion, that will eventually receive Federal funding and a
prominent spot on The National Mall.
I thank the leading pro-life groups, like Concerned Women for
America, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, Susan B. Anthony List,
and Heritage Action, among others, who have been outspoken on standing
up for the right to life for all Americans in an accurate portrayal of
American women.
Since these concerns have not been adequately addressed, I urge my
colleagues to join me in voting against H.R. 863.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, this bill, as we
all know, if you read it, will not cost taxpayers one single dime. It
will not cost taxpayers one single cent. It didn't cost it in the past,
it doesn't today, and it will not in the future use any Federal
funding. It is written into the legislation.
And the commission is not at all about determining the content of the
museum. That part would come much later if the recommendations were
approved by this body. The content would be determined in the future by
professional curators that would chronicle the history of this great
country and the great women that are a part of it. The commission would
have 18 months to prepare and submit their recommendations to Congress,
and then Congress, this body, would have the final say. So if Congress
decides favorably, then, and only then, would a second bill be needed
to support the museum and move forward.
So to vote ``no'' on this bill would basically be voting ``no'' on a
cost-free, no-strings-attached conversation by a bipartisan panel on
the important contributions of women to this country.
I now yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and I
thank her for her extraordinary leadership on this issue and so many,
many other issues.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from
New York. Her persistence has been indomitable; and without that
persistence, we certainly would not be on the floor today.
But I also want to thank the Majority leadership who have permitted
this bill to come forward on suspension, and I particularly thank the
gentlewoman from Wyoming for her leadership.
The remarks of the gentlewoman from Minnesota were unfortunate. You
would think you were voting on a museum. My colleagues, this is not a
bill for a museum. This is a bill for a commission to study whether
there should be a museum and under what circumstances. It is
unfortunate, indeed, to criticize a bill for a study, the outcome of
which we have no idea, except for the following:
The appointees to this commission will come from the leadership of
this House and the minority in this House and from the leadership in
the Senate and the minority in the Senate. It seems to me it would be
very difficult for this bill to be converted into not a study of
whether the history of women in the United States should be
commemorated but a study of current women's issues that are highly
controversial. To have a museum featuring controversial issues of the
day flies in the face of what women's history has been about. That is
for this House. That is not for a museum.
There is no neglect of the issues that the gentlewoman was concerned
about--pro-life issues, traditional family--where we find Democrats and
Republicans on both sides of those issues. You get lots of discussion
on that. But, Madam Speaker, there is almost no discussion about the
history of women in our country.
There are lots of things we could disagree about, but I think that
almost no one will disagree that the time has come to at least study
whether there should be an institution, a museum, not about women in
America--and I stress, this is not a women's museum. It is about the
history of women in America. The gentlewoman from New York has spoken
about how distinguished that history has been. But it should come as no
surprise that women were not writing the history books, and so women,
like many others in our country, have not exactly been included. Yet we
are half of the population.
Wherever you stand on women's issues, I am sure there is consensus in
this House that half of the population should not go unmentioned in the
textbooks of our country, should not be unseen in the memorials and in
the museums of our country, and certainly should be in the Nation's
Capital. If there is to be a museum--and we don't know what the
commission will find--I would surely hope it would be in the Nation's
Capital, where, for the first time, women's history, historical figures
who are women, would be acknowledged and perhaps commemorated.
I do want to say one thing about what these commissions do. If we who
desire a women's museum made any mistake, it was being so enthusiastic
that we went straightforward to try to set up a museum, saw no reason
why there wouldn't be unanimous consent, virtually, to have a museum
about women's history in our country. That was a mistake. We should
have gone the same route that many before us have gone: set up a
commission to see whether you ought to have a museum at all; do it in
an entirely bipartisan way so as to make sure that if you authorize a
museum, it can't possibly be controversial.
And that is what we have here, a fail-safe method of assuring that if
you vote for this commission, you are voting for a study, and nothing
more than a study. If you don't like this study, you will surely have
another chance to say ``no.'' Women, Democratic and Republican, deserve
a bipartisan commission to give our country, if they can agree, a
nonpartisan museum in the Nation's Capital.
And I thank the gentlelady from New York particularly for her hard
work. This is hard work that began when the President's Commission on
the Celebration of Women called for a women's museum in Washington. I
remind the House that the House has voted for this museum. The Senate
has voted for the museum. All that has been lacking is Senate and House
votes for the museum at the same time.

{time} 1445

Today we are not voting for a museum. We ask you to vote only for a
commission to study whether there should be a museum. We got so far
last time as to actually find land for this museum. All of that is
pulled back to put before the House today: Do you believe that the
history of women in the United States of America is important enough to
appoint a commission to study that history?
I thank the gentlelady.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I want to
underscore that no taxpayer money will be used now or in the future. In
fact, there is a National Women's History Museum organization with a
501(c)(3) that is headed by Joan Wages, and they have already raised
well over $10 million privately to support the commission and the
commission's work.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 7
minutes to the gentlelady from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from Wyoming
for her superb work on this issue and for her guidance as this bill
moved through the Natural Resources Committee. It is amazing. We had
two committees of jurisdiction that oversaw this legislation, House
Admin, chaired by Congresswoman Candice Miller, and Natural Resources,
with Congressman Doc Hastings.
This legislation came through each of these committees on a unanimous
vote--a unanimous vote, something deemed impossible in Washington--but
everybody agrees that it is time that we come together and that we have
an appropriate, bipartisan approach to addressing the collecting and
the enshrining of what women have done in the fight and the cause of
freedom.
Now, Madam Speaker, I do want to highlight just a couple of things.
There has been so much misinformation distributed about the bill. This
is a 10-page bill--I should say nine pages and about three lines. I
think that Congresswoman Maloney, who has worked so diligently on this
effort, will say, and as she and I discussed this morning, we basically
have come forward and agreed on a new approach for all

[[Page H3475]]

museums that could possibly want to be considered. That approach is
Congress, not a Presidential commission, but Congress having the
ability to determine, in a bipartisan way, who serves on the
commissions to review these museums and do a feasibility study, which
is something those of us in business always do before we embark on any
project. It is appropriate that the Federal Government do that, also.
This is a fiscally conservative approach to addressing the cost of a
museum.
Now, the duties of the commission my colleagues are going to find on
page 4, and you will see there are several things that will be covered
in this feasibility study: the availability and cost of collections,
the impact of the museum on women's regional, history-related museums,
potential locations in D.C., whether or not the museum should ever be
part of the Smithsonian, the governance and organizational structure,
best practices for engaging women in the development and design of the
museum, and the cost and construction of operating and maintaining. In
other words, they have got to have an endowment. They have to be able
to pay their operational costs and their upfront costs--all of it--with
private funds--never, ever with one penny of taxpayer money into this
project.
Now, after 18 months of work, the commission will report back to
Congress, an independent review will be done of their work, and then
there will be a determination by Congress on whether or not to proceed
with this project. That is the point at which there will be a vote on
whether or not to carry forth with a museum.
But I would highlight with my friends this is about chronicling the
history that women have participated in, the freedom and opportunity of
this country and the fullness of opportunity in this country. We talk
so much about how we work with other nations and especially some of
these nations that have struggled in Eastern Europe and in the Middle
East, and we show what freedom can do for hope and opportunity for
women and children.
Wouldn't it be great if we had a museum that told that story? Like
the story of the suffragists--Seneca Falls--that convention which--by
the way it was Republican and conservative women and the Quakers who
called together the Seneca Falls convention to start looking at the
issue of suffrage. You probably are also interested to know Frederick
Douglass was the one gentleman invited to speak at that convention on
suffrage, then, of course, the suffragists who led the fight, Susan B.
Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Anne Dallas
Dudley--strong Republican women. It is time for that story to be told.
The ratification of the 19th Amendment with women receiving the right
to vote took place in Nashville, Tennessee, my State, at our State
capitol, where I have had the opportunity, and the Speaker has also had
the opportunity, to serve.
We know that it is important to tell that story of what women have
done in the cause of freedom. That is why we have come together to
agree on the structure, to work to put a commission in place that will
do the necessary due diligence, that will put the safeguards in place,
and will guarantee that in perpetuity--forever--there will not be
Federal taxpayer money that is spent on this.
Madam Speaker, working to highlight what women have accomplished is a
worthy goal, and it is something that in a bipartisan manner we should
be able to come together and to agree on. This is a goal, and
Washington, D.C., is an appropriate place that we can recognize this
history, we can chronicle this history, and for future generations, our
children, our grandchildren, and for other nations as they come to see
us, they can see how women find victory through freedom, opportunity,
and the doors that open and what it allows them to experience in their
lives.
I thank the chairman from Wyoming for yielding the time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I want to thank
the gentlewoman from the great State of Tennessee for her statement on
the floor today and her hard work in passing this bill.
My good friend, Mrs. Bachmann, said there were 20 other women's
museums. Well, there is not one comprehensive women's museum that
chronicles the achievements and the contributions of women. There are
many niche museums. There is a museum in Seneca Falls that pays tribute
to the founding mothers of the first women's rights convention, the
abolitionist movement, and the right for women to gain the right to
vote. There are museums in the Capital for women artists. There is part
of the Smithsonian that focuses on the first ladies and the gowns that
they wore in their inaugural. There are niche museums out West for the
pioneering great women who led the effort in the West. But there is not
one comprehensive museum, and I find it astonishing in the United
States that chronicles the many outstanding women contributions. If you
Google all the women that have won the Nobel, it is astonishing, but
there is no place that displays this.
So, I think it is long overdue to have a national women's history
museum. Quite frankly, I can't even find one in the entire world that
chronicles women's contributions.
I would now like to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from the great
State of New York, Congresswoman Meng, my distinguished colleague,
which she has requested, but she can have more if she wants it.
Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I also want to thank my colleagues,
Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney and Marsha Blackburn, for championing
this important issue.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 863 to establish the
commission to study the potential creation of a national women's
history museum. This bipartisan legislation is a small step to ensuring
women's stories are shared, celebrated, and inspire future generations
of Americans. Unfortunately, women's stories and accomplishments have
consistently been forgotten, or presented only as a footnote.

Despite the great strides women have made in America, we are still
underrepresented in essential sectors, such as business, government,
and the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. Research has demonstrated that one of the factors limiting
success for women and minorities is the lack of both celebrated
specific role models and overall restricted representation.
In other words, simply having a museum showcasing women's
accomplishments as an integral part of our history--whether it is
individuals who broke barriers, social movements led by women, or the
demonstration that women were not necessarily defined by men in their
lives--will ultimately lead to more young women and minorities striving
to break the glass ceiling and create a more equitable society for us
all.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I yield the gentlewoman an
additional 30 seconds.
Ms. MENG. The National Women's History Museum already hosts online
exhibits, but a building complete with permanent access to resources
would allow for further research and increased access for our citizens.
This legislation allows for the creation of a commission to study the
feasibility of creating a permanent museum, and prohibits Federal funds
from being used for this project. I encourage my colleagues to support
this long overdue legislation.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute
to the gentlelady from the great State of Maryland, Donna Edwards, the
distinguished leader who is also the chair of the bipartisan Women's
Caucus here in Congress.
Ms. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewomen from New
York, from Tennessee, and from Wyoming for your leadership and for
doing what women do in this Congress, which is work together toward a
common good. So I thank you very much for your leadership.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 863, the National
Women's History Commission Act. It is a bill that would establish a
commission to study the potential creation of the National Women's
History Museum right here in Washington, D.C., and, as has been stated
before, not at any cost to the taxpayer.
It would showcase the contributions that women have made throughout
our

[[Page H3476]]

history, both in this country and around the world, contributions that
have historically been underrepresented, to say the least, in books,
museums, and other records of our Nation's great story.
There are institutions, for example, in Maryland, the Maryland
Women's Heritage Center in Baltimore, that are really leading the
pushback in our State against the void of women's representation in our
historical records. The Baltimore Heritage Center serves as a museum,
an information resource center, and a gathering place for events
focused on impacting girls and women. When I visited the Heritage
Center, number one, they said to me, are you supporting the National
Women's History Commission Act?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I yield the gentlelady an
additional 30 seconds.
Ms. EDWARDS. This will complement those histories and tell the story
of women at the Goddard Space Flight Center, women who are in science,
technology, engineering, and math; women who are engineers, explorers
and innovators. So, I want to thank the gentlewomen for their work on
this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support the commission bill,
to study the process--there is no cost to the taxpayer--and to see into
law, finally, telling the stories of women all across this country.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how
much time remains?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from New York has 2 minutes
remaining.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I would like to
just point out and build on what my good friend and colleague, Marsha
Blackburn, said. It was Seneca Falls in New York that was the
birthplace of the suffrage movement to grant women the right to vote.
In 1920, when the 19th Amendment granting that right to vote was at
last in the process of being ratified by the States, it was the State
of Tennessee that put that effort over the top. Now Tennessee and New
York have come together again, and we are working very hard to create a
women's museum that will talk about this great achievement and many
others in all fields that have empowered this country and moved this
country forward--not only achievements by individual women, but I would
say collective achievements by women and their hard work, such as the
effort by women to create pasteurization of milk, the immunization of
children, increased health care, improved health care, and improved
education. These are all efforts that collectively women have worked
together on.
So I ask my colleagues today to vote ``yes'' on this bill and to vote
for allowing an idea to be examined and to come forward before this
committee again, and let's see how it can work.

{time} 1500

A ``yes'' vote will cost this country nothing, and it could mean
everything to our young people, to our girls and our boys and our
children and their children to be able to come to their Nation's
Capital and to learn many things, including the many important
contributions of half the population, women.
I would like to remind my colleagues that this is Mother's Day week,
and I cannot think of a better present to our mothers than to recognize
the contributions that they have made to the American family and to
this country.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the women who have participated
in this debate today. These are dynamic American leaders. I want to
thank each and every one of them, including the gentlelady from
Minnesota, who expressed the views of those who have concerned about
this bill. They were well articulated.
She is someone with whom I am proud to serve in Congress and was very
proud to see in the dais, participating in lively, strident debates
when she ran for President, seeking the Republican nomination in the
last Presidential election. These are all very formidable, important
women--gentlewomen, one and all.
I rise in support of the study and in support of the passage of this
bill. I come from the Equality State, the State of Wyoming, the first
government in the world to continuously grant women the right to vote,
so I come by my point of view honestly.
I am very excited about the opportunity to study and to report back
to this Congress the notion of having a museum of the history of
American women. The contributions to our society of American women are
so extraordinary and are sometimes underrepresented.
I particularly look forward to touting the opportunity to show the
history of American women of the West, people like Cattle Kate. She was
a criminal, a scoundrel, a cattle thief. She was the first woman hanged
in Wyoming. She is a historical figure.
Sacagawea, who led the Lewis and Clark expedition across this great,
vast country; Annie Oakley, who was portrayed as a model of the
American West and freedom in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show; and
particularly, I would like to see Dale Evans recognized in this museum.
Let me tell you something about Dale Evans you may not know. Dale
Evans was an actress, a songwriter, a mother, and she was the wife of
Roy Rogers. They were the king of the cowboys and the queen of the
cowgirls. Dale Evans and Roy Rogers had a special-needs child among
their many children.
Back in Hollywood in the late 1940s and 1950s, there was a cultural
condition in this country that was particularly prevalent in Hollywood,
and that was people didn't want to see special-needs children in
public. People didn't want to face the fact that not everyone in this
country is born exactly the same.
Roy and Dale took their special-needs child with them everywhere they
went, and they were ostracized, and they ceased to be invited to
people's homes because they didn't want to see that child. It was a
gutsy thing to do.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans changed the way Americans viewed special-
needs children. Now, when we see special-needs people in our society,
it puts a smile on our faces. They are so integrated into our every
day, and they are important members of our society.
When that child died, Dale Evans wrote the song ``Happy Trails'' to
that child. She wrote, ``Happy trails to you, until we meet again,''
and in my heart, I believe they will meet again, Madam Speaker.
I think those are the kinds of women that we want to see portrayed in
American history, and I am highly supportive of this study. I look
forward to robust participation by Republican and Democrats and look
forward to receiving the study, not knowing how it is going to turn
out, but with great hope and expectation for something terrific, at
least on paper, so we can determine at that point whether to move
forward.
Mr. Speaker, I commend to this body's attention H.R. 863.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 863 to
commission a study on the potential creation of a National Women's
History Museum.
As you know Mr. Speaker, women make up over half of our population,
and yet we know their stories are often underrepresented--and
underappreciated--in our history.
Here in the Capitol, for example, we have over 200 statues, but only
12 depict women. As Ms. Magazine recently noted, ``The nation's capital
includes museums for the postal service, textiles and spies, but lacks
a museum to recognize the rich history and accomplishments of women in
the U.S.''
Mr. Speaker, the stories of women tell the story of our nation's
history, and they deserve to be enshrined for future generations to
learn and celebrate. I'm so pleased that my colleagues Carolyn Maloney
and Marsha Blackburn have introduced this important legislation to
start the process of creating a museum where the achievements and lives
of women are chronicled and celebrated.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Women's
History Commission Act, HR. 863, introduced by my esteemed colleague
from New York, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.
Representative Maloney has worked diligently to get this important
bill to the floor, and I thank her for her tremendous efforts.

[[Page H3477]]

H.R. 863 would establish a commission to report recommendations to
the President and Congress concerning the establishment of a National
Women's History Museum in Washington, DC.
The National Women's History Museum Commission would be at no
additional cost to the taxpayer, as the commission is entirely paid for
without the use of federal funds.
The Museum's mission would be to educate, inspire, empower, and shape
the future by integrating women's distinctive history into the culture
of the United States.
All too often, women's history is largely missing from textbooks,
memorials, and museum exhibits.
Of the 210 statues in the United States Capitol, only nine are of
female leaders.
Less than five percent of the 2,400 national historic landmarks
chronicle women's achievement.
The museums and memorials in our nation's Capital demonstrate what we
value.
This bill would provide women, who comprise 53% of our population, a
long overdue home on our National Mall honoring their many
contributions that are the very backbone of our country.
This effort is about bringing together women and remembering those
women that came before us, who persevered and changed the course of
history, and on whose shoulders we stand today.
These unique experiences, perspectives, and historic accomplishments
deserve recognition in our nation's capital.
It is time for the women of our nation to be recognized with this
landmark.
H.R. 863 is a critical step in advancing the National Women's History
Museum by providing us with a blueprint of steps to take in order to
finally tell the story of more than half of our country's population.
Let us honor our nation's foremothers and inspire present and future
generations of women leaders.
I urge all Members of the House to vote in favor of this bill.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
support of H.R. 863, the National Women's History Museum Commission
Act. Legislation to establish such a museum passed by voice vote in the
113th Congress but the privately-funded museum lacks a home.
While women's accomplishments have helped to build this country,
historical contributions are missing from museums, textbooks, and
memorials. This legislation would allow for a commission to study the
creation and make proposals for the building of the National Women's
History Museum. At no cost to the taxpayer and without using any
federal funds, the museum would help to tell the inspiring stories of
the important women that came before us.
Celebrating and recognizing women in history is necessary at a time
when roughly ten percent of historical references are related to women.
The legislation on the floor is not only bipartisan, it has the support
of many male and female Members of Congress.
Please join me in supporting H.R. 863, the National Women's History
Museum Commission Act by passing the legislation today.
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 863, a
bill to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a
National Women's History Museum, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney of
New York. While Natural Resources is the primary committee, the
legislation was referred to the Committee on House Administration as an
additional referral because H.R. 863 suggests that the Commission study
whether or not such a museum, if created, should be part of the
Smithsonian Institution. Our committee discussed that issue at a
hearing before we filed our report in the House.
I want to draw attention to an issue which was not addressed in
amendments to this legislation by either committee--the proper
structure of the Commission. The bill would create an 8-member
commission, but previous commissions of this type to study whether
museums should become part of the Smithsonian proposed a larger group,
23 members. The larger number seems more practical for ensuring a
variety of opinions and providing sufficient personnel to be available
to do the Commission's work. There is likely to be significant interest
by well-qualified persons to serve on the commission. Additionally, the
bill only provides for appointments by the bipartisan, bicameral
congressional leadership of each chamber of Congress, but not by the
president. The recent commissions to study the National Museum of
African American History and Culture, which is now under construction
on the Mall, and the National Museum of the American Latino, which is
now awaiting a hearing in the House Administration Committee, had
presidential appointees. I believe this is a prerequisite for creating
a truly national museum. When this legislation reaches the Senate, I
hope that the other body will make appropriate adjustments to achieve
this goal.
I include the Additional Views submitted by the Democratic members of
the Committee on House Administration as part of our committee report,
H. Rept. 113 09411, Part 1, filed in the House on April 10, 2014:

ADDITIONAL VIEWS

We strongly support the ``Commission to Study the Potential
Creation of a National Women's History Museum Act of 2013'',
to recognize the role and achievements of the women of
America. H.R. 863, the bill introduced by Rep. Carolyn
Maloney of New York to authorize the commission, was ordered
reported unanimously by the Committee on House Administration
on April 2, 2014. The primary committee to which the
legislation was referred, Natural Resources, is expected to
report the legislation shortly.
The principal interest of our Committee is in whether such
a museum should become part of the Smithsonian Institution.
The commission created by H.R. 863 is directed to study pros
and cons of a potential Smithsonian affiliation, and that
issue was also discussed during testimony at our earlier
hearing on this legislation. A Smithsonian museum would be
subject to direction by that Institution's Board of Regents
and its governance and management structure. Two other recent
national commissions were authorized by Congress and both
recommended that the Smithsonian structure be used for the
museums they were studying: the National Museum of African
American History and Culture, currently under construction on
the National Mall and scheduled to open in less than two
years; and the National Museum of the American Latino, whose
commission's report submitted in 2011 is likely to receive a
hearing soon in the Committee on House Administration.
An alternative recommendation by the commission might be
for a National Women's History Museum to exist as an
independent entity, with its own governing board. In either
case, whether as a Smithsonian museum or independent, H.R.
863 anticipates that the museum will receive private
donations but no government funding.
In reporting H.R. 863, our Committee took no position on
the governance issue, but we have ample experience in
evaluating the Smithsonian's capabilities in building and
managing the large number of museums currently under its
control, and so we kept that option in the bill. The
commission should exercise its best judgment in determining
what would work best for this specific museum within the
expected budgetary constraints, and Congress would review
those recommendations in formulating later legislation to
actually create a museum.
One issue of concern to us relates to the size and
composition of the eight-member congressionally-appointed
commission proposed to be established in H.R. 863, and the
absence of any presidential appointees. In order to have a
true national museum, participation by the president is
important in order to give the commission the status and
credibility, as well as the variety of members, necessary to
perform its tasks and to help raise the necessary private
funds when that time comes. Both the African American Museum
commission and the American Latino Museum commission had
seven presidential appointees out of 23 members, with the
majority appointed by the congressional leadership.
There are no partisan issues concerning this legislation.
The commission needs to be seen as the national commitment
that it is, rather than be limited as a creature of the
legislative branch.
An amendment had been drafted by the Democratic staff,
which the House parliamentarian confirmed was within the
jurisdiction of the House Administration Committee to take
up, to establish presidential appointees in H.R. 863. Ranking
Member Brady alluded to the issue in his opening statement.
But the amendment was withheld during our markup at Chairman
Miller's request. The Committee on Natural Resources may
consider the issue in their role as the primary committee, at
their own markup, and we will continue to focus attention on
the issue during preparation of a final text of the bill for
action on the House floor.
Robert A. Brady.
Zoe Lofgren.
Juan Vargas.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Womack). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 863, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

____________________