[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 72 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 72
Directing the Joint Committee on the Library to revise the statue
commemorating women's suffrage which is located in the rotunda of the
United States Capitol, commonly known as the ``Portrait Monument'', by
placing on the statue an inscription which is based on the original
inscription which was on the statue when the statue was delivered to
the United States Capitol in 1921, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 15, 2022
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York (for herself, Ms. Chu, Mr.
Cicilline, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Danny K. Davis of
Illinois, Ms. DelBene, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of
Pennsylvania, Ms. Escobar, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mr. Lieu, Mr. McGovern,
Ms. Meng, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Morelle, Ms. Norton, Ms. Omar,
Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Rush, Ms. Speier, Ms. Titus, and Ms. Williams of
Georgia) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on House Administration
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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint Committee on the Library to revise the statue
commemorating women's suffrage which is located in the rotunda of the
United States Capitol, commonly known as the ``Portrait Monument'', by
placing on the statue an inscription which is based on the original
inscription which was on the statue when the statue was delivered to
the United States Capitol in 1921, and for other purposes.
Whereas, on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment to the Constitution was
ratified, giving women in the United States the right to vote;
Whereas in recognition of this historic achievement, on February 10, 1921, the
National Woman's Party presented to Congress a monument, commonly known
as the ``Portrait Monument'', in honor of the pioneers of the suffrage
movement that won women the right to vote;
Whereas the monument was accepted on behalf of Congress by the Joint Committee
on the Library;
Whereas, on February 15, 1921, the 101st anniversary of the birth of Susan B.
Anthony, an unveiling ceremony was held in the rotunda of the Capitol;
Whereas sculpted by Adelaide Johnson and originally referred to as the Memorial
to the Pioneers of the Woman's Suffrage Movement, the monument includes
busts of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott, as
well as an uncarved marble block as a reminder that the work of women
gaining equality was not completed with the passage of the 19th
amendment;
Whereas the original monument also included an inscription that read:
``Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, the three
great destiny characters of the world whose spiritual import and
historical significance transcend that of all others of any country or
age.
``Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in the call of that first
woman's rights convention of 1848 initiated and Susan B. Anthony
marshalling the latent forces through three generations down more than a
half century of time guided the only fundamental universal uprising on
our planet. The woman's revolution.
``Principle not policy; justice, not favor; men, their rights and
nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less, was the clarion call
to the most astounding upheaval of all time. A call which waked the
world, signaled and inaugurated a revolution without tradition or
precedent, and proclaimed the first incontrovertible concept of human
freedom--that of individual liberty--personal responsibility, including
women.
``Woman, first denied a soul, then called mindless, now arisen
declared herself an entity to be reckoned.
``This mightiest of revolutions encircling the globe accomplishing
without bloodshed the overthrow of entrenched dogma and hoary bigotries
reached to the farthermost roots of being. Here indeed was the first,
the only impeachable demand for right as might ever made.
``Spiritually the woman movement is the all-enfolding one. It
represents the emancipation of womanhood. The release of the feminine
principle in humanity. The moral integration of human evolution come to
rescue torn and struggling humanity from its savage self.
``Historically these three stand unique and peerless.'';
Whereas shortly after it was unveiled in the Capitol in 1921, Congress moved the
monument to the Capitol ``Crypt'', which was not open to the public at
the time, and ordered that the inscription be removed from the monument;
Whereas at the time of the unveiling, the inscription was considered
``blasphemous'';
Whereas the monument remained in the Capitol ``Crypt'' until Congress passed H.
Con. Res. 216 on September 27, 1996, directing the Architect of the
Capitol to relocate the monument to the rotunda of the Capitol;
Whereas, since May 14, 1997, the Portrait Monument has been on display in the
rotunda of the Capitol; and
Whereas the original Portrait Monument inscription was never restored or
replaced: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. RESTORATION OF ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION ON PORTRAIT MONUMENT.
(a) Restoration.--Not later than one year after the date of the
adoption of this resolution, the Joint Committee on the Library shall
revise the statue commemorating women's suffrage located in the rotunda
of the United States Capitol (commonly known as the ``Portrait
Monument'') by placing on the statue an inscription which is based on
the original inscription that was on the statue when the statue was
delivered to the United States Capitol on February 10, 1921.
(b) Use of Rotunda of United States Capitol for Unveiling
Ceremony.--The rotunda of the United States Capitol is authorized to be
used on a date mutually agreed to by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the majority leader of the Senate for a ceremony to
unveil the Portrait Monument as revised by the Joint Committee on the
Library under subsection (a). The Architect of the Capitol and the
Capitol Police Board shall take such action as may be necessary with
respect to physical preparations and security for the ceremony.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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