Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States, and Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States - Designating National Rosie the Riveter Day

Letter

November 20, 2014

The Honorable Barack Obama
President
The United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

The Honorable Joe Biden
Vice President
The United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President and Mr. Vice President:

This spring, you both met with some of the real "Rosie the Riveters" who worked and sacrificed to strengthen this country during World War II. These women are among our nation's greatest living heroines, and we know that you share our admiration for them. To honor the important contributions of women on the Home Front during World War II, and to inspire future generations with their can-do spirit, we ask that you designate an annual National Rosie the Riveter Day.

The example that these women set during World War II continues to inspire us and blaze a path for today's working women. During World War II, these women answered our nation's call to action: the more women who joined the workforce, the sooner we could win the war. The "Rosies" showed they could work, and succeed, in the same jobs as the men who went to fight on the front lines. They literally provided the vehicles, weaponry, and ammunition to win the war. African-American women overcame long-held policies of discrimination and made significant contributions to the war effort. And because of the "Rosies," federal, state, and local agencies coordinated with business owners to develop child care programs and other supports for working mothers.

The images of "Rosie the Riveter" and the phrase "We Can Do It" continue to symbolize women's empowerment today, representing patriotic women who want to serve and strengthen their country. We know you will agree that our country should continue to honor these brave women, and we ask that you designate an annual National Rosie the Riveter Day.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Jackie Speier
Jared Huffman
George Miller

Rosa Delauro
Doris O. Matsui
Anna G. Eshoo
Henry A. Waxman
Barbara Lee
Gwen Moore
Carolyn B. Maloney
John Garamendi
Sander Levin
Zoe Lofgren
Frederica Wilson
Luis Gutiérrez
Janice Hahn
Sheila Jackson Lee
Raúl Grijalva
Alan Lowenthal
Sam Farr
Marcy Kaptur
John Yarmuth
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
Cheri Bustos
Lois Frankel
Ann McLane Kuster
Betty McCollum
Keith Ellison
Stephen F. Lynch
Mike Thompson
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Raul Ruiz
David Cicilline
Niki Tsongas
Jan Schakowsky
Dina Titus
Kathy Castor
Linda Sánchez
Kyrsten Sinema
Mark Takano
Ted Deutch
Julia Brownley
Katherine Clark
Tony Cárdenas
Scott Peters