Issue Position: Women

Issue Position

America's success has always been the product of great efforts by men and women alike.

America's success has always been the product of great efforts by men and women alike. And in keeping with our Nation's founding ideals that we are all created equal, I have consistently worked to secure equal opportunity for all.

Women's contributions have come in all aspects of our society -- socially, politically, and economically -- and they deserve recognition. To honor the women who have helped shape our country, like Rosa Parks and Jeanette Rankin, I continue to support the creation of a National Women's History Museum -- a broadly bipartisan project. I also sponsored legislation to finally award Congressional Gold Medals to the Woman Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), who together logged 60 million miles flying missions across the United State during World War II.

Women are more influential in the economy than ever before. Two out of every three new small businesses are started by women, and women make up a majority of the U.S. workforce. Four in 10 U.S. families now feature a woman as the sole or primary breadwinner. Women are also responsible for the bulk of consumer purchases and healthcare decisions made on behalf of families. Our nation's economic policies must reflect the outsized role women are playing in the modern American economy.

I am also a strong advocate of programs that address the pervasive problem of domestic violence in our communities. I was a lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act, and have continuously supported its reauthorization, because no American deserves to live in fear, especially not in their own home, school, or neighborhood.

As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Women's Caucus and as co-chair of the Internal Women's Issues Task Force, I am constantly promoting policies that support a level playing field for all, individual freedom, entrepreneurship, patient-centered healthcare, and responsible government spending here at home, and improve women's access to education, healthcare, and the ballot box abroad. Making sure no woman is left behind is the best way to ensure that all Americans are empowered to lead productive livelihoods.

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