Congresswoman Hart Recognizes 85th Anniversary of Women Gaining Right to Vote

Congresswoman Hart Recognizes 85th Anniversary of Women Gaining Right to Vote
August 25, 2005

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Melissa Hart today issued the following statement marking the 85th anniversary of ratification of the 19TH Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women the right to vote.

"On the 85th anniversary of women attaining the right to vote in the United States, I think it is important that we all take the opportunity to remember the struggles and sacrifices that women made to ensure what we all now consider a fundamental aspect of our democracy. While it is almost inconceivable today to think that half of the U.S. population could be excluded from voting, women did not attain that right until 1920. Until passage of the 19th Amendment, women hoping to run for pubic office were often denied the chance and, in some cases, women attempting to vote for President of the United States and other federal offices were arrested," said Hart

"Watching women in Iraq and Afghanistan vote for the first time, I cannot help but be hopeful for a better future for them as their democracies begin to develop. Securing and expanding the rights of women in both of these countries, and eventually across the whole region, should be a priority of our foreign policy. The struggle of women throughout the Middle East to gain a voice in deciding their own destiny is a crucial part of the advancement of freedom and peace throughout the region," said Hart.

After the House of Representatives and Senate passed the 19th Amendment, it went to each state legislature for consideration. On August 20, 1920, Tennessee passed the amendment, giving it the two-thirds of state legislatures necessary for inclusion in the U.S. Constitution. On August 26, 1920, the Governor of Tennessee signed the bill and forwarded it to Washington, D.C., becoming an official part of the U.S. Constitution.

http://hart.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=detail&ID=262