Montana Women 2003

June 27, 2003

MONTANA WOMEN 2003

Hello, and welcome to the 20th Montana Women's conference here in Bozeman. In the 11 years since I started holding these conferences I am proud of the great success we have seen.

Before I begin, I would like you all to take note of the Red Dress Pins that are inserted into each one of your packets. This pin is a national symbol for the Heart Truth campaign, the primary goal is to raise awareness that heart disease is the #1 killer among women. The Red Dress pin symbolizes the message that heart disease doesn't care who you are, and it's not just a man's disease. Although this disease is the leading cause of death among women, it is preventable. There are steps women can take to lower their risk, and this Red Dress is meant to draw attention to that so we can lower the number of lives heart disease claims each year. I encourage you all to talk to your doctor and ask what you can do to lower your risk. I would like to thank Cliff Christian and the American Heart Association for allowing each participant here today to receive a Red Dress pin. This is an important issue that needs attention, and I commend the work Cliff and the American Heart Association are doing to make sure it gets the focus it deserves. Thanks Cliff!

I am happy to see such a great turnout today, but I am disappointed I could not be in Bozeman in person to join you all. After a very wet and cool spring, summer has arrived there, and needless to say, there are many more desirable venues than Washington, DC.

We've had a busy few months in DC, where we've been working hard and spending long hours dealing with the historical issues that are facing our state and our country. And there are many. Since 9/11 we have seen freedom as we know it come under attack. We have been dealing with such issues as protecting the homeland, improving the economy, healthcare, and education, all things I'm sure everyone hear thinks about on a daily basis.

I understand the challenges people are facing with our struggling economy and the lack of economic opportunities for people who need them. I am happy to report that the President signed the Jobs and Economic Growth Package into law last month, and I am confident this will help ease some of the burdens that are being felt by people all over our state, and all over the country. Getting our economy back on track is my number one priority. I will continue to make sure concerns of all Montanans are taken into account when we write legislation and sign bills into law. More importantly, I am ever alert to opportunities that expand our traditional economic base plus those new industries that enhance the opportunities for our next generation. Facing these important issues head-on is our job, and I know all of us here in DC welcome the challenge everyday.

Despite the hardships people of Montana are facing, I am encouraged by the positive strides that are being made in our state. The rate of unemployment in Montana for the month of April was 4%, lower than it's been in 30 years. And we have seen per capita income rise 4.3% in 2002. These numbers cannot be ignored. Things are improving in Montana, and we must take these positives and build on them.

That's what this conference is all about: building on our skills as individuals in order to take advantage of everything each one of us can offer to make Montana the best state it can be. I know each person here today has a wealth of ideas and skills to bring to the table, and I am happy this conference will help facilitate discussion and exchange between so many talented people. It is with the help and hard work of people like you that things are improving. I am confident you all will continue working to that end. And I certainly will not slow down on that same mission.

I have not slowed down in my work to increase funding for Women's Business Centers. These centers offer fantastic resources to women all over the country, providing them with consulting, training, and financial assistance as they seek to start or expand their own businesses. I recently co-sponsored a bill to make sure the funds to these centers are protected. It pleases me to know that women are succeeding in business everyday, and I understand how crucial it is that these centers continue to receive funding in order to succeed. I will continue to work to make sure that Women's Business Centers around the country are not faced with budget cuts.

I am happy to announce that I am also a co-sponsor of the "Women's Small Business Programs Improvement Act of 2003," which is designed to integrate and streamline current programs offering assistance to women small business owners and entrepreneurs. It will help improve programs and services for women offered by the Small Business Administration, Women's Business Centers, the National Women's Business Counsel, and the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise.

I understand the value of these programs, and I will continue to work to make sure they can help more women succeed in business everyday.

The pursuit of passing legislation in Congress is a slow moving process though. It can become very frustrating when common sense legislation moving on its course hits a dead end. I refer to Washington as "17 sq. miles of logic free environment." Being such, we could not function here in DC without grass roots support for different programs that aid the State of Montana. It is all of you here today that get things moving on the ground and keep them moving. It is people like you, who set goals and reach them, that make this state successful. At this point I would like to step aside and introduce our keynote speaker this afternoon. Sharon Wood is a good example of that same idea. She, like many of you here today, has set goals for herself and reached them, and in doing so, she has inspired countless others to do the same.

Sharon began climbing mountains at the age of 16 and was quickly drawn to mental and physical challenges she was faced with. She continued to pursue the sport into adulthood, and with many mountains behind her and thousands of feet under her belt, Sharon set out to climb the tallest mountain in the world. In 1988 Sharon met her goal when she became the first North American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Throughout history women have been faced with many challenges, but it's people like Sharon Wood that have shown the world that woman can do anything. She made her dream a reality, and I know her inspirational words today will allow all of us to see that the seemingly impossible is often within our reach.

With great pleasure I would like to present today's keynote speaker to you all. Please offer a warm round of applause and a hearty Montana welcome to the first North American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Ms. Sharon Wood.