The Green New Deal

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues in recognizing Women's History Month and celebrating the countless women who have shaped our Nation and those who continue to devote their time and energy to the pursuit of equality here at home and abroad.

Women have demonstrated incredible perseverance in the face of adversity. Their stories of fighting for equal opportunity are ingrained in the history of our country. We wouldn't be the great Nation that we are without those who paved the path for a more promising future for women.

We honor the individuals whose remarkable courage and dedication to challenging the status quo helped advance women's rights and those who followed their dreams while breaking the glass ceiling.

In 1932, Arkansas elected Hattie Caraway to the U.S. Senate, which made her the first woman elected to this body. She broke barriers, changed norms, and helped lay the foundation for the new role women were beginning to be recognized as deserving to play in the Senate throughout her legislative career.

Senator Caraway served nearly 14 years in the Senate, where in 1933 she was the first woman to chair a Senate committee and in 1943 became the first woman to preside officially over the Senate.

Arkansans are particularly proud that our legacy in the U.S. Senate includes electing the first woman to serve in this Chamber. The path that Hattie Caraway trailblazed for more women to enter the ranks of the world's greatest deliberative body has, without a doubt, made the Senate a better, stronger institution and has benefited our Nation immensely.

Today, more women are serving in Congress than ever before. We need to look no further than Hattie Caraway to understand the magnitude of her decision to step forward and serve her State and country.

More women are also answering the call to serve our Nation in uniform. Women are the fastest growing demographic of veterans, but many Department of Veterans Affairs facilities don't have the ability to provide equitable care or services to our women veterans.

This Congress, Senator Tester and I have reintroduced legislation to eliminate barriers to care and services that many women veterans face. The legislation is appropriately named for Deborah Sampson--the Deborah Sampson Act--which honors the service and sacrifice of the American Revolution hero who actually disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the Continental Army.

We can be proud of Deborah Sampson and the countless women patriots who have followed in her footsteps.

We must update VA services to support the unique needs of our entire veteran population, including the growing number of women relying on VA for care.

While opportunities remain to advance women's equality, the United States recently took an important step to empower women worldwide. Congress approved and President Trump signed into law the Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act. Senator Cardin and I introduced the legislation to eliminate global gender-related barriers and empower female entrepreneurs around the world.

In some parts of the world, women are pushed so far to the sidelines that they are denied access to even the most basic financial services. Cultural and historical barriers prevent women from launching a business, building savings, and supporting economic growth in their communities. Leveling the playing field will help the world economy grow substantially.

Providing women access to tools for economic success supports global prosperity. Our country can lead by example and help deliver these tools and empower women. I look forward to seeing women succeed because of this legislative effort.

I am a dad of three daughters and a grandfather to two little girls. I want women across the globe to have the same access to resources and opportunities that my girls have because I have seen with my own eyes how limitless their potential is.

Earlier this year, President Trump launched the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative to empower women around the world to fulfill their economic potential. The Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act is an essential piece of this plan to deliver global results.

Empowering women strengthens families, communities, and our Nation. As we take this time to reflect on the challenges women have overcome and still face, let us continue the momentum started generations ago by hard-working, courageous, and determined women who envisioned a country full of opportunities for success for all.

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