Women's History Month
Floor Speech
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Ms. ERNST. Madam President, in this country we are so blessed to call home, every woman, no matter her background--like growing up on a small farm in Iowa--can be the next first.
After serving in the U.S. Army Reserves and the Iowa Army National Guard--a historically male field--I became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the U.S. Senate. I was also the first woman to represent the great State of Iowa in Congress. Now, just 6 years later, women make up a majority of the Iowa congressional delegation. Iowa is also blessed with a fierce female Governor in Kim Reynolds and some extremely talented and strong women leaders in our State legislature. Today, there are over 140 women serving in Congress--more than ever before in U.S. history.
Because of the suffragettes and so many other determined women who stepped up and broke the barriers society placed on us, female trailblazers across this country are writing new pages in history books every single day. Women have made strides in the boardroom, on the playing field, in the military, and through elected office.
But this pandemic has been tough on women in the workforce, threatening to derail the progress we have made. Before COVID, women made up the majority of the U.S. workforce, but 1 year later, women have lost over 2 million jobs--nearly 1 million more than our male counterparts.
There are many reasons for this but two major factors. First, moms tend to be the sole caregivers in the family. With schools going remote and childcare centers closing, working moms have been forced to choose between their careers and their children. Second, women tend to work in fields that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, such as the hospitality industry, restaurants, education, and retail.
We absolutely need to focus on getting these women back into the workforce and on their feet so that they can support themselves and their families. The focus needs to be on three things: first, safely reopening our schools; second, expanding access to childcare, which I have worked with the Presiding Officer on--thank you very much; and producing, distributing, and administering the vaccine as quickly as possible so folks can get back to work safely.
If I were able to choose the theme for Women's History Month based off of this past year struggling through the pandemic, it would be ``Overcomer.'' Woman to woman, we all, no matter what we do, are overcomers by nature.
Moms, you overcome so much every single day when you work tirelessly at the thankless and never-ending job of caring for your children and for your families. You have the one and only job that you cannot simply clock out of, especially this year, when many of you had to balance being a teacher for the first time in your life.
Women in the workforce, you overcome stereotypes daily and have continued to smash glass ceilings and set new standards in corporate America. Your resilience and strength alongside our historic women's rights heroes continue to shape a bright future for all young girls across this country.
In honor of Women's History Month, I challenge everyone to remember the sacrifices it took to secure the freedoms and opportunities we women enjoy today and continue to build on these opportunities for the next generation.
Whether that is in your local community or State or Federal Government, we are a better nation because of the contributions of women in all walks of life, in all fields of service, and in both Chambers of Congress, and it is important to continue to remind folks of that.
It is my hope that each and every young woman, no matter your hometown or your background, will see the opportunity and potential that lie ahead. Many of us have heard this really outdated quote: ``Act like a lady, but think like a man.'' Well, I think history has proven that, instead, we should say: ``Act like a woman, and think like a woman'' because we are powerful, we are fearless, we are smart, and we are strong just the way we are.
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