Norton Celebrates Growing Support for Smithsonian Women’s Museum in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), an original cosponsor of the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act (H.R.19), which would establish the museum on the National Mall, today spoke at a press conference hosted by the bill's lead sponsors Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Ed Royce (R-CA), to celebrate reaching 227 cosponsors on the bill, enough to pass the House of Representatives. Norton has cosponsored this bill since it was first introduced in 1995.

Norton's remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below.

"I thank Representative Carolyn Maloney for her determined leadership and persistence for over 20 years in pushing to getting the National Women's History Museum across the finish line. I am proud of Representative Ed Royce for his support of this bill, signifying that the Women's History Museum is for the American people—women, men, and children who want to know more about the history of women in our country.

"I mentioned Representative Maloney's persistence. When I think of persistence, I think of the more than 200-year fight by women to get the right to vote. It certainly took persistence to get suffrage. Women came to the District of Columbia, shackled themselves to the White House gates, and were arrested and put in the D.C. Jail. Carolyn has not chained herself to anything yet, but if that becomes necessary, count me in. Her persistence should pay off because we now have more than the number of cosponsors to pass our Women's History Museum bill. This is a noncontroversial bill—a history museum for the American people that is privately financed. What could be better than that?

"It was heartbreaking for me when I was able to get the bill passed out of the economic development subcommittee I chaired and passed by our full committee in 2009, to see it stop short of the House floor. I believe with our record number of cosponsors, we are going to get to the House floor this time.

"Women are making history today not just by our record numbers in the House and Senate, but more importantly, throughout our society. Our country needs to know the names of its history-making women. It is time to capture their history. The National Women's History Museum is the way to do it."