Baldwin-Led Legislation to Place Women’s Suffrage National Monument on National Mall Signed into Law
Legislation authorizes the first ever monument dedicated to women’s history to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) celebrated President Biden signing her bipartisan Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act into law on Saturday. Senator Baldwin fought for years to commemorate the women’s suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution by building the first ever monument dedicated to women’s history on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
“Women’s right to vote and have their voices heard was not given, it was hard fought for by generations of women, locking arm in arm in the struggle for a more just country,” said Senator Baldwin. “It’s our job to ensure that these women and the fight for this fundamental right is remembered and honored. After years of work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues, I am proud that our bill is now the law of the land – putting a monument to honor the suffragists and the fight for women’s right to vote in its rightful place for the world to see, on the National Mall. Wisconsin has been at the forefront of the fight for women’s rights as it was the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment, and I am proud to be continuing this long and proud tradition.”
“To put it simply, this is a transformational moment for our country. As we prepare to honor the 250th anniversary of American democracy, this bill ensures that the great women of American history will finally be reflected in the richness of the American stories told on the National Mall. We are grateful for the leadership and commitment of our congressional champions, led by Senator Baldwin, Senator Blackburn, Congressman Neguse, and Congresswoman Lesko, who fought for two years to secure a location for the Women’s Suffrage National Monument that will do justice to our foremothers and weave American women into the stories told on the National Mall,” said Anna Laymon, President and CEO of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation.
In 2020, Senator Baldwin voted to create the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on federal lands in Washington, D.C., but the legislation did not authorize the establishment of the monument on the National Mall. Under current law, a specific act of Congress is required to place a new commemorative work or visitor center on the National Mall, therefore requiring passage of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act to secure a monument honoring women’s history in the sacred location.
This legislation is also led by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
A one-pager on the legislation is available here and the full text is available here.
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