Senators Baldwin, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Place Women’s Suffrage National Monument on National Mall
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Women's Suffrage National Monument Location Act, to ensure that the Women’s Suffrage National Monument is located on the National Mall. In 2020, legislation passed to create the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on federal lands in Washington, D.C., but it did not authorize establishment of the monument on the National Mall. Under current law, the Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act of 2003, 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 to honor women’s history in the sacred location.
“Just over a century ago, the United States finally welcomed women into our democracy and extended to them its most fundamental right – the right to vote. But we know that this milestone was only accomplished through a decades-long fight led by women of all backgrounds joining arm in arm, including women of color who fought alongside their white counterparts even though many of whom were still denied the right to vote after the 19th Amendment was ratified,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am honored to introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure that the monument that honors the suffragettes and fight for women’s right to vote is housed in its rightful place for the world to see, the National Mall. The National Mall is home to memorials for those who fought for our freedom, Presidents who defined our country, and the seat of our government, and it is only fitting that it also houses the Women's Suffrage National Monument. Wisconsin has been at the forefront of the fight for women’s rights and I am proud to be continuing this long and proud tradition.”
“Tennessee has played a critical role in the women’s suffrage fight since we became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment – granting women the right to vote. I’m pleased to join Senator Baldwin in this bipartisan legislation that will ensure the Women’s Suffrage Monument is given its rightful place on the National Mall and honors the work of Susan B. Anthony and the trailblazers who fought ardently for future generations of women,” said Senator Blackburn.
The monument will commemorate the women’s suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. The 19th Amendment was first ratified in Wisconsin and last ratified in Tennessee.
“The two-mile stretch of land that reaches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial is known as the National Mall,” said Anna Laymon, Executive Director of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation. “Flanked by the White House, our national cultural institutions, and the halls of government, the National Mall is where “we the people” showcase our history. It is the land that holds our national memory. And yet, walking the grounds of the National Mall today, you will encounter war memorials and monuments honoring civil rights heroes and past presidents. You will stand in awe of the giants who have earned their place in our national story. But you won't see women. With the support of Congress, that is all about to change.”
Senator Baldwin led a bipartisan group of women Senators in introducing and passing the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission Act into law, creating a commission charged with planning and executing programs, projects and activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment. Throughout 2020, this Commission told the story of women’s fight for the vote, culminating in Senator Baldwin’s resolution that designated August 2020 as National Women’s Suffrage Month.
Full text of this legislation is available here.
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