WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment passing the U.S. House.

“100 years ago, the U.S. House passed the 19^th Amendment and we affirmed for the first time in our history that women have an equal right to a voice in our government and the laws we follow. 100 years later, the composition of the U.S. House chamber is different. Women occupy more seats in Congress than at any other time before. Significant progress has been made in education, healthcare, and other areas that directly impact women’s lives.

“However, women still face many inequities in this country that manifest at their jobs, in the military, in their doctor’s offices, and in the way we address violence and sexual assault. Sadly, the disparities American women face are often exacerbated by other aspects of their identity, heaping disproportionate difficulty on women of color, women in low-income jobs, and LGBTQ women. Today, we celebrate the incredibly long way we have come as a nation over the past 100 years and we acknowledge the miles we still must travel to achieve equal rights for women. Above all, we reaffirm the fundamental truth codified in our constitution under the 19^th amendment: women have the right to a voice.”

Spanberger is one of three Virginia women serving their first terms in the U.S. House.

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