Hump Day History

 

On this day in 1965, Patsy Mink was sworn in as the first Asian American woman in US Congress.

As a representative from Hawaii, she was a strong supporter of women's rights as well as an advocate for children, labor unions, and education.  She was one of the first proponents of a national daycare system and an early supporter of Head Start.

She was a key author of the Education Amendments of 1972 which outlawed sex discrimination.  In 1995, she spoke with a group of top women basketball players.

"It's rare as a legislator that you fight for legislation you believe in and stay around or live long enough to see it come to fruition."

She served until her death in 2002, at age 74.

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On this day in 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House.  At the time, she was also the first woman to get that close to the presidency.

"It is a moment for which we have waited over 200 years."

Pelosi was one of only 25 women who served in both the House and Senate.

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Yesterday, Patty Murray became the first female President Pro Tempore in the Senate.  By custom, the senator of the majority party with the longest record is elected, and Murray has been there since 1992.

She spoke of her ascension as another example of the "slow, steady progress of women in the perpetually old-fashioned Senate," but she plans to use the platform for women's issues, like paid leave and child care.

As Biden noted, "We're witnessing history on Capitol Hill." 

Especially considering it's the first female Vice President who swore her in.