Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), an original cosponsor of the House-passed H.R. 863, the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum Act of 2013,” today said she was pleased that the final fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) creates a commission to develop a report on a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Women's History Museum in the District of Columbia.  Norton has tried for years to get a bill for a National Women’s History Museum through the Economic Development Subcommittee and to the House floor.  The House passed the bill this week, and the Senate is expected to pass it next week.

“It is time to stop delay of a National Women’s Museum in our nation’s capital, particularly when the public seems eager to learn more about the impact of women in our society,” Norton said.  “To encourage and empower even more women to make contributions and to take on leadership roles, we must understand and appreciate the countless contributions they have already made to our nation’s history.”

Norton, a senior member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, has been working with Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) – the sponsor of H.R. 863 – and other women in the House and Senate since 2009 to establish a National Women’s History Museum.  Initially, they found land on the Mall that could have been designated for the museum, but it is no longer available.  They also directly tried to get the museum established.  However, just as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, currently under construction, required a study, Norton believes a study is also the best way to achieve a National Women’s History Museum.