House vote likely on creation of women’s history museum

For 20 years, proponents in and out of Congress have sought the creation of a national museum devoted to women’s history, and a new bipartisan push will likely get the matter a vote in the House this fall.

Last month, a bill to establish such a museum crossed the 290 co-sponsorship threshold that allows for fast-track floor consideration under what is known as the consensus calendar. The measure could be scheduled for a vote by November.

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Advocates see 2020 as a potential rallying point for the museum — it marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the constitutional right to vote.

The bill would specify that the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents would be required to pay 50 percent of the costs of constructing the building from federal funds and the rest from nonfederal sources.