The House just passed a bill to create a women’s history museum. Only one congresswoman voted against it.
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to approve the creation of a national women’s history museum as part of the Smithsonian Institution’s network of museums in Washington.
The vote comes as the country marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.
“For too long, women’s history has been left out of the telling of our nation’s history. Today, the House of Representatives took an important first step to change that,” the bill’s co-sponsors — Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) — said in a statement. “Women are part of every American moment, and their contributions should be recognized and celebrated.”
The vote in favor of the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act was largely bipartisan — 224 Democrats and 150 Republicans approved it. The 37 representatives who voted against it were all Republicans plus Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) and included Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.).
Nineteen members of Congress were not present for the vote.
Rep. Liz Cheney, who represents Wyoming — the first state or territory to give women the unconditional right to vote and hold office — was the only woman to vote against the measure. She is the highest-ranking woman in House Republican leadership and the daughter of former vice president Richard B. Cheney.