Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues

The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues is a bipartisan caucus of the United States House of Representatives.^[1][2] It was founded by fifteen Congresswomen on April 19, 1977, and was originally known as the Congresswomen’s Caucus.^[3] Its founding co-chairs were Reps. Elizabeth Holtzman, a New York Democrat, and Margaret Heckler, a Massachusetts Republican.^[4] In 1981 men were invited to join and the name of the organization was therefore changed to the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues.^[5] However, in January 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate funding for offices and staff of caucus organizations on Capitol Hill; therefore, the Congresswomen reorganized themselves into a Members’ organization.^[6] It is still called the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, but men no longer belong to it.^[7] Today its membership consists of all women in the U.S. House of Representatives.^[8]

In 1990, the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues inspired a House resolution to honor long-time Caucus Secretary Lindy Boggs by naming the room the caucus met in the Corrine “Lindy” Boggs Congressional Women’s Reading Room, which it is known as today.^[9][10] It had previously been known as the Congresswomen’s Reading Room.^[11]

The list of legislative accomplishments of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues includes:^[12]

• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• The Child Support Enforcement Act
• The Retirement Equity Act
• The Civil Rights Restoration Act
• The Women's Business Ownership Act
• The Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act
• The Mammography Quality Standards Act
• The Family and Medical Leave Act
• The Violence Against Women Act.

References