The act would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Alice Paul, to recognize Paul for her role in the women’s suffrage movement.
Rep. Tom MacArthur has once again introduced the Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act.
The act would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Alice Paul, to recognize Paul for her role in the women’s suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women.
Paul was born on Jan, 11, 1885, in Mt. Laurel and died on July 9, 1977.
Paul dedicated her life to securing suffrage and equal rights for women, and as founder of the National Woman’s Party, she fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
“Few residents of South Jersey have had a greater impact on American history than Alice Paul,” MacArthur said. “Alice Paul’s tireless dedication and courage paved the way for future generations guaranteeing all American women the right to vote. Alice Paul is an example to all Americans of what one individual can do to make a difference for millions of people. I am proud to recognize her tireless efforts to give a voice to women in our democracy and abroad.”
Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York’s 4th congressional distrcit, who consposner the bill, described Paul as a courageous suffragist who dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights in nearly every aspect of American society.
“I’m proud to join Rep. MacArthur in cosponsoring this bipartisan bill honoring a hero from our region who championed efforts to secure women’s right to vote and legal protections against gender-based discrimination,” Rice said.
Page Harrington, spoke as executive director the National Woman’s Party at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, and praised the introduction of the legislation as such that would honor a “true American hero.”
“Too often women’s history is forgotten, and the women who contributed to further perfecting our democracy are left out of the history books,” Harrington said. “I believe this Congressional Medal will help us to elevate the status of Alice Paul, the National Woman’s Party, and the tireless work of so many women who contributed to women’s suffrage and equal rights progress, returning her memory and that of others back into the public conversation.”
Lucienne Beard, Executive Director of the Alice Paul Institute which is based at Paul’s birthplace in Mt. Laurel, remarked, “The Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act, is a fitting tribute to Alice Paul’s lifelong work for legal equality for all Americans. She is truly a champion of the rights expressed in our Constitution.”
