Bipartisan bill introduced to establish memorial honoring women on home front during WWII
Source: WTVO ABC Rockford
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - A new memorial coming to Washington, D.C. will honor the 18 million women on the home front during World War II.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan legislation to honor women who worked as code breakers, engineers, pilots and more during the war.
The legislation was recently signed into law by President Joe Biden.
According to a release from Sen. Duckworth’s office, the bill was co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate by senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mike Braun (R-IN), and in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).
They said Raya Kenney is responsible for the concept of the memorial, advocating its development for over a decade.
Senator Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, spoke of the importance of the memorial for women.
“It’s long past time we recognize the contributions hard-working women made during World War II--they rolled up their sleeves and took whatever job was necessary to keep the country they loved moving forward,” Senator Duckworth said in the release. “I’m proud this bipartisan legislation that will honor their efforts and help ensure better representation for women in the chrished, world-renowned memorials in our nation’s capital is now law.”
Senator Blackburn and Congresswoman said women have largely been ignored in the 160 memorials in Washington, D.C.
“Their sacrifice and trailblazing work must not be forgotten,” Sen. Blackburn said in the release. “I am glad this bipartisan legislation with Senator Duckworth to recognize their efforts is becoming law.”
“My constituent Raya Kenney, the founder of the Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation, came up with the idea to honor these brave women who supported the World War II effort,” Congresswoman Norton added.
According to Sen. Duckworth’s office, the legislation, called the “Women Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act,” will not only memorialize the efforts of women during World War II, but recognize the role they played in furthering economic opportunities for women in the future.
They say the female population of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent between 1941 and 1945.
By: Jess Liptzin
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