“As Americans commemorate Women’s History Month, there is much for us to celebrate.  This year, the 116^th Congress convened with women representing 102 districts across the country in the House and with twenty-five women serving in the Senate, the most ever in our nation’s history.  But that is still less than a quarter of the Congress.  A century after women’s right to vote was enshrined in our Constitution, we still have much progress to make toward full equality.    “Together, we continue the work of expanding opportunities for women and combatting discrimination and exclusion. As House Majority Leader, I look forward to working with the Democratic Women’s Working Group and our colleagues in the House to take action to help ensure equal pay for equal work, affordable access to women’s health care, and investments in educational opportunities for the advancement of women and girls in STEM and other underrepresented fields.  We will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, empower women around the world, and promote gender equality.  In doing so, we look for inspiration from the many American women who have been trailblazers and agents of change, including the courageous suffragists who endured torture and ostracism but persisted in the fight to secure the right to vote in 1919.    “This Women’s History Month, as we honor the heroes of the fight for women’s suffrage on its centenary, let us recommit to continuing the work of eliminating barriers to full participation in our democracy and economy.”