Press Releases

Earlier this week, Representative Michael Waltz (FL-R) took to the House Floor to mark Women’s History Month, a monthlong celebration throughout March honoring the important role women play in our personal, local, and national history.

Waltz discussed the role his single mother had on him and how he’s proud to be raising a teenage daughter at a time when we’ve seen tremendous gains for women in public office. He highlighted some of the achievements of his female colleagues in the House as well as local Flagler and Volusia County women – whom he will be highlighting on social media throughout March. Waltz also touched on how women empowerment is not only critical to our success as a nation, but also our national security.

Waltz has already recognized Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and late-Senator Dorothy Hukill on social media.

“Mister Speaker, each year in the month of March, our nation takes time to celebrate Women’s History Month and to recognize the important role women have played in our personal, local, national and world history. We have made progress elevating women throughout society, but it is not enough. There is still more work to be done here at home and around the world.

“Women play a critical role in the history of every American. As the son of a single mother who worked multiple jobs while putting herself through night school, I owe everything I am to this strong, independent American woman. She and millions of other women like her blazed the trail for me, for today’s young women, and particularly for my 15-year-old daughter Anderson.

“I’m proud to be raising a young woman at a time when we’ve seen tremendous gains for women in our nation. I’m proud to serve alongside a historic 102 women here in this Congress – the 16th Congress, including trailblazers like Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot in Congress, and numerous other Republican colleagues in the House who are the first women to represent their districts, Representatives like Liz Cheney and Elise Stefanik who are working diligently to ensure more female candidates have the resources they need to compete in our election system, and countless others who inspire me.

“As these national role models continue to be important, it’s also critical to recognize the important role local heroes and local women have on our communities and our nation – including many from my own district. That’s why each week this month, I’ll be honoring local women who have had or are having an important impact on our community. Women like Alice Scott Abbott, a Flagler County resident of the early 1900’s who worked with the National Woman’s Suffrage movement and following the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment fervently… implored her fellow Flagler County women to register and participate in the 1920 November election. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, who founded the Volusia County school that would later become Bethune-Cookman University. She was a national leader on issues related to civil rights, education, women and young people until her death in 1955.

“Mister Speaker, as these local heroes exemplify, women and their contributions are critical to our success as a nation, but I also believe their strength is an essential part of our national security. As Green Beret who operated all over the world, I know firsthand where women thrive in business, where they thrive in civil society, in politics and government, extremism DOES NOT. Where women thrive, extremism fails. As an Afghan elder once told me during one of my combat tours, he shared with me his secret weapon in defeating the Taliban. It wasn’t a weapon or a missile or some type of other secret device, it was his teenage daughters whom he’d sent to India to be educated. He looked at me and said, ‘This is our secret weapon to defeat extremism.” And I will quote for you, Mr. Speaker, the Nobel Peace Prize winning young girl who was shot in the face for attending school, Malala Yousafzai. She said, “Extremists have shown what frightens them most: a girl with a book.”

“So this Women’s History Month must serve as a reminder that as a nation we have a responsibility to empower women to participate in every aspect of our society – not only for the betterment of America, but also for an example for the world. So thank you, to the women of my district, our nation, and the world who work to make their communities a better place for us all.”