Staten Island Politician Plus Wonder Woman? It’s Definitely Women’s History Month!

Malliotakis Celebrates Women’s History Month with WonderWoman at Capitol

Editor’s note: Last year we celebrated Women’s History Month with the Alice Austen House on Staten Island.  And last year, Rep. Malliotakis announced renewed efforts to build Women’s History and Latino museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. NY Foundling held a Women’s Empowerment event the previous year. 

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis along with members of the bipartisan Women’s caucus and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum joined together to host a Women’s History Month Celebration with WonderWoman herself Lynda Carter at the U.S. Capitol.

Congresswoman Malliotakis is leading the effort to transfer the land on the National Mall to the Smithsonian Institution so they can build the museum first authorized by President Trump in 2020 alongside Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Mike Carey (R-OH), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The bill, H.R. 1329, has strong bipartisan support, with over 90 cosponsors.

From Left to Right:
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, Lynda Carter, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, Lynda Carter, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum

Key provisions of the legislation include:

Allows the museum to be placed within the reserve of the National Mall, and facilitates the land transfer by directing federal agencies to transfer administrative jurisdiction of the designated land to the Smithsonian Institution.

Requires Congressional Oversight by establishing biennial reporting requirements to ensure transparency in the museum’s development and exhibit curation.

The legislation does not require new federal spending from taxpayers it simply allows for land designation.

“When WonderWoman first aired 50 years ago, women were still fighting for many basic rights, including equal pay, the ability to obtain a credit card without a male co-signer, protections against pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment, the right to serve on juries, and access to military academies,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. “While great progress has been made, it is important we recognize and preserve women’s contributions to our nation’s history. That’s why I have reintroduced bipartisan legislation to construct the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.”

Advertisement

“Women have shaped every chapter of our nation’s history—as flag makers and freedom riders, soldiers and suffragists, journalists and educators, engineers and astronauts,” said Senator Klobuchar. “When we acknowledge the role of women in our country’s past, we send a crystal clear message that women have a place in our future. I am proud to celebrate the women who have forged inspiring paths and whose stories should be told by leading the bill in the Senate to establish a women’s history museum.”

“Generations of American women have played a critical role in shaping and supporting our nation. By providing the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum with a dedicated space on the National Mall in Washington, DC, we are permanently honoring their stories and contributions. I am proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure the incredible history of American women is easily accessible to the millions of people who visit our nation’s capital every year” said Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

“The National Mall tells the story of our country, but that story is incomplete without the inclusion of the prolific accomplishments of America’s women and the ways they have made our union a more perfect one,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “That’s why I’m working with a broad coalition of Members of Congress to introduce and pass bipartisan legislation to secure the rightful, prominent spot on the National Mall that the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum deserves. I will continue to support and co-sponsor legislation requiring the National Museum of the American Latino be placed on the National Mall as well.”

“America’s story is incomplete without the women who built it. I was proud to lead the bipartisan charge to establish the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in 2020, but a museum without a home cannot fulfill its mission. The National Mall is where our nation honors its history—and women’s history belongs there. This bill ensures that future generations will see, learn from, and be inspired by the trailblazing women who shaped our country—right where they should be, at the heart of our capital,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

From Left to Right:
Senator Marsha Blackburn, Jane Abraham Chair of the American Museum of Women’s History Congressional Commission, Congressman Jeff Van Drew, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Speaker Mike Johnson, Lynda Carter, Elizabeth Babcock Director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, and Congresswoman Young Kim. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis

Banner Image: Wonder Woman. Image Credit – byulnamu

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was sworn in on January 3, 2021 to represent Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn. Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, defeating a two-term incumbent. In the Assembly, she served as Minority Whip and the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. For five terms, Congresswoman Malliotakis fought to restore ethics in Albany, expand transit service in her district, improve programs for senior citizens, reform education and improve New York’s economic climate by reducing the tax burden on small businesses and residents. A cornerstone of her tenure was helping her community recover and rebuild following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In addition to advocating for these same issues in Washington, Congresswoman Malliotakis is acutely focused on securing New York’s fair share of federal mass transit funding, which would go towards expanding transportation services and easing traffic congestion, while also championing public safety by supporting our nation’s law enforcement officers. Congresswoman Malliotakis is the daughter of immigrants, her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship. She is currently the only Republican member representing New York City in Congress, representing a district spanning the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. She is a passionate advocate for animal rights and the strengthening of animal cruelty laws, and in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her chihuahua, Peanut.