Mr. Speaker, Monday marked the kickoff of Women's History Month, and in celebration, every day of this month the House will be opened by a woman Member. As co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, I am honored to be a part of the largest number of women ever to serve in the House of Representatives. It is 76; still too few.

It is a testament to the women's rights movement that my female colleagues represent the full political spectrum, bringing a diversity of thoughts, ideas, and opinions to the House.

Women have made great strides in the last decade. Fifty years ago, high school and college students across the country were not given support for their sports activities; and yet last week, women of Team USA, our Olympiads, brought home 13 medals from Vancouver.

It was not long ago that girls were discouraged from obtaining a degree in higher education. Today, 57 percent of graduating undergraduates in this country are women; and according to the Center for American Women in Politics, the number of women serving in State legislatures has more than quintupled since 1971. And this is not just a trend in the United States. Women across the globe are breaking barriers.

We have a long way to go, but we need to celebrate how far we have come.