Memphis Standard

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn has announced the signing into law of the bipartisan Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act, which she introduced alongside Senator Tammy Baldwin. This legislation will ensure that the Women’s Suffrage National Monument is established on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Senator Blackburn highlighted Tennessee's historical significance in the women's suffrage movement: “Tennessee has played a critical role in the women’s suffrage fight since we became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment – granting women the right to vote,” she stated. She expressed satisfaction that pioneers like Susan B. Anthony will be recognized on such a prominent national stage.

The National Mall, home to over 40 monuments, currently lacks any dedicated to American women. In 2020, legislation was passed to create a Women's Suffrage National Monument on federal lands in Washington, D.C., but it did not authorize its construction on the National Mall itself. The new act addresses this by allowing for its placement there.

The monument will honor both the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment, first ratified in Wisconsin and last ratified in Tennessee.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Michael Bennet, Cynthia Lummis, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jeanne Shaheen, and Tammy Duckworth.