For Immediate Release
April 10, 2024
Contact: Taylor Haulsee
WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Mike Johnson hosted a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring Rosie the Riveter, the women who worked or volunteered in support of the war efforts during World War II, in recognition of their contributions to the United States and the inspiration they have provided to ensuing generations. These women left their homes to work or volunteer full-time in factories, farms, shipyards, airplane factories, banks, and other institutions in support of the military overseas.
The ceremony, held in Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol and widely attended by Members of Congress, featured remarks from Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, Senators Bob Casey and Susan Collins, and former Representative Jackie Speier. Mae Krier, an original Rosie the Riveter who helped produce aircrafts in Seattle from 1943-1945, accepted the medal on behalf of the 6 million women who entered the workforce and provided the equipment, weaponry and ammunition to achieve final victory and end the war.
Watch the Speaker’s remarks here
Read Speaker Johnson’s remarks below:
My colleagues in Congress, friends, family, and of course, our Rosies. It’s my honor to welcome you here to the Capitol for today’s historic occasion.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award this body can award to any group or individual.
Fewer than 200 Gold Medals have been issued in our country’s nearly 250-year history, but today, pursuant to H.R.1773, I have the distinct honor of presenting this medal to Rosie the Riveter – the women who worked or volunteered in support of the war efforts during World War II.
During the first year of the war, President Roosevelt went on a tour visiting factories and plants where ships, tanks, and planes were being built. And during one of those visits, the President observed that as he would walk down the middle aisle of the factory, it would be chiefly the men who would look up and leave their workstations. The men would stand up and debate whether or not the man in the straw hat walking around was really the President. But the women in the factories, they kept their heads down and continued to work. They never let anything interrupt their duties. It didn’t matter that the President was there – these women were not going to waste one minute – they were busy riveting, inspecting, and assembling and doing what their duty called for.
When you talk to the children of these Rosies, you’ll hear them use words like “true grit,” “patriotism,” and “love for family,” to describe their mothers.
The Rosies exemplified what the image of the Proverbs 31 woman is, it says in part in scripture, “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”
They worked 12 and 14-hour days, six days a week, and knew what it was like to be so tired they couldn’t even eat.
I have the diary of one such Rosie, Augusta Clawson in my hand. She was a welder, and on one rare occasion, in May 1943, she got a whole weekend off work. She wrote, “Two days off in succession. I feel like a retired banker.”
Before us today we are so honored to have more than two dozen real-life Rosies. Two dozen ladies of the war. I don’t really believe that though because they all look so young. The women who built our ships and our bombs. The invisible warriors of the home front. Some took multiple buses to get to the plant. Many picked up and moved across the country.
We recognize these Rosies, and millions more, because they all sacrificed time away from home and used their God-given gifts and talents for the good of our nation and for military victory against the Axis powers.
But even as we sought victory, these women fought for double victory. Victory from tyranny and victory from prejudice. Although they were now welcome at our voting booths, they were not yet welcome on the usual assembly lines. That all changed because of these Rosies, who quietly fought to be treated as individuals made in God’s image, endowed with inestimable dignity, regardless of their gender or the color of their skin.
It’s my privilege to welcome you all here, to meet you, and extend our gratitude for all that you did for our country, and what you’ve done for generations of women since.
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