President Obama will designate a new national monument in Washington Tuesday to honor the movement for women’s equality.
Mr. Obama will designate the new Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument to protect the historic house on Capitol Hill that has served as the headquarters for the National Woman’s Party since 1929.
The facility, also known as the Sewall-Belmont House, is the site where members of the Women’s Party led the movement for women’s equality, authoring more than 600 pieces of federal, state and local legislation in support of equal rights, the White House said.
The new monument is named for former Women’s Party president, activist and suffragist Alva Belmont, a major benefactor of the party; and Alice Paul, who founded the party and played a leading role in the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote in 1920. Ms. Paul died in New Jersey in 1977 at age 92.
Mr. Obama has designated more than 265 million acres of land and water as national monuments for preservation, more than any president in history. The White House said Mr. Obama “has sought to protect places that are diverse, culturally and historically significant, and that reflect the story of all Americans.”
“By honoring the history and accomplishments of the movement for women’s equality, tomorrow’s designation will build on this effort towards a more inclusive National Park System and tell the story of women’s fight for equality for generations to come,” the statement said.
The president has been criticized throughout his presidency for paying female White House staffers less overall than male staffers. White House advisers say the comparisons are inaccurate and that staffers with comparable job titles are paid the same, regardless of gender.
The Antiquities Act of 1906 allows the president to establish national monuments from existing federal lands. The law has been used by 16 presidents, eight Republicans and eight Democrats, to declare more than 140 national monuments.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.