An outspoken feminist icon throughout her two decades in Congress, former US Rep. Pat Schroeder passed away on 13 March, night. A former press secretary for Schroeder confirmed that she passed away in a Florida hospital after suffering a stroke.
Throughout her 24 years serving a House district in Colorado, the former politician is most known for standing up to her male colleagues as a fierce advocate for women’s and families rights.
“Her leadership for women and families made a lasting impact, and Pat was a true trailblazer for so many of us. May her memory always be a blessing,” tweeted Colorado’s Democratic secretary of state Jena Griswold.
You can check out the tweet we have provided you below:
An incredible public servant and historic trailblazer, Pat Schroeder’s countless contributions to the State of Colorado and our country will truly have a lasting impact.
My deepest condolences to her family. https://t.co/6FITZ6jBgi
— Rep. Joe Neguse (@RepJoeNeguse) March 14, 2023
RIP to Rep. Pat Schroeder — always loved interviewing her about her fight for women’s rights, female representation in government, the Clarence Thomas confirmation battle and all her other stories https://t.co/Kq13TCglLd
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) March 14, 2023
Schroeder was originally elected in 1972 and easily won 11 more terms in office despite her unconventional approach to legislation, which included publicly criticizing and shaming her fellow lawmakers. She fought against the dominant elite and ultimately succeeded in getting government institutions to recognize women’s participation in government.
However, she was never chosen to head a committee due to her distinctively combative style. She continued to assert that she would not join “the good old boys’ club” for the sake of gaining political favor.
She clashed ideologically with both Republicans and fellow Democrats. Several legislators, including Schroeder, complained to the House ethics committee about House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s broadcast college lecture series, arguing that Gingrich’s acquisition of free cable time amounted to an improper gift.
To this day, Gingrich regrets not taking Schroeder and her colleagues more seriously when they warned him to tone it down.
She also gave Reagan the “Teflon” president nickname because of how easily he avoided responsibility for significant policy blunders. She sat in the same chair as US Representative Ron Dellums, the first African American to serve on the House Armed Services Committee, making history as the first woman to do so.
Schroeder claimed that the Louisiana Democrat and committee head F. Edward Hebert made her and Dellums sit in the same chair because he didn’t think a woman or an African American deserved a full seat on the committee.
Replying to a congressman who questioned her ability to be a working mother of two young children, she said, “I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both.”
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In 1993, a family-leave bill authored by Shroeder was signed into law, guaranteeing workers’ jobs while they took time off to care for a newborn, sick child or aging parent. The Portland, Oregon native and Harvard Law School graduate pondered a presidential run in 1987, but she ultimately decided against it.
Her 1997 retirement was followed by a 1998 book titled “24 Years of Housework… and the Place is Still a Mess,” a scathing farewell to her former coworkers. She wrote “My Life in Politics,” in which she expressed her dissatisfaction with the slow pace of change in federal agencies and the preponderance of men in the sector.
The former pilot put herself through college by starting her own flying service, first at Harvard and then at the University of Minnesota.
Once Schroeder had finished her time in Congress, she returned to her teaching roots at Princeton. But she never stopped being politically engaged, serving as a mentor to hopefuls and working the 2016 election trail for Hillary Clinton.
Her final years were spent in Florida, where she continued to give speeches and visit homes. She is survived by her husband of 46 years, their two daughters, her brother and four grandchildren.
Pat Schroeder a feminist icon of congress passed away on 13 March. You can also pay your regards to Pat Schroeder in our comment section. To know more details keep following venturejoilt.com.