Arcuri Forgets Women’s History In His Own District
Searching for information on a dramatic health care amendment to be offered by Congressman Anthony Weiner during the markup of H.R. 3200, I came across a statement he gave on another subject: The Anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention for women’s rights that took place 161 years ago. It was the political network that started at that convention that led to many of the women’s rights achievements that we take for granted today, such as the right to vote.
Weiner said of the occasion, “Today reminds us how far we have come as a nation. Be it, Hillary Clinton’s 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling or the passage of the Lilly Leadbetter Fair Pay Act or the upcoming confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Americans have made great strides towards equality. Today is also a reminder of how far we have to go. With women only making 79.9 cents for every dollar a man makes, there is still so much that needs to be done. I will continue to fight for equality.”
Representative Weiner lives in New York, the state where the Seneca Falls Convention took place. However, Seneca Falls is not in Weiner’s district – far from it. Weiner represents a downstate district, whereas Seneca Falls is far upstate, on the northern edge of the Finger Lakes region.
Seneca Falls is in the congressional district of U.S. Representative Michael Arcuri. So, what did Congressman Arcuri have to say on the anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention?
Zilch. Representative Arcuri said nothing at all about the anniversary of this milestone in women’s rights. He made no speeches. He issued no statements. He did nothing. He didn’t even send a card.
Mike Arcuri seems to have forgotten about the whole thing. That’s just plain disrespectful – to his district, to women, and to people who reasonably expect members of Congress to acknowledge to historical struggle for equality in the United States.
[...] Michael Arcuri had nothing to say about the Seneca Falls Convention. He didn’t even have an aide write a short statement for him. Congressman Arcuri’s office seems to have forgotten about the whole thing. [...]