Houston – As we close out Women’s History Month, we’re honored to highlight a veteran congresswoman whose story was untold until now. Margaret Heckler. Heckler broke through the glass ceilings of politics, making history along the way. First elected in 1967, she was one of only 11 women in Congress. Heckler supported policies favored by voters in Massachusetts, including voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1968. In 1972, she co-sponsored Title IX, which prohibited sex-based discrimination in education. In 1974, she helped pass the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, giving women the right to credit in their own names for the first time in American history.
Heckler also co-founded the first all-women’s caucus in Congress. She championed the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Supreme Court justice. After serving 16 years in Congress, she became one of the first women in President Reagan’s cabinet, serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services. In this role, she made AIDS a national priority and initiated the Heckler Report, which studied the lives of minorities to increase their lifespans. She also, with her team, created the first federalized hospice program under Medicare.
Congresswoman Margaret Heckler helped pave the way for other women to succeed. Now, her daughter-in-law, Kim Heckler, is honoring her legacy in a major way with a new book called Margaret Heckler: A Woman of Firsts. Kim joined Houston Life to discuss Margaret Heckler’s incredible impact. Kim explained that she was around Margaret for 35 years and always felt she was in the presence of greatness. Despite the monumental milestones of Margaret’s life not being widely known, Kim believes now is the perfect time to reintroduce her story to all Americans.
A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer is available now. Kim carefully how Margaret’s work was pivotal in advocating for financial independence for women and breaking barriers in every area of her life. To learn more, you can visit the her website for more information.