Every March since 1987, the United States celebrates Women's History Month. This month is an important opportunity to laud the tremendous strides women have made in our society, teach our young women about some important role models and reflect on how we can increase opportunities for our next generation of female leaders.

When members of our military volunteer to serve their country, their families serve alongside them. These spouses, parents, and children may not put on our nation's uniform, but their service deserves no less respect.

During one of my many visits to Lee County, I learned about a one-of-a-kind initiative taking place in our local community colleges. The Central Carolina Works Initiative and the Lee County Innovation Center are two public-private partnerships that are seeking to expand educational opportunities to students across Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties.

The palpable absence of a coordinated strategy in support of the pro-democracy advocates in Venezuela is evident and yet another in a string of missed opportunities by the Obama administration to promote U.S. interests and freedom around the world.

My office has heard from hundreds of South Dakotans who are worried about the new health care law's costs. One family in White said their premiums are going up 6.7 percent.

This past week was the 20th anniversary of the farm accident that claimed my Dad's life. March is always a difficult month for our family as we can't help but reflect on that day. It was a split-second decision, but it led to a devastating loss for us all.

Women currently hold a little over four percent of the Fortune 500 CEO positions. However, in the defense industry, women are at the helm of 50 percent of the largest firms. Although women are hardly new to the industry, they are moving rapidly into the top jobs, and in the process melting away the defense industry's male-dominated image.

Throughout history, conservative women have impacted our nation's future and become an important voice in our democratic republic. We have proven ourselves as pioneers, innovators, leaders and decision-makers. We have created and contributed to many aspects of history–be it agriculture, medicine, politics, philosophy, science, and art. We have touched countless lives and shaped history, yet rarely does society teach, recognize or display our contributions–and it is time for this to change.

A cancer patient finds out her life-saving treatments aren't covered under ObamaCare. A small business owner can no longer provide health insurance to those who work for him. A Michigan hospital is forced to lay off employees who have worked there for years. And a woman with lupus takes on a second job because ObamaCare doesn't cover the cost of the medications that keep her alive.

Often times when I talk with folks in Washington about farming, they still picture a tanned man in a straw hat and flannel shirt perched atop a small, cab-less tractor. Sure, there are still animals to feed, cows to be milked, and dusty fields to work in. We still wake up early and spend the day doing hard labor. But the industry has changed since then.

For nearly a century, conservative women have changed history and become an important voice in our democratic republic. We have made enormous progress, and that is due to your willingness to be the voice of our party and the principles we hold dear. As we embark on the next chapter of our journey, the work you have done is more important than ever. Now is the time to take action and reclaim our nation's future.

Last week, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel previewed some significant changes coming for our nation's military. Though the details won't be public until President Obama releases his proposed budget today, we know the size and scope of our Armed Forces will be greatly reduced. In fact, under the president's proposal, the Army would shrink to its pre-World War II size.

If you don't know about all these people, it's understandable. Their stories aren't told widely or often -- perhaps because they were all women. For some reason or other, when the story of our country is told, women -- really great women -- have tended to be left out of the telling.