Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez addressed the House of Representatives Thursday about his proposed Put a Woman on a Twenty Act.

H.R. 1910 intends to nominate a woman whose picture could be placed on the $20-bill instead of President Andrew Jackson, according to the Congressman's website.

"Women led us out of slavery on the Underground Railroad, taught us what the phrase 'all men are created equal' really means by fighting for women's suffrage and for civil rights, and have led in all sectors in society," Gutierrez said.

"When I go to the bank, when I use an ATM, when I travel overseas, the twenty dollar bill is already widely used and in the purses and wallets of hundreds of millions of people," he added.

Gutierrez was inspired to draft the Put a Woman on a Twenty Act by one of his staff members. She introduced him to the online campaign "Women on 20s," where more than half a million people voted in support of putting a woman on U.S. currency.

"We all know that the Almighty Dollar speaks," Gutierrez said. "But what if it had a woman's voice?"

The Illinois Congressman introduced the Put a Woman on a Twenty Act on April 21 via a press release. He realized that women are not represented on U.S. currency although they have filled more positions of leadership in America.

"Recognizing and celebrating the significant contributions of women throughout American history on U.S. paper currency makes a powerful statement to my daughters and to young women across this country and to people across the globe who look to America as an example of inclusion and equal rights," Rep. Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is the co-chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.