Equal Rights Amendment Should Be a Priority for 110th Congress

Throughout this country’s history, women have been subjected to tremendous discrimination and unequal treatment.  This discrimination continues today.  It is time to reinforce women’s rights under the law by making them part of our country’s founding document, the Constitution, by ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).  The ERA reads, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state on account of sex.”  When the 110th Congress convenes, I will strongly support my resolution that requires the House of Representatives to take any legislative action necessary to verify the ratification of the ERA as part of the Constitution when the legislatures of an additional three States ratify the ERA.

The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972, but only 35 of the required 38 states have ratified it.  While the necessary number of states have not ratified the amendment in the allotted time, it is my view that if three additional states ratify the ERA, the courts would sooner or later get to the question of whether the prior ratifications were valid.  I want the House to go on record to say that these ratifications are indeed valid.  That is precisely what my amendment does.

We have made tremendous progress in addressing the inequality and discrimination of our nation’s past.  We should not take this progress for granted; rather we should reinforce our laws to make sure it never happens again.  The ERA is an important step forward to ensure equal rights to all people, regardless of sex.  I will continue my fight to ratify the ERA so that our laws reflect these values. 

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