A coalition of more than 100 lawmakers wrote a letter on Sunday urging President Biden to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would outlaw gender discrimination in the Constitution.
“We must continue our efforts to fully affirm and recognize the equality of rights for all people, regardless of sex, as part of our Constitution, a vital effort that has never been more urgent,” Congress members penned.
“This action is essential as we prepare to transition to an administration that has been openly hostile to reproductive freedom, access to health care, and LGBTQIA+ rights.”
Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment, have long advocated for Biden to take action toward instating equal rights under the law.
They cited concerns for gender-affirming health care requested by transgender minors and the rise in state abortion bans as reasons for the president to ratify the amendment.
“We believe that recognizing the ERA's ratification would not only fulfill the promise of equality enshrined in our founding documents, but would also stand as a defining achievement of your presidency — one that will reverberate across generations,” the lawmakers wrote.
“In this critical moment, when the progress we’ve made on gender equality, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ protections is under threat, your decisive action to finalize the ERA’s certification would be a powerful statement to the nation and the world: that the United States is committed to ensuring equality for all, regardless of sex.”
The amendment was approved by the House in 1971 and the Senate in 1972. As of Jan. 27, 2020, the ERA has satisfied the requirements of Article 5 of the Constitution for ratification — after Virginia became the necessary 38th state to ratify the ERA.
But the proposed addition to the Constitution faced pushback in President-elect Trump’s first administration for not meeting deadline requirements.
Biden signaled support for the ERA in 2023 on Aug. 26, Women’s Equality Day.
“I have long supported the ERA since I first ran for public office — and it is long past time that we heed the will of the American people and make this Amendment the law of the land. No one should be discriminated against based on their sex — and we, as a nation, must affirm and protect women’s full equality,” he said in a statement.
“As we mark Women’s Equality Day, I continue to urge Congress to act swiftly to recognize ratification of the ERA and affirm the fundamental truth that all Americans should have equal rights and protections under the law,” he added.
Bush and others say it’s time Biden acts on those beliefs.
