Senate GOP Blocks Ratification of Equal Rights Amendment

What's the story?

• The Senate GOP has blocked the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would guarantee equal rights under the law regardless of sex, by a vote of 51 to 47.
• Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-MA) were the only Republicans who voted along with Democrats to add the ERA to the Constitution.
• 37 states have ratified the ERA, but it needs ratification by 38 states to be added to the Constitution.
• The Senate GOP blocked the amendment on procedural grounds, arguing that the deadline for ratification had passed.

What are people saying?

• Opponents of the ERA argue that the amendment is unnecessary, given existing laws that prohibit discrimination based on sex, and that it could be used to expand abortion rights.
• Proponents of the ERA argue that the amendment is necessary to ensure women have equal protection under the law. They point to the fact that women still earn less than men for the same work, are underrepresented in political office and high-paying jobs, and are more likely to experience violence and discrimination based on their gender.
• Supporters of the ERA hope they can convince one more state to ratify the amendment and are pursuing legal challenges to the Senate GOP's blocking.
• Former Rep. Peter Breen (R-IL) contended that ERA supporters "have no other thing they want to do" than expand abortion rights.

"It will expand taxpayer funding of abortions, very well might roll back our parental notice (for minors to have an abortion) law and have other negative impacts on various abortion regulations."

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) argued in favor of the amendment:

"This resolution is as necessary as it is timely. America can never hope to be a land of freedom and opportunity so long as half of its population is treated like second-class citizens."

• He continued:

"If you look at the terrible things happening to women's rights in this country, it's clear we must act. To the horror of hundreds of millions of American people, women in America have far fewer rights today than they did a year ago."

• Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) said, "gender equality can't wait, there should be no deadline for that."

What's the backstory?

• The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and provided states a seven-year time limit to ratify the amendment, which was then extended to 1982 after six years had elapsed.
• Once the 1982 deadline arrived, the ERA had been ratified by 35 states — three short of the requirement.
• Following its failure to achieve ratification before the 1982 deadline, the ERA was reintroduced in Congress by those who believed the ratification process would have to begin anew.
• In Jan. 2018, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the ERA, and in May, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA. Still, the progress was stalled by the Senate GOP's blocking of the amendment on procedural grounds. They argued that the deadline for ratification had passed.

Do you support adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution?

—Emma Kansiz 

(Photo credit: Flickr/Washington Area Spark)