[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the ERA, which is a different and 
extremely important matter, I want to praise and echo the words of my 
colleagues yesterday who reintroduced a resolution to affirm the 
ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
  The resolution is simple. It removes the arbitrary deadline for ERA 
ratification that was placed by Congress in the 1970s and recognizes 
the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution. There is no good 
reason why a constitutional amendment needs a deadline, especially not 
an amendment that affirms gender equality.
  The Equal Rights Amendment has never been as necessary and urgent as 
it is today. The Supreme Court's repeal of Roe v. Wade reminded all of 
us that, even today--in 2023, the 21st century--women don't have the 
same fundamental rights as men. So this resolution is a terrific and 
necessary idea.
  The ERA has been ratified by three-quarters of the States but not in 
the requisite time, and that is what this proposal would fix. It is 
very popular in the minds of the American people, and I strongly 
support the resolution. I want my daughters and granddaughter to live 
in a country where they never have to worry about being discriminated 
against simply because of their gender. Sadly, today, that is not the 
case. The ERA would fix that.
  So I want to thank Senators Cardin and Durbin, Representatives 
Pressley, Dean, and Bush, and everyone who is championing this 
important resolution.

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