1923
1972
1974
1982
2017 -
2020
2021
The federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was written and first proposed to Congress.
ERA is passed by Congress, sent to states for ratification with 1982 deadline.
Maine ratifies Federal ERA.
Ratification deadline expires with only 35 of necessary 38 states
Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia ratify ERA, despite time limit.
House of Representatives votes to remove ratification time limit.
2022
50th anniversary of the ERA being passed by the 1972 Congress.
2023
New resolutions introduced in the House and Senate will facilitate recognition of the 28th amendment.
ERA bills in the 118th U.S. Congress
(2023-2025)
What 's next?
For the ERA to be accepted as the 28th Amendment, Congress can withdraw the arbitrary time limit placed on ratification by the minority opposition in 1982.
"My conclusion as a constitutional scholar is that the ERA is currently a valid part of the United States Constitution, that Congress should act concurrently to recognize it as such, and that even if Congress takes no such action the Archivist should publish it as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment."
-Laurence H. Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor Emeritus At Harvard Law School in a March 22, 2022 letter
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New bills to address the time limit issue and to facilitate recognition of the 28th Amendment were presented in January of 2023 at the start of the 118th session of Congress. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced H.J. Res. #25 on January 31st, 2023 with 133 co-sponsors. H.J. Res. #25 would remove the arbitrary ratification deadline for the ERA and recognize the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution.
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You can help! Ask your Congressperson to support the Resolution.
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In the Senate, Senator Ben Cardin (MD) is the chief sponsor along with Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) of S.J. Res. 4, introduced January 25th, 2023. The resolution will soon be considered by the Judiciary Committee.
The ERA should be considered the 28th
Amendment as it has satisfied all
requirements of a Constitutional
amendment. In order to facilitate its
acceptance, in the face of 100 years of
opposition to women’s rights, Congress
will soon vote on bills that technically
withdraw the time limit obstacle placed in
1982 by the minority in opposition at that
time. It is most likely the ERA will be
challenged in court by those still opposing
its simple assertion that Americans will not
be denied equal rights ‘on account of sex’.
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In the House
In January of 2023, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced H.J. Res. #25. This resolution would remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the ERA and recognizes the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution, since it meets the requirement in Article 5 of the Constitution.
Some of the other co-leaders for this resolution include Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Cori Bush (MO 01), and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), among others. The resolution has 133 co-sponsors.
In the Senate
Senator Ben Cardin (MD) is the chief sponsor of the senate version, S.J. Res. 4, which he introduced on January 25th along with co-lead Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK). The resolution states that “the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, regardless of any time limit that was in the original proposal.”
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Our current President and Vice President are outspoken proponents of women's rights and the ERA. They are actively building policies that support women but their policies and laws will be undone, as they have in the past, without the constitutional footing of the ERA.
Take Action
Affirm the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution:
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In the US House, H.J. Res. #25 will affirm the ERA as the 28th Amendment and eliminate the time limit. Ask our Representatives for their support!
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The Senate version of the resolution is S.J. Res. 4. Ask our Senators for their support!
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Maine is the first state
with 100% participation from its U.S. Congressional delegation
in support of the bills that will revive
the federal Equal Rights Amendment!
Rep. Jared Golden, Rep. Chellie Pingree, Governor Janet Mills, Sen. Susan Collins and Senator Angus King - our full Maine U.S. delegation.
Banner image courtesy of Ms. Magazine