With just weeks left until President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office with three Republican parties in the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, more than 120 Democrats on Sunday called on President Joe Biden to protect him. He called for an important step to be taken. Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment would spare millions of Americans from Trump’s far-right MAGA policies.
The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and met the requirement for ratification by three-quarters of U.S. states in 2020, making Virginia the 38th state to ratify the amendment.
However, President Trump and the Republican Party argued that during the president’s first term, they failed to meet the standards by the deadline set by Congress because nearly 50 years passed between the amendment’s passage and the requirements for ratification, and the ERA The enforcement of the law was blocked.
“If the roles were reversed, none of the Republicans would care about deadlines,” journalist Emma Vigeland said.
Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Cori Bush (D-Missouri), co-chairs of the Equal Rights Amendment Congressional Caucus, led their colleagues in speaking out against Biden, citing U.S. law. , Colleen, National Archivist, said: Mr. Shogan is required to certify the proposed constitutional amendment “when the National Archives and Records Administration receives official notification that the proposed constitutional amendment has been approved by a sufficient number of states.”
Lawmakers said all Biden would have to do to ratify the amendment, which specifically outlaws sex and gender discrimination, is to direct Shogan to release the ERA.
“Consolidating your legacy on equal rights with final action on the ERA is a historic Biden-Harris administration,” the representatives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) and Rep. Maxwell, said in a statement. “This will be a defining moment for your presidency.” Alejandro Frost (D-Florida) and James McGovern (D-Massachusetts).
Earlier this month, 46 U.S. senators joined in a call for Biden to ratify the ERA.
As President Trump brags about helping the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade and Republicans push for a nationwide abortion ban, reproductive rights advocates are calling for the ERA to be formally incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. It states that it could be triggered by a judge after being added to the law. To overturn anti-abortion laws.
Utah’s state-level ERA was activated in September, putting its abortion ban on hold.
“Constitutional guarantees against sex discrimination would strengthen the protection of reproductive rights and ensure people’s right to make decisions about their own bodies free from political interference or unequal treatment.” the lawmakers wrote.
The signatories said that while some civil rights laws and the Education Amendment protect people from government sex discrimination, the Constitution does not and gender equality remains subject to “changing political circumstances, judicial interpretations, and shifts in public opinion.” He pointed out that the country is vulnerable to Protect explicitly.
“Adding the ERA to the Constitution would establish a clear guarantee that discrimination based on sex is unconstitutional,” the lawmakers wrote. “The ERA will help eliminate gender-based pay disparities, improve workplace protections, and ensure that gender bias does not affect hiring, promotion, and job security. For those experiencing gender-based discrimination, California’s ERA provides clearer legal avenues to challenge discriminatory laws and policies and ensures protections for women in the workforce. , ensuring equal treatment in education and health care.”
A 2020 Pew Research Center poll found that directing Mr. Shogan to ratify and publicize the ERA would push Mr. Biden to support an amendment supported by 78% of Americans. added.
On Women’s Equality Day, Aug. 26, Biden said he has “long supported the ERA,” urging Congress to “act quickly to ratify the ERA and ensure that all Americans are equal under the law.” “We called on them to affirm the fundamental truth that all people should have the right and protection they deserve.” ”
But by simply “directing archivists to release the ERA,” Biden would “leave an indelible mark on history,” the lawmakers said.
This country is demonstrating once again that your legacy is one of expanding rights, protecting freedom, and securing a more inclusive future for all Americans. We urge you to take this final transformative step to ensure America’s full promise of equality for all people. ”
