Akron Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) announced she has joined a legislative effort by House Democrats to force a vote on H.J. Res. 25, which removes the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and recognizes the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution, with the 38-state threshold needed for ratification of the ERA having been met.

“As Vice Chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, I support this critical resolution because equality and progress should not be held back by an arbitrary deadline. Enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment into our Constitution will ensure men and women are treated equally under the law, simple as that. I call on my colleagues across the aisle to join us in our fight to empower girls and women to uphold America’s promise of freedom and justice for all,” said Rep. Sykes.

The discharge petition would compel House Republican leadership to immediately send H.J. Res. 25 to the floor for a vote if 218 Members sign on.

The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced 100 years ago to codify gender equality. Since 1923, the constitutional amendment was introduced in every session of Congress until it passed in 1972 in both the House and Senate. Congress then placed an arbitrary seven-year deadline on the ratification process before extending the deadline to 1982, but only 35 ratified the ERA before the arbitrary deadline.  However, with the recent ratifications of the ERA by Nevada in 2017, Illinois in 2018 and Virginia in 2020, the 38 states needed for certification of the ERA to become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has now been reached.

Ratifying the ERA would enshrine the principle of women’s equality in our Constitution with an explicit prohibition against sex discrimination.

As the 28th Amendment, the ERA would serve as a new tool — for Congress, for federal agencies, and in the courts — to advance equality regarding workforce and pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment and violence, reproductive autonomy, and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Enshrining this protection in our Constitution also ensures enduring protections for all Americans across the country, and signals to the courts that a more rigorous level of review should be applied to laws and government policies that discriminate on the basis of sex.

Original source can be found here.