(IntegrityPress.org) – A motion to eliminate the time limit for ratification of the Equal Rights addition to the US Constitution, was not advanced by the Senate on Thursday, 4/27/23. Despite having two Republican co-sponsors—Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska- the resolution was defeated by a vote of 51–47, with the majority of GOP senators voting against it. Republicans argued that the amendment is not needed since the 14th Amendment already provides equal protections for women. Supporters of the ERA, on the other hand, believe that it would ban discrimination based on sex and ensure equal rights for all under the Constitution.
There was little hope that the resolution would be approved by both chambers of Congress- even though the vote was largely an opportunity for the GOP to be put on the spot by Democrats. The ERA has been ratified by 38 states, which appears to meet the required three-fourths necessary for approval. A few of the other states adopted it after a deadline set by Congress had passed, casting doubt on the legitimacy of those actions- and several other states later withdrew their support.
If the failed resolution had been approved by both chambers of Congress and the President, it would have extended the deadline, allowing the ERA to be enacted. According to the legislation’s summary, this joint resolution declares that the Equal Rights Amendment, which forbids sex-based discrimination, was agreed on by almost all of the states which makes it a legit amendment, even if there were restrictions of time at any point. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wanted his fellow senators to support the bill, saying it was essential to prevent the treatment of the other half of the population as second-class citizens. He also cited the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year as evidence that the ERA should be passed immediately.
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