This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
Published on November 7, 2019, a House hearing was held in April on a bipartisan resolution to repeal the deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment. The resolution, which has 215 co-sponsors, is led by Representative Jackie Speier of California.
Ms. Speier stated, "It’s been extended by Congress, so if you can extend it, you can certainly strike it." The next step is a House Judiciary Committee markup, which is expected to happen within the next two weeks.
While the Democratic-led House is moving forward with the resolution, the Republican-led Senate's actions are less certain. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, could refuse to allow a vote, as he has done with many pieces of legislation.
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat of Maryland, believes the Senate resolution has enough votes to pass if brought to the floor. Two Republicans, Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, are co-sponsoring the resolution.
Jessica Neuwirth, a founder and co-president of the E.R.A. Coalition, argued that ratification in Virginia would make inaction by Congress politically untenable. She stated, "At that point, what you have is Congress almost standing in the way of the states’ clear and explicit intention to ratify the E.R.A."
What happens next? ¶
Legal experts disagree on whether Congress has the authority to remove the deadline or whether its removal can apply retroactively. If Virginia ratifies the E.R.A. before Congress passes the deadline legislation, does it count?
