Congresswoman Luz Rivas’ Statement Supporting President Biden’s Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29), member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and the first Latina to represent California’s 29th Congressional District, released the following statement after President Biden announced ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA):
“Today, President Biden is taking our country one step closer to recognizing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the law of the land. It is imperative that the ERA be enshrined into our Constitution as the 28th Amendment so we can truly live up to our country’s ideals that all Americans, regardless of their gender, are guaranteed equal rights and protections under the law.”
Background
Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1972 to enshrine equal rights and protections for women in the Constitution. Adding an amendment to the Constitution requires three-quarters of states (38) to ratify, or approve the amendment. The original deadline for ratification was set in 1979, which was later extended to 1982. As of 2020, 38 states voted to ratify the ERA. In order to add the ERA as a Constitutional amendment, Congress must pass a bill to extend the 1982 deadline.
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