Congressman Gonzalez Votes to Advance Women’s Rights and the Equal Rights Amendment

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) took a historic step and voted in favor of H.J.Res.79 to remove the arbitrary deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and put the country closer to ratification. The ERA will enshrine women's equality in the Constitution by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex and ensuring women and men are equal under the eyes of the law.

H.J.Res.79 is cosponsored by 224 bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have introduced a companion joint resolution in the U.S. Senate.

"Today, I voted for the generations of women and girls who have been impacted by misogyny and gender bias," said Congressman Gonzalez. "Since the early 1900s, women have been fighting for equality and we have the opportunity to do the right thing. The Equal Rights Amendment will affirm the constitutional principle that ‘all men are created equal' and give women the legal protections they rightfully deserve."

Background:

When Congress passed the ERA in 1972, it attached an arbitrary 7-year ratification deadline which was later extended three more years. By 1982, only 35 states out of the required 38 had voted to ratify the amendment. In the past three years, grassroots campaigns have successfully secured ratification votes in Nevada and Illinois and the Virginia legislature voted for ratification on January 27th, 2020. H.J.Res.79 removes the arbitrary deadline for ERA ratification. While it may not be necessary to strike the deadline for ratification, H.J.Res.79 is meant to clear up any legal ambiguity and reaffirm support for women's equality and the ERA.

The full joint resolution can be found here.