by Brett Wilkins, courtesy of commondreams.org –
A coalition of Democratic US lawmakers led by Reps. Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley have announced the launch of a new caucus aimed at realizing the century-long goal of adding an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.
“It has been 100 years since the Equal Rights Amendment was first drafted and introduced in Congress, and more than a half century since both chambers passed it,” Bush (D-Mo.) said in a statement announcing the founding of the Congressional Equal Rights Amendment Caucus. “That is far too long for women, Black and Brown folks, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups to wait for constitutional gender equality—and we refuse to wait any longer.”
Pressley (D-Mass.) said, “I am proud to launch the ERA Caucus with my sister-in-service Congresswoman Bush to affirm the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the Consti-tution, establish gender equality as a national priority, and center our most vulnerable and marginalized communities, who stand to benefit the most.”
Caucus member Rep. Summer Lee (D-Penn.) said, “It’s not shocking that when the Constitution was first drafted, women, Black, Brown, queer, and marginalized folks were intentionally written out. What is shocking is that in 2023, our Constitution still does not include equal rights regardless of sex—meaning our Constitution still does not reflect or protect all people.”
“To the right-wing politicians and judges waging a full-on assault on the rights of women and queer youth, we’re not afraid and we won’t be silenced,” Lee added. “We’re organized and mobilized to make equal rights the law of the land.”
After passing the House in 1971 and the Senate the following year, the ERA was submitted to the states for ratification. Congress set a March…
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