Rep. Gabbard Urges Passage of Equal Rights Amendment

VIDEO: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Jan. 29, 2019. 

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawai‘i-02) spoke on the House floor on Jan. 29, 2019, urging passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee legal gender equality for women and men under the U.S. Constitution, said a Jan. 29 press release from Rep. Gabbard’s office.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said:

“It’s been nearly 100 years since women fought for and won the right to vote. Yet, we still do not have equal rights and protection under the United States Constitution. There are too many examples in our everyday lives where women still do not get equal pay for equal work and where we still face discrimination simply for being a woman.

“In 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced in Congress to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, and was reintroduced every session until it finally passed in 1972. However, because of an arbitrary deadline in 1982, by that time, only 35 states out of the required 38 had ratified the amendment. In the past two years, we’ve inched forward with successful votes in Nevada and Illinois, and now we’re just one state away from finally passing the Equal Rights Amendment. This is not about politics. It’s about equality. It’s about humanity. It’s long overdue that we pass the Equal Rights Amendment and include equality between men and women in the United States Constitution.”

Rep. Gabbard has fought for equal treatment and opportunity for all Americans throughout her time in Congress. She has cosponsored a joint resolution that will remove the arbitrary deadline for state ratification and allow for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. She has also cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.