news

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representatives Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), and Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) today released the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives voting to remove the ratification deadline on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution. 

“Last year, we watched Virginia make history by becoming the 38th state in the union to ratify the ERA, hitting the federal threshold for ratification. This decades-long push was led by mothers, daughters, sisters, and granddaughters in the Commonwealth, and it is thanks to their efforts that Virginia holds a momentous chapter in the story of this movement. 

“However, the outdated ratification deadline on the ERA still presents a major barrier to guaranteeing that all Americans — no matter their sex — are protected under our Constitution. Congress has the power to change this arbitrary expiration date, and today, we will vote on legislation that takes the long overdue step of repealing the deadline on ratification. There should be no deadline on equality.

“For more than 100 years, this fight to achieve equal protections under the law has been galvanized by the hard work and relentless commitment of women and men who never stopped believing in the promise of equality. Our three votes on this legislation are dedicated to the Virginians who organized, marched, and advocated for progress. We have faith that they will soon see ratification, and we — the three women of Virginia’s congressional delegation — are proud to take another step towards making the ERA the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

Wexton presided as speaker pro tempore over the vote on the resolution, a photo of which can be found below. The three Virginia Congresswomen are all original cosponsors of the resolution, H.J. Res. 17, which would remove the deadline for the ratification of the ERA.

###