On the recordFebruary 13, 2020
I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support today of Congresswoman Speier's bill, H.J. Res. 79. I thank Congresswoman Speier and Congresswoman Maloney for their consistent leadership as warrior women. The ERA would guarantee rights to all and would finally affirm women's equality in our Constitution by removing this arbitrary deadline. We know that, too often, women have been relegated to the sidelines and left out of the Constitution, especially Black women and women of color. For example, there is still rampant gender wage discrimination. Discrimination against women must end. That is why the ERA is so important. It would make sure that our government would ensure that women are treated equally, a right that needs to be clearly outlined in every aspect of our country. I want my granddaughters, Jordan, Simone, and Giselle, to know that they are equal to men, that their rights are enshrined in the Constitution. They, like every girl and woman, deserve equality in their country. They should know that their country, the United States of America, has finally joined the rest of the world to stand up for their rights as American women.
