Jackie Speier: “This is a glorious day for women in America. With the passage of the ERA and the Violence Against Women Act, we are…”

“This is a glorious day for women in America. With the passage of the ERA and the Violence Against Women Act, we are making great strides forward. This particular resolution does one thing. We want in the Constitution, plain and simple. Antonin Scalia, the great jurist, said once: Does the Constitution require discrimination based on sex? The answer is no. But if the question is: Does the Constitution prohibit discrimination based on sex? The answer is also no. That should send a chilling feeling in each of us that in the Constitution of the United States women are not protected. In fact, we are the only country with a written Constitution that does not prohibit discrimination based on sex. Shame on us. There can be no expiration date on equality. This is a bipartisan bill. We are proud to bring it to the floor. My colleagues across the aisle may say we don't need the ERA, women are already equal under the law, that it is redundant. Well, tell that to Christy Brzonkala, who was raped by two football players at Virginia Tech. She sought justice under VAWA, but the Supreme Court struck down the civil suit provision, claiming Congress lacked the power to pass it. Or Tracy Rexroat, whose starting salary at the Arizona Department of Education was $17,000 less than her colleague. They based the salaries on what their prior salary was from whatever job they came, so she receives $17,000 less than her colleague.…”