On the recordFebruary 13, 2020
After nearly a century, the equal rights amendment is on the cusp of ratification. At America's founding, women were intentionally left out of the Constitution. As second-class citizens, we lacked the right to vote, hold most jobs, or even own property. Today, we still receive less pay for the same work, and we face violence and harassment just for being women. But the ERA will prohibit all of that. In the eyes of our most sacred document, we will finally be equal. Women's rights should not depend on congressional whims or who occupies the White House. These basic fundamental rights must be guaranteed. But, if we want to hand a more perfect union to our daughters--and I have two of them--we must seize this moment to end sex discrimination. We owe it to the women who sacrificed before us and all of our daughters and sons who deserve a life of true equality. So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution to remove the arbitrary and outdated deadline for ratifying the ERA.
