Chris Van Hollen: “let me thank my colleague from Connecticut for his words in support of the Equal Rights Amendment and for his fight for…”

“let me thank my colleague from Connecticut for his words in support of the Equal Rights Amendment and for his fight for justice. Let me also thank my colleague, my Maryland partner and friend Senator Cardin, for teaming up with Senator Murkowski to push for passage of this legislation year after year. It is long overdue that we take this up and that we pass it in the U.S. Senate. If you look at our history during the darkest of times and against the longest of odds, Americans from all backgrounds have stood together to insist that America live up to its promise--the promise of equality, the promise of equal rights for all. In fact, if you think about the story of America, it really is the story of the struggle to make good on that fundamental promise to ensure that every individual receives equal dignity. We talk about how we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that is true. There are not more rights for men and not supposed to be more rights for any particular group. It is supposed to be about equal dignity, and equal dignity should include equal treatment under the law. In their fight for voting rights, our Nation's suffragettes faced unjust arrest. They faced persecution. They faced resistance from a nation that was not yet willing to fulfill that full promise when it came to voting rights.…”