Virginia Foxx: “I thank my colleague from Georgia for yielding time. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 79. As a…”

“I thank my colleague from Georgia for yielding time. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 79. As a woman who has worked all her life, often in male-dominated professions, I detest discrimination in any form against any group, and I have always done all that I can to eliminate it. Furthermore, I welcome any discussion on how to root out discrimination against women where it exists. But do not be deceived. This is not what this legislation is about. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution already provides women and all Americans equal protection under the law, but the goal of this legislation is different. The goal here is to expand access to abortion up to birth and to overturn the broadly supported policies that protect taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions. {time} 1000 As we know all too well, Roe v. Wade has broadly legalized abortion in the United States, but the equal rights amendment that this resolution tries to ratify goes much further. There is a broad consensus that the ERA could be used to overturn pro-life laws, legalize abortion up to birth, and mandate taxpayer- funded abortions. The expansion of abortion is not the only harmful impact of the ERA. It would have a harmful impact on shelters that protect women from violence, eliminate women-specific workplace protections, and destroy women's sports.…”