Removing Deadline for Ratification of Equal Rights Amendment

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 79 and stand shoulder to shoulder with women to demand gender equality and justice.

When I think about the future of our country and what I want it to look like for young women and girls like my granddaughter, Anna, I envision a just and equitable society with fair play, diverse leadership, and equal access to basic healthcare rights. That is why the equal rights amendment is necessary.

For too long our country's structural barriers have cast a shadow over women's rights. With 38 States having affirmed their support for the ERA, we are one step closer to shattering those barriers.

This resolution negates misguided arguments that because it is an arbitrary deadline, the equal rights amendment is effectively dead. It is clear from the recent actions of Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia, and our collective voices, it is still very much alive, and we will not rest until it is ingrained in the most sacred document of our Nation's history.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with our country's women and support our right to constitutional equality.

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