Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) spoke on the House floor Wednesday in support of a bill to extend the expired deadline for states to ratify the controversial Equal Rights Amendment, claiming during her speech that women are still in “shackles” and that the “Constitution is sexist by its very design.”
“Today I rise to affirm the humanity and the dignity of all women,” Pressley said. “I rise in strong, unapologetic, righteous support of H.J. Res. 79, which will strike the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, an amendment that should already be the law of the land.”
Is AI Making Your Kids Dumber? Over Half of Teachers Surveyed Say It May Be
Spy Agencies Have Exploded in Size – Trump’s Intel Chiefs Are the First to Downsize
From Wasserman Schultz to Goldman, Democratic incumbents are fighting for survival
These 11 upcoming Supreme Court decisions could make or break Trump’s second term agenda
Secret evidence filed in Anna Kepner Carnival cruise murder case as feds push to jail accused stepbrother
Chinese Spies May Be Stalking You on Your Job Hunt
VIDEO: DWI Suspect Fleeing Cops Is Stopped Dead in His Tracks by Alligator… and It Attacked
Alleged Malibu serial squatter featured in new docuseries after years of homeowner complaints
Promises kept: Howard Lutnick on the anniversary of the deal that saved U.S. Steel
Taiwan opposition leader praises ‘gentle’ Xi Jinping as she insists her nation must embrace Chinese identity
‘The Office’ star blasts political ‘hypocrisy,’ explains why sitcom couldn’t be made today
Trump backs MAGA champion Mike Collins in Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff
Two suspects arrested after crashing through Camp Pendleton gate with 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl
UFC Weigh-in at Freedom 250: Photos
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Anti-Kirk teacher honored, ICE supporter expelled, Pride display problem
The Constitution is sexist by design. The year is 2020 & women in this country STILL aren't considered equal to men in the eyes of the federal gov't.
Tomorrow's vote on HJ Res 79 is a vote to actualize the movements built on the backs of women. It's a vote for equality. #ERANow pic.twitter.com/cVYzw3hiVn
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) February 12, 2020
“Women are strong, hard-working, bright, and resilient. We are the backbones of our families, our communities, and our democracy,” Pressley said. “We do not live in checked boxes. We live in an intersectionality of lived experiences and identities.”
“Our issues are everyone’s issues because our destinies are all tied,” Pressley said. “Tomorrow’s vote on H.J. Res. 79 is a vote for the preservation of our collective humanity.”
She went on to say in her remarks that women are paid less than men and that this is especially true for minority women. And that women have historically and still do today face discrimination that supporters say the Equal Rights Amendment would fix.
“In addition to pay discrimination, we face pregnancy discrimination — discrimination in the criminal legal system, sexual and domestic violence, and inadequate healthcare access,” Pressley said.
Is AI Making Your Kids Dumber? Over Half of Teachers Surveyed Say It May Be
Spy Agencies Have Exploded in Size – Trump’s Intel Chiefs Are the First to Downsize
From Wasserman Schultz to Goldman, Democratic incumbents are fighting for survival
These 11 upcoming Supreme Court decisions could make or break Trump’s second term agenda
Secret evidence filed in Anna Kepner Carnival cruise murder case as feds push to jail accused stepbrother
Chinese Spies May Be Stalking You on Your Job Hunt
VIDEO: DWI Suspect Fleeing Cops Is Stopped Dead in His Tracks by Alligator… and It Attacked
Alleged Malibu serial squatter featured in new docuseries after years of homeowner complaints
Promises kept: Howard Lutnick on the anniversary of the deal that saved U.S. Steel
Taiwan opposition leader praises ‘gentle’ Xi Jinping as she insists her nation must embrace Chinese identity
‘The Office’ star blasts political ‘hypocrisy,’ explains why sitcom couldn’t be made today
Trump backs MAGA champion Mike Collins in Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff
Two suspects arrested after crashing through Camp Pendleton gate with 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl
UFC Weigh-in at Freedom 250: Photos
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Anti-Kirk teacher honored, ICE supporter expelled, Pride display problem
“But this isn’t an accident,” Pressley continued. “The American Constitution is sexist by its very design.”
“This country’s laws have historically treated [women] like second-class citizens, depriving us of the right to vote, enter most jobs, and to own property,” Pressley said. “While some of those injustices may cease to exist, we still face tremendous barriers to our full participation in society.”
“With tomorrow’s vote we have an opportunity to right this country’s wrong,” Pressley said.
Pro-life conservatives, including the late Phyllis Schlafly whose efforts effectively killed the Equal Rights Amendment, oppose it because it is not just about women’s equality but codifying abortion on demand:
National Right to Life is strongly opposed to adding the 1972 ERA language to the U.S. Constitution, because it would provide a powerful legal weapon with which to challenge virtually any limits on abortion, and to require unlimited government funding of abortion.
On Thursday, the House passed the bill Pressley supported on a 232–183 vote.
“We are on the brink of history, and no deadline should stand in the way,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said.
The bill is expected to face challenges both constitutionally and from conservative lawmakers.
Story cited here.
