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.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott moves to cut state funding for AI-powered Flock cameras amid privacy concerns
WATCH: Wanted man escapes cops twice by running onto freeway, then walks into their Panda Express lunch
Nashville airport could be renamed in honor of Dolly Parton
NYC Judge Frees Man Accused of Shooting Service Dog of Woman with Down Syndrome While Attempting to Kill Man
Big Bend border wall construction pause extended to September
DOJ Arrests Honduran Man Accused of Taking Advantage of California’s Weak Election Laws
Bryan Kohberger seeks judge’s removal in escalating bid to undo guilty plea
At March on Washington, an urgent plea for black voters to turn out in the midterm elections
LGBTQ group reveals which Dem nominee is sponsoring Halloween event featuring drag shows
3-Time Pro-Bowl Running Back Josh Jacobs Is Facing Criminal Charges
Right-Wing Provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos Detained by ICE in Louisiana: Report
Appeals court denies Peter Navarro bid to rehear contempt challenge: ‘Always headed to Supreme Court’
State Dept. Revokes Visa of Iraqi Woman Who Received Award from Biden After She’s Found on Terror Watch List
Tennessee Governor Announces Plan to Rename Nashville Airport in Honor of Dolly Parton
Woman accused of defacing WWII Memorial with spray paint indicted by federal grand jury
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.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott moves to cut state funding for AI-powered Flock cameras amid privacy concerns
WATCH: Wanted man escapes cops twice by running onto freeway, then walks into their Panda Express lunch
Nashville airport could be renamed in honor of Dolly Parton
NYC Judge Frees Man Accused of Shooting Service Dog of Woman with Down Syndrome While Attempting to Kill Man
Big Bend border wall construction pause extended to September
DOJ Arrests Honduran Man Accused of Taking Advantage of California’s Weak Election Laws
Bryan Kohberger seeks judge’s removal in escalating bid to undo guilty plea
At March on Washington, an urgent plea for black voters to turn out in the midterm elections
LGBTQ group reveals which Dem nominee is sponsoring Halloween event featuring drag shows
3-Time Pro-Bowl Running Back Josh Jacobs Is Facing Criminal Charges
Right-Wing Provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos Detained by ICE in Louisiana: Report
Appeals court denies Peter Navarro bid to rehear contempt challenge: ‘Always headed to Supreme Court’
State Dept. Revokes Visa of Iraqi Woman Who Received Award from Biden After She’s Found on Terror Watch List
Tennessee Governor Announces Plan to Rename Nashville Airport in Honor of Dolly Parton
Woman accused of defacing WWII Memorial with spray paint indicted by federal grand jury
“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.
