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.”
White House lawyer’s hardball warning to Dems has legal experts on both sides questioning one key threat
Dems seize on midterm rout to demand ICE reform but polls reveal a twist in who prioritized immigration
Woke Formula One Driver Visits, Condemns Wall Imprisoning Palestinians – Clearly Has No Idea Egypt Actually Built It
The Genius Voting System We Could Use That Rewards Working, Military Service, and Age – Penalizes Taking Welfare, Being Criminal
Rep. Ro Khanna Demands We Begin ‘Rejecting This Idea of Heritage Americans’
Anti-Trump Republican courts other defectors as House weighs another vote against Iran war
Pentagon’s former UFO investigator offers simple theory for mysterious jellyfish-shaped object on video
Florida Republican on Democrats’ strategy: ‘That’s the choice they have to make…persecution or policy’
Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy Explains What Went Wrong as FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground Stop
Natalee Holloway’s confessed killer caught trying to extort $250K from grieving mother in FBI sting video
From Democrats’ midterm romp to the MLB, many victors come out of the blue
Blue wave hits Vance’s 2028 chances
Newsom’s 2028 announcement puts Democrats on notice, but rivals aren’t rushing to follow
Watch: Baby Saved from Planned Parenthood After Sidewalk Counselor Convinces Father to Intervene
Struggling Canadian Vet Calls VA for Help, Says Caseworker Suggested He Consider Killing Himself With Canada’s New ‘Assisted Dying Service’
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.
White House lawyer’s hardball warning to Dems has legal experts on both sides questioning one key threat
Dems seize on midterm rout to demand ICE reform but polls reveal a twist in who prioritized immigration
Woke Formula One Driver Visits, Condemns Wall Imprisoning Palestinians – Clearly Has No Idea Egypt Actually Built It
The Genius Voting System We Could Use That Rewards Working, Military Service, and Age – Penalizes Taking Welfare, Being Criminal
Rep. Ro Khanna Demands We Begin ‘Rejecting This Idea of Heritage Americans’
Anti-Trump Republican courts other defectors as House weighs another vote against Iran war
Pentagon’s former UFO investigator offers simple theory for mysterious jellyfish-shaped object on video
Florida Republican on Democrats’ strategy: ‘That’s the choice they have to make…persecution or policy’
Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy Explains What Went Wrong as FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground Stop
Natalee Holloway’s confessed killer caught trying to extort $250K from grieving mother in FBI sting video
From Democrats’ midterm romp to the MLB, many victors come out of the blue
Blue wave hits Vance’s 2028 chances
Newsom’s 2028 announcement puts Democrats on notice, but rivals aren’t rushing to follow
Watch: Baby Saved from Planned Parenthood After Sidewalk Counselor Convinces Father to Intervene
Struggling Canadian Vet Calls VA for Help, Says Caseworker Suggested He Consider Killing Himself With Canada’s New ‘Assisted Dying Service’
“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.
