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WASHINGTON—Congressman Paul D. Tonko voted today to advance H.J.Res.79 eliminating the deadline for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution. The bipartisan resolution, introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), passed out of the House of Representatives with a vote of 232 to 183. The House vote sends the resolution to the Senate and paves the way for final passage and ratification of this historic amendment. 

“We cannot allow the work of countless patriotic advocates for equality, undertaken across generations, to be erased on a mere technicality,” Congressman Tonko said. “Our nation is at its best when we stand for principles of justice and equality, and we have a celebrated history of amending our Constitution to reflect that. Now the states have spoken, and the time has come for our Constitution to recognize that equal rights and protections exist for each and every American. I am proud to join with my colleagues in the House to advance the cause of equality in our democracy, and will continue to fight in support of this principled, long overdue amendment.” 

In 1972, when Congress first passed the ERA, it attached an arbitrary seven-year ratification deadline to the preamble, which was later extended three more years. By 1982, 35 states out of the required 38 states voted to ratify the amendment. This resolution comes on the heels of the landmark decision in Virginia, which became the pivotal 38th state to ratify the ERA.

A number of organizations that have long championed the ratification of the ERA have announced their support for H.J. Res. 79, including:

ERA Coalition: “Today is a momentous day for the Equal Rights Amendment. Our polling shows that 94% of Americans want the Equal Rights Amendment to be part of the Constitution. In 2020, women should no longer be second-class citizens in the United States of America.” 

Ria Tabacco Mar, Director of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project: “The House of Representatives lifting the deadline to ratify the ERA is one step toward leaving no doubt that that ‘we the people’ includes all of us. The vast majority of Americans support the ERA. It’s 2020, not 1920. It’s long past time to update our laws and policies to make sex equality not only the law, but the reality for people of all genders.” 

Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO of YWCA USA: “We've reached a critical moment for women’s equality and the work of justice. Women have fought for generations to be recognized in the U.S. Constitution. The passage of the bill to remove the deadline on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment brings our nation one step closer towards realizing the promise of equality for all. YWCA applauds the House of Representatives for taking bold and decisive action and urges the Senate to act swiftly to continue progress towards ratification of the ERA.” 

Toni Van Pelt, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW): “Congress must remove the arbitrary timeline and reaffirm its commitment to the ERA. A democracy that fails to include women in its founding document is a failed democracy.”

Terri Poore, Policy Director of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence: “The research is clear: our efforts to end sexual violence are inextricably linked to women's equality. The Equal Rights Amendment is imperative and long overdue.” 

Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC): “There should be no deadline on gender equality. It is a core mission of the Trump administration to not only hold up our fight for equality, but actively push us back in time. We urge Congress to make clear its commitment to equal rights by lifting the deadline and working to ensure that the ERA become a part of our country’s foundational documents.” 

Sarah Fleisch Fink, Vice President of President for Policy & Strategy of the National Partnership for Women and Families: “We continue to live in a society where women are underpaid, undervalued and treated as other. And for women of color, trans and queer women and women with disabilities, the inequities are magnified. We are encouraged that the renewed push for the ERA shows we are in a time of great momentum for fighting for equality for all women.”

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