Women's Equality Amendment

When the Women's Equality Amendment was first introduced in 1923, it was entitled the “Equal Rights Amendment.”

109th Congress Legislative Action
However, on March 30, 2007, Democrats re-introduced it as the “Women’s Equality Amendment,” or the W.E.A. The sponsors are assuring a vote by the end of this session.

Senate Co-Sponsors

 * Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
 * Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
 * Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
 * Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.)
 * Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.)
 * Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.)
 * Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.)
 * Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.)
 * Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
 * Sen. Tom Harkin(D-Iowa)
 * Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
 * Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
 * Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
 * Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
 * Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
 * Sen. John Sarbanes (D-Md.)
 * Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)

House Co-Sponsors

 * Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. James Leach (D-Iowa)
 * Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
 * Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine)
 * Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.)
 * Rep. Joe Baca(D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Brian Baird(D-Wash.)
 * Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
 * Rep. Charles F. Bass (R-N.H.)
 * Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Shelley Berkley(D-Nev.)
 * Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.)
 * Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.)
 * Rep. Timothy H. Bishop (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
 * Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam)
 * Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa)
 * Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.)
 * Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.)
 * Rep. Robert Brady (D-Penn.)
 * Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
 * Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
 * Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.)
 * Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.)
 * Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii)
 * Rep. Michael N. Castle (R-Del.)
 * Rep. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)
 * Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)
 * Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.)
 * Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)
 * Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Jerry F. Costello (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)
 * Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.)
 * Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Jim Davis (D-Fla.)
 * Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)
 * Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.)
 * Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Norman D. Dicks (D-Wash.)
 * Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.)
 * Rep. Michael F. Doyle (D-Penn.)
 * Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.)
 * Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.)
 * Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Al Green (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
 * Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Ralph Hall (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.)
 * Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.)
 * Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Tim Holden(D-Penn.)
 * Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.)
 * Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.)
 * Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)
 * Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.)
 * Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas)
 * Rep. William Jefferson(D-La.)
 * Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio)
 * Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Penn.)
 * Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)
 * Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.)
 * Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.)
 * Rep. Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (D-Mich.)
 * Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.)
 * Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.)
 * Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.)
 * Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
 * Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.)
 * Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)
 * Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn.)
 * Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.)
 * Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)
 * Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Ed Markey(D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.)
 * Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.)
 * Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Kendrick Meek(D-Fla.)
 * Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine)
 * Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.)
 * Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.)
 * Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)
 * Rep. James Moran (D-Va.)
 * Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
 * Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas)
 * Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
 * Rep. William Pascrell (D-N.J.)
 * Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.)
 * Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-N.J.)
 * Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. David Price (D-N.C.)
 * Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Silvestre Reyes(D-Texas)
 * Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Martin Sabo (D-Minn.)
 * Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Loretta Sanchez(D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.)
 * Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
 * Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-Penn.)
 * Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.)
 * Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.)
 * Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)
 * Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.)
 * Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio)
 * Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.)
 * Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)
 * Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.)
 * Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.)
 * Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
 * Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
 * Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)
 * Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Diane E. Watson (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Melvin Watt (D-N.C.)
 * Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)
 * Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.)
 * Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.)
 * Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.)
 * Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.)

Content
Although the W.E.A. is only 52 words long, it has one key line:


 * “Equality of rights should not be denied or abridged by the United States or the State on account of sex.

Gridlock in States
Thirty-five out of fifty states ratified the W.E.A. throughout the 1970s. However, this is still three states short of the necessary thirty-eight, to ratify it as the 28th Amendment.

The 15 states who have yet to ratify the W.E.A.

 * Alabama
 * Arizona
 * Arkansas
 * Florida
 * Georgia
 * Illinois
 * Louisiana
 * Mississippi
 * Missouri
 * Nevada
 * North Carolina
 * Oklahoma
 * South Carolina
 * Utah
 * Virginia

Implications of the W.E.A.
Supporters believe that the passage of this legislation will help women gain more equality in nearly every facet of life. Dissenters argue that ratification of the Women’s Equality Amendment would prove harmful for their state and their country.

Relation to reproductive rights
Cases in states with state W.E.A.s show that the W.E.A. would not invalidate state laws on abortion which are otherwise constitutional. The constitutional principles by which reproductive laws are upheld or struck down are primarily the right of privacy and equal protection. At present, 19 states have state E.R.A.s or equal rights guarantees in their constitutions. The status of abortion rights in such states has more to do with the progressive nature of their state courts and state politics than with the presence of a state E.R.A. In fact, most state cases are argued under a combination of privacy, equal protection, and equal rights claims, and the presence of a state E.R.A. is not necessarily the determining factor in those court decisions.

On the other hand, Arkansas state Rep. Dan Greenberg (R) opposes the measure. Since two states have ruled that equal rights amendments in state constitutions justify state funding for abortions, he cannot support the bill. 

Relation to homosexual rights
W.E.A. opponents’ claim that the amendment would require states to allow same-sex marriage is false. The state of Washington rejected such a claim under its state ERA in the 1970s. The state of Hawaii, which considered such a claim under its state ERA, recently amended its constitution to declare marriage a contract between a man and a woman. The legislative history of the W.E.A. shows that its intent is to equalize rights between women and men, not to address issues of discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Meanwhile, a vote on the amendment is being held up in several states, including Arkansas. Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly traveled all the way to Little Rock to testify against the measure. She believes that passing such an amendment would compel the courts to approve same-sex marriage. 

Relation to single-sex institutions
The W.E.A. would not make all single-sex institutions unconstitutional – only those whose aim is to perpetuate the historic dominance of one sex over the other. Single-sex institutions that work to overcome past discrimination are constitutional now and are likely to remain so.

History
The Women’s Equality Amendment (W.E.A.), was originally introduced as the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) in 1923. Though introduced in every session of Congress between 1923 and 1970, it almost never reached the floor of either chamber for a vote. However, in 1971 Representative Martha Griffiths passed House Joint Resolution No. 208. It was adopted by the United States Senate a year later. The original deadline for attaining 3/4 ratification of the states was 1979. However, bowing to public pressure, Congress granted an extension until 1982. The E.R.A. remains legally viable under the Madison Amendment. This allows for the preservation of all the states who already ratified the amendment. Only three more states are needed to pass the legislation before it becomes the 28th Amendment. On March 27, 2007, new resolutions were introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate containing the traditional E.R.A. language, but this time with no deadline attached. A vote is expected before the current session is over. 

Articles

 * Juliet Eilperin "New Drive Afoot to Pass Equal Rights Amendment" The Washington Post, March 28, 2007.

Resources

 * "The Equal Rights Amendment" Alice Paul Institute