Remove the Deadline

Contact your Senator

Arrange a meeting with their local office if you can.

Zonta Club of Cincinnati Met with Senator Portman on the ERA, (August 2021 after NAIDM) and took a letter signed by Ohio members, and the Handout below.   You can download and edit for your club or district. ZontaleavebehindCin

Women in the United States struggle with gender inequality. The U.S. is one of the few developed nations without equal rights for women in our Constitution. In the last year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inequities women and girls in our society experience. Now, more than ever, we need the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The amendment will make it clear that sex discrimination in employment, education or any other space is a violation of women’s constitutional rights as Americans.

Drafted by Alice Paul, the ERA was first introduced nearly 100 years ago in 1923. The ERA was passed through both houses of Congress in 1972, but fell just three states short of ratification when the time limit expired in 1982. However, with renewed momentum, Nevada, Illinois and Virginia became the 36th, 37th, and 38th states to sign on, finally reaching the required threshold just last year. In March, the House of Representatives voted to remove the time limit on the ERA. Now, we need the Senate to pass S.J. Res. 1 to remove the deadline to ratify the ERA. 

Even if you have already taken action, please consider contacting your senators again. We are particularly looking for advocates from Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming to contact their senators:

If your senator already supports S.J. Res 2, please send a message of thanks and ask her/him to encourage their colleagues listed below to support this essential resolution.

LINK to contact Information for each AND SCRIPTS

File the Amendment

Message the PResident + Vice President

Message Attorney General  Merrick Garland at the DOJ

https://www.justice.gov/contact-us

Text for letter to the President or Vice President

“Dear President Biden,

You MUST take action. During this 100 year mark of the ERA, there is a real opportunity to make Constitutional history by adding to it the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).  You made a promise while campaigning that you would support the ERA.  The Democratic Party Platform has the ERA as a plank.  The women of the US need you to keep that promise, now more than ever.

The ERA simply says: “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.”

The house has recognized there can be no time limit on equality by removing the arbitrary time limit for the states to consider the ERA.  The needed 38 state legislatures have already ratified the amendment and Congress needs to recognize their approval.

The House of Representatives has already passed the resolution and when the Senate adopts it, the ERA could become part of the Constitution this year BUT ONLY IF THE ARCHIVIST FILES THE AMENDMENT.   Under your DOJ, this fundamental constitutional action is still blocked.

Please instruct the archivist to publish the ERA.  Then work with the Senate to remove the deadline. Because there is no time limit on equality.”

Sincerely,