Albany, New York – Assembly Member Seawright (D-Manhattan) announced that the resolution calling on the 116th United States Congress to pass the federal Equal Rights Amendment has passed the Assembly with bipartisan support.

“The time is now for my daughter and all Americans to grow up and live in a country where fairness is our shared value in the guarantee of full equality under our U.S. Constitution. I made a promise to my friends and neighbors in the 76^th District, and to all women, that I will keep up the fight for women’s equality,” said Seawright.

The United States Constitution does not guarantee equal rights for women. The federal Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would expressly prohibit discrimination against women on the basis of sex.

"Women have waited more than 200 years for the equality promised by the Declaration of Independence to all people. Last year, we celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Women’s Suffragist Movement. Next year in 2020, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women first exercising their right to vote. In 2011, the U.S. population was more than 166.2 million females, comprising 50.8 percent of the total population of 311 million! Now is the time to guarantee equality to the millions of women who reside in the United States," said Seawright.

“As the birthplace of the women’s suffrage movement, I’m so proud that the New York State Assembly has made this strong statement of support for the federal Equal Rights Amendment,” said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, sponsor of the federal Equal Rights Amendment. “Assembly Member Seawright is a leader in fighting for a state-level ERA here in New York. I commend her for introducing this resolution calling for Congress to pass legislation that would enshrine women’s equality in the U.S. Constitution, including H.J. Res. 35 which I have introduced. It’s long past time for women’s equality to be an unalienable right.”

“The ERA Coalition is thrilled to support Assembly Member Seawright’s resolution calling on the 116th Congress to support Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) legislation. It is urgent that Congress seizes the opportunity to cosponsor and pass this legislation, which will clear the path to equality for women in the United States,” Carol Jenkins, Co-President and CEO of the ERA Coalition.

Background:

On Tuesday, February 26, 2019 the New York State Assembly passed Seawright’s Equal Rights Amendment Bill (A.271/S.3249), a bill to guarantee equal rights for women in New York State’s Constitution.

The federal ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and states were given ten years to ratify the amendment. However, according to Article V of the Constitution, a deadline is not required. As of 1982, 35 states had ratified the amendment – just three states short of the number needed to put the ERA into the Constitution. In 2017, Nevada became the 36th state and in 2018, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA, which means only one more state is needed for ratification!

This resolution calls for the 1982 time limit to be extended.