This bill (House Joint Resolution 79) would retroactively remove the already-expired ratification deadline from the original 1972 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) legislation (H. J. Res. 208 of the 92nd Congress). H.J. Res. 79 is a desperate attempt by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats to circumvent the legislative process and rule of law in order to provide yet another opportunity to ratify the pro-abortion and already-failed ERA.
The House passed H. J. Res. 79 on February 13, 2020 by a vote of 232 to 183 (Roll Call 70). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the time to ratify the ERA as part of the Constitution has come and gone, and any further attempt to resurrect it in order to continue the ratification process is unconstitutional, being inconsistent with the amendment ratification process as laid out in Article V of the Constitution.
United States Constitution
Article V
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
