“Abortion-rights supporters are eager to nullify the [ERA ratification] deadline and get the amendment ratified so it could be used to overturn state laws restricting abortion.” (AP/ New York Times, January 21, 2020)

WASHINGTON (Feb. 4, 2020) Trampling over constitutional requirements, the Democratic leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives on February 12 or 13 will bring to the House floor a resolution that – if the federal courts allow it – inserts the 1972 “Equal Rights Amendment” (ERA) into the U.S. Constitution.

The resolution (House Joint Resolution 79, or H.J. Res. 79) is intended to nullify the 7-year ratification deadline that Congress attached to the ERA, which expired in 1979 — thereby allowing recognition of recent “ratifications” by Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia, and inviting a declaration that the ERA is part of the U.S. Constitution.

Pro-life legal experts fear, and pro-abortion leaders proclaim, that the ERA would entrench “abortion rights” in the constitutional text forever, and would result in the invalidation of hundreds of state laws protecting unborn children or regulating abortion — based on the legal argument that these laws affect men and women differently, and therefore violate the ERA.

The congressional Democratic leaders insist that H.J. Res. 79 does not require the President’s signature, and that it can become law with simple majority votes in each house of Congress!

This is what must be done immediately:

– Call both the Washington, D.C. and local office of your U.S. House member – urge him or her to oppose the ERA and to oppose House Joint Resolution 79. You can obtain both the Washington, D.C. and home-district office phone numbers of your House member on the NRLC Legislative Action Center website – simply enter your zip code where it says “Find Your Elected Officials.” You can also reach the D.C. offices by calling the Capitol Switchboard, 202-225-3121, and giving your zip code.

– Also, send an email to your U.S. House member via the NRLC Legislative Action Center website here. After you enter your zip code, you will see the identity of your U.S. House member, and a suggested email message against the ERA that has been prepared for you, which you can modify as you wish. Using this method to send an email takes just takes a few minutes. But, please do not neglect to make the phone calls first! – because congressional offices generally take a flood of phone calls more seriously than a flood of emails.

For regular updates on important developments pertaining to the Equal Rights Amendment, in Congress and in the courts, follow the Twitter accounts @nrlc and @ERA_No_Shortcuts

For more details, see here.