Dear Senator:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I strongly urge you to vote in support of S.J. Res. 4, a bipartisan joint resolution that removes the deadline preventing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) from being added to the U.S. Constitution. A vote against S.J. Res 4 is a vote against equality.
It is unconscionable that half the population is not fully protected against discrimination by the Constitution. Without the protection of the strict scrutiny standard applied to discrimination, women in the U.S. are subject to unequal pay, housing and food insecurity and barriers to healthcare, including the unnecessary suffering and loss of life during pregnancy and childbirth. Women of color, in particular, are more likely to face economic inequality, which follows women throughout their lifetimes and limits their ability to pass on wealth to their families.
The ERA has satisfied all requirements necessary to become part of the Constitution: The ERA was proposed by more than two-thirds of both houses of Congress in 1972 and ratified by more than three-quarters of the states. Affirmation of the ERA as the 28th Amendment would protect not just women–it would protect all individuals who face discrimination based on their sex, gender, or sexual orientation. As a result, the Constitution would better reflect the democratic values held by the majority of Americans.
I urge you to vote in support of this historic and long delayed amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Sincerely,
William Samuel
Director, Government Affairs