WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin submitted a statement to the official Congressional Record that urges fellow lawmakers to take action to finally recognize the Equal Rights Amendment into the United States Constitution.

“It is important that we pass this S.J. Res. 4, which I have been pleased to lead on a bipartisan basis with Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to remove any ambiguity and to make it clear beyond a doubt that the ERA is a valid part of our Constitution,” said Senator Cardin. “The passage of this resolution is long overdue. However, the fact remains that the Equal Rights Amendment has already fulfilled all of the requirements laid out in article V and should be recognized–today–as our 28th Amendment. Women still face serious challenges ‘on account of sex,” and our existing legal framework does not always provide a sufficient remedy. As the 28th Amendment, the ERA would serve as a new tool–for Congress, for Federal Agencies, and the courts–to advance equality in the fields of workforce and pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual
harassment and violence, reproductive autonomy, and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.”

The full text of the resolution can be found, here.