Reauthorize VAWA & Pass the ERA Now!

On March 17, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 17, a joint resolution to remove the deadline for ratification of the ERA.  Now it’s up the Senate to pass S.J. Res. 1 to do the same.

A federal judge ruled earlier this month that Virginia and two other states’ recent ratification of the ERA came too late to count, as the original ERA included a 1982 deadline for states to ratify.
The House resolution aims to remove that 1982 deadline. Now, a similar resolution must pass the Senate, where proponents will likely need 60 votes in order to bypass the Senate filibuster.

Also passed by the House and pending in the Senate is reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (no bill/resolution number has been identified yet for the Senate measure).

CALL TO ACTION: We need you to make contact with Senator Gillibrand and Senator Schumer to (1) make sure they are on board with supporting both pieces of legislation and (2) request that they work with their Republican colleagues to assure passage of both bills. And as of this writing, neither is a co-sponsor of S.J. Res. 1 – we need to ask why and request that they both do that!

Here’s a sample message and a statement from Amy Klobuchar on the VAWA legislation:

• I’m calling because I strongly support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and I want to urge the Congress member to make passing this bill a top priority. With one in three women facing physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes, it’s critical that VAWA retains its current protections and remains fully funded by taxpayer dollars.
• If you have a personal story, here’s a good place to mention it.
• Persuasive argument: As Senator Klobuchar says: “For years I have made protecting victims of domestic violence one of my top priorities. The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act just passed by the House of Representatives will strengthen and improve protections and services for victims, including several provisions based on my bills to protect survivors from gun violence and improve law enforcement’s response to sexual assault crimes. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to follow the House’s lead and pass this legislation to protect women, children, and families.”

Please make the calls ASAP! We need to get these bills signed into law. We need to have enough votes to withstand a filibuster attempt by Minority Leader McConnell.

Contact information for Senator Gillibrand:
Phone: (212) 688-6262 | Email: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/email-me

Contact information for Senator Schumer:
Phone: (212) 486-4430 | Email: https://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck

Resources:

EqualRightsAmendment.org
The 97-Year-History of the Equal Rights Amendment, Smithsonian.com, 2019
‘No expiration date on equality’: House passes bill to remove women’s rights ERA deadline, NBC News, 17 Mar 2021
Congress moves to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act, CNN, 9 Mar 2021
THE HISTORY OF THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA), The Alice Paul Institute