WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), lead House sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment and original co-sponsor of Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s H.J.Res. 17 to remove the arbitrary deadline imposed on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), joined with Congresswoman Speier, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the leadership of the Democratic Women’s Caucus to celebrate the passage of H.J.Res. 17 on March 17.

During her remarks after House passage, Congresswoman Maloney stated:

“Almost 100 years ago, suffragist Alice Paul, along with many like-minded and determined women and like-minded men, authored the Equal Rights Amendment.

“She is my family’s great aunt and was a life-long Republican and a Quaker. She was sent to jail, she was sent to an insane asylum because she believed in women’s equality and our right to vote.

“When Alice Paul heard that an arbitrary timeline on the ERA was added to the preamble in 1972, but not to the text of the ERA, she knew it was put there by opponents of women’s rights and that the struggle would not be an easy one.

“But, the suffragists knew specific language was needed in the Constitution in order to achieve equality of rights under the law. And they were right. For the last four generations, feminists like myself and all the like-minded men and women here today, have been marching, lobbying, attempting to win lawsuits and defeating anti-ERA legislators. And today, we say enough is enough.”

Rep. Maloney’s full remarks may be viewed on YouTube: