The Equal Rights Amendment, which was 50 years ago approved by the Senate and sent to the states for ratification, received strong support today from leading Constitutional scholars. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, released today opinion letters from Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law School, Carl M. Loeb, University Professor Emeritus and Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society.
Feminist Majority Foundation president Eleanor Smeal, who was in the Gallery of the Senate when it approved the Equal Rights Amendment on March 22, 1972 and has worked for its passage ever since, said on this 50th Anniversary: “There are only two very difficult requirements for ratification of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 1) It must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the House and the Senate and then 2) ratified by three-fourths (or now 38) states legislatures. Take it from me who has worked on ratification of the ERA for over 50 years, this is really difficult. Don’t make it impossible.”