US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the US Constitution, a symbolic statement that is unlikely to change the decades-long effort for gender equality.
“The Equal Rights Amendment is the law of the land,” Biden said, even though presidents have no role in the constitutional process. He did not direct the leader of the National Archives to certify the amendment, as some activists had said, bypassing a legal fight.
It was the latest in a collection of announcements that Biden has made in the final days of his presidency, as he tries to tie up loose ends and embroider his legacy despite leaving after only one term. He has also called for a ban on stock trading for members of Congress and proposed term limits for Supreme Court justices — ideas that existed for years before Biden endorsed them.
With his popularity waning and political influence waning before he was replaced by Donald Trump on Monday, Biden’s statements have sparked outrage among some aides who believe he should have acted more quickly and Should have spoken first.
The Equal Rights Amendment, which would ban discrimination based on sex, was sent to the states for ratification in 1972. Virginia became the 38th state to ratify it in 2000, although there was a legal impasse over whether it could be considered legal, several years before the deadline set by Congress.
Democrats and activists have long been pressing for the amendment to be deemed approved, but Biden did not say until Friday that he agreed.
National Organization for Women leader Christian F. “I want this to be done quickly because it is so important,” Nunes said. “The fact that it’s being accomplished now is more important than the fact that it took so long, but we cannot delay women’s safety and equal rights in this country.”
Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates, said she wanted Biden’s statement to come earlier in hopes of influencing the leader of the National Archives, who has refused to ratify the amendment as the ratification deadline looms .
Farrell said, “but we’re optimistic” that it will help build momentum “even at this late stage.”
Biden defended his decision not to make a decision until the end of his term, telling reporters that he “needs all the facts.”
Earlier in the day, Biden issued a statement saying that “it is long past time to recognize the will of the American people.”
“In keeping with my oath and duty to the Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and which three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, entitling all Americans to live under the rule of law.” Guarantees equal rights and protection under the Constitution, regardless of their sex.
It’s unlikely Biden’s endorsement will have any impact. On Friday, the National Archives reiterated its position, saying that “the underlying legal and procedural issues have not changed.”
