JCPA Welcomes President Biden’s Affirmation that the Equal Rights Amendment is the Law of the Land

Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, released the following statement:

“JCPA welcomes and supports today’s affirmation by President Biden that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has met the Article V requirements to be the 28th amendment to the US Constitution, and must be regarded as the law of the land. Our Jewish values call on us to create a world where no person should live in fear of discrimination or violence based on their identity – whether it’s their religion, race, or sex. The ERA officially makes these freedoms the law of the land, and by explicitly prohibiting sex-based discrimination, makes our communities safer. 

We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for the step they took today. And while we anticipate legal challenges from those who do not wish to see its protections upheld or enforced, we expect the courts to uphold the Equal Rights Amendment as the valid law of the land, since it was passed by an act of Congress and has been ratified by 3/4s of the states, as required by Article V. 

The ERA was first drafted over 100 years ago, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the resilience and dedication of countless advocates who have fought tirelessly for equality. The diverse movements advocating for ratification of the ERA have spanned race, religion, and gender. Today’s recognition by President Biden that the ERA should be regarded as the law of the land is a poignant reminder of the progress that is made possible when communities work together across lines of difference to achieve critical change that benefits us all.

We stand ready to do everything in our power to champion the enforcement of equal legal protection for women throughout the country, and to push back against those who would stand in the way of this critical progress.”

###