Rep. Payne, Jr. Votes to Protect Women from Violence and Support the Equal Rights Amendment
Rep. Payne, Jr. Votes to Protect Women from Violence and Support the Equal Rights Amendment
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for two measures today to protect women and guarantee their rights in the Constitution. The first measure removes an arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment into the U.S. Constitution. The second measure creates new standards for how health and law enforcement officials handle and treat domestic and sexual abuse and assault incidents and victims.
“This country must do more to protect the rights and security of women,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “This global pandemic has led to unacceptable increases in domestic abuse and assault. We need to help these victims recover from their trauma to lead stronger, healthier lives in the future. I wrote a letter to House leadership to request more funding for domestic violence support centers in previous COVID-19 relief packages to show support for this issue. The two votes today reaffirm our country’s commitment to gender equality in the workplace and society.”
House Resolution (H.J. Res.17) removes the 1979 Congressional deadline established during the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1960s and 1970s. There is no Constitutional requirement for a deadline to ratify amendments, but Congress established it to encourage states to approve the amendment in a timely manner. Before the deadline, 35 states had approved the ERA. Today, 38 states have approved it, which is enough to make the ERA the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. However, some states are trying to invalidate their votes to approve it because the deadline passed without the necessary 38-state authorization. The resolution removes the deadline, certifies the state authorizations, and opens the path for the ERA to become a Constitutional Amendment.
The bill, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 (H.R. 1620), has several provisions to help victims of domestic and sexual abuse and assault. It increases funding for services that aid victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It improves the criminal justice and health care system’s response to gender-based violence, particularly in minority communities. It improves access to housing and financial support for survivors and victims of these types of abuse and assault. It closes loopholes in current firearm laws to protect women from dating and stalking-related violence.
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