House Democrats Expelled After Protesting Equal Rights Amendment in Senate

A group of House Democrats made headlines on April 27 when they were expelled from the Senate floor while protesting a vote on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution. The joint resolution to remove the deadline for ratification of the ERA was blocked by Senate Republicans, prompting the protest.

Expulsion and Protest

During the protest, the sergeant at arms was called to restore order and expel the protesters, including Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who did not have authorization to be on the Senate floor. The protest was led by Pressley and Bush, who co-chair the Congressional Equal Rights Amendment Caucus and are members of the progressive “squad” in the House.

Before being expelled, Pressley explained in a video shared on Twitter why the group was going to enter the Senate chamber. “Gender equality can’t wait. There should be no deadline for that,” Pressley said. “We deserve for gender equality to be enshrined in the Constitution. We’re going to go in here, look at our Senate colleagues, and demand they do the right thing by the women of this country.”

Bush explained that the group was “right outside the Senate chamber” while the vote took place inside. “So, the House is standing, saying to the Senate: ‘We need you to make the ERA happen today. ERA now,” Bush said in the video.

After being expelled, the group of House Democrats chanted: “What do we want? ERA! When do we want it? Now!” as they marched to a press conference outside.

The Vote

The Senate was voting on whether or not to remove the deadline for ratifying the resolution proposing the constitutional amendment, which would grant equal legal rights to all citizens regardless of sex. The proposed joint resolution was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 24 by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). It sought to remove the deadline for the ratification of the ERA to the U.S. Constitution.

The ERA was a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that was first drafted in 1923 and passed by Congress in 1973. Its purpose is to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It came with the stipulation that the amendment must be ratified within seven years.

Conclusion

It is a shame that 100 years after the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced, we are still fighting for gender equality in our Constitution. The protest by House Democrats highlights the urgency of this issue and the need for action. Gender equality can’t wait, and it’s time for the Senate to do the right thing by the women of this country.