Rep. Haley Stevens Votes to Pass Legislation to Extend the Ratification Deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment and Advance the Bipartisan Violence Against Women Act

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) voted to extend the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment to enshrine equality of rights for women in the United States Constitution. The House also voted to reauthorize the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act.

"The Equal Rights Amendment was drafted nearly 100 years ago, yet a century later, after passing both chambers of Congress, it is still not a part of our Constitution," said Rep Haley Stevens. "We must ensure that the ERA becomes the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and remove the arbitrary time limits for ratification. The ERA offers critical legal protections for women in cases of sexual assault, discrimination, pay equality and so much more. This goes hand-in-hand with reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. One in three women are victims of domestic violence and the uptick in cases during the Coronavirus pandemic illustrates the need for robust, long-term reauthorization of this life-saving legislation."

This latest bipartisan, long-term reauthorization of VAWA expands upon the current law by:

making vital new investments in prevention
strengthening essential protections for the most vulnerable communities
improving services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
making improvements in the criminal justice response to gender-based violence and improving the health care system's response to domestic violence
helping stop abusers and stalkers from obtaining firearms and
expanding protections for victims' and survivors' financial security, including housing protections and anti-discrimination protections in the workplace.

Congresswoman Stevens was a supporter of both of the above legislative efforts last Congress.

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