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Washington DC

Bishop Rejects Dems' Radical Attempt to Restructure the Constitution

March 17, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Dan Bishop (NC-09) voted against the so-called "Equal Rights Amendment," a radical proposal that would violate the Constitution and deprive millions of their basic liberties.

"Democrats are so eager to force their liberal agenda on America that they are willing to blatantly violate the Constitution to do it. They think using an innocent title like ‘Equal Rights Amendment' can disguise the proposal's inherent intolerance of traditional values, religious freedom, and conscience protections. The amendment weaponizes the Constitution by distorting its basic tenets to mandate a far-left worldview on every American. If that were not enough, the deadline for ratification by the Constitutionally-required number of states passed more than 40 years ago. Not only is the ERA bad for our country, but its passage is also unconstitutional by any reasonable standard," said Rep. Dan Bishop.

If adopted, the Equal Rights Amendment would:

  • Nullify state and federal pro-life laws, and force taxpayers to fund abortion on demand;
  • Infringe on the rights of churches and faith-based nonprofits;
  • Require physicians to perform abortions even against religious objections;
  • Allow biological males onto female sports teams;
  • Make numerous federal laws and programs unconstitutional such as:
    • Social Security Spousal Benefits
    • Women, Infants, and Children supplementary nutrition programs
    • Grants for Women's Shelters
    • Programs to encourage STEM achievement among women.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court in Idaho v. Freeman ruled it unconstitutional for Congress to extend the Equal Rights Amendment ratification deadline outside of the Constitutional amendment process. This is an opinion that even the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg espoused. To pass one chamber, constitutional amendments require a 2/3 majority vote, but today's vote was completed by only a simple majority.

Rep. Bishop serves on the Courts, Intellectual Property, & the Internet Subcommittee and the Antitrust, Commercial, & Administrative Law Subcommittee on the Committee on the Judiciary.