Senate Republicans Block Equal Rights Amendment

The Hill reports:

Senate Republicans on Thursday night blocked a measure that would have allowed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to be added to the Constitution. Senators voted 51 to 47 to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed, falling short of the 60 votes it it needed.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) were the lone Republicans to vote with every Democrat.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued throughout the week that the legislation was needed following the Supreme Court‘s ruling last summer that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Schumer switched his vote to “no” in order to bring up the bill at another time. Nearly a dozen House Democrats marched across the Capitol to the Senate shortly before the vote began on Thursday to demand that the upper chamber pass the measure.

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Bill Cassidy accidentally voted for the Equal Rights Amendment but then ran back to the Senate to vote against it. He called it “constitutionally incorrect.” Measure fails, 51-47

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 27, 2023

51-47: Senate failed to move forward on legislation to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment as 28th Amdt. to US Constitution by eliminating the current deadline. 60 votes were needed. Republicans Collins & Murkowski voted Yes.Schumer changed his vote to No to allow for another vote. pic.twitter.com/GnkdBJZFJm

— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) April 27, 2023