[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 272 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 272

          Affirming that all men and women are created equal.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2019

 Mrs. Lawrence (for herself, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms. 
Speier, Ms. Haaland, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Omar, Ms. Matsui, Ms. 
   Eshoo, Ms. Dean, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. 
   Spanberger, Mrs. Demings, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Plaskett, Ms. Wasserman 
    Schultz, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Cummings, Mrs. Lowey, Ms. Lee of 
 California, Ms. Judy Chu of California, and Ms. Adams) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
          Affirming that all men and women are created equal.

Whereas the advancement of gender equality is fundamental to the democracy of 
        the United States;
Whereas the Declaration of Independence states, ``We hold these truths to be 
        self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by 
        their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are 
        Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness'';
Whereas the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, drafted by Elizabeth Cady 
        Stanton at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848, and based on the Declaration 
        of Independence, reiterates that both genders are endowed with 
        unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
Whereas, in 1919, the 66th Congress of the United States passed a resolution 
        proposing an amendment to the Constitution extending the right of 
        suffrage to women;
Whereas, in 1920, the 19th Amendment was adopted to the Constitution of the 
        United States, guaranteeing all women the right to vote in elections 
        throughout the country;
Whereas the resolution proposing the Equal Rights Amendment to the States for 
        ratification, which was first introduced in Congress in 1923 and agreed 
        to with bipartisan support in 1972, provides that ``Equality of rights 
        under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by 
        any State on account of sex'', thereby ensuring the same constitutional 
        protections for both men and women;
Whereas women have served in the labor movements, civil rights movements, and 
        other causes to create a more fair and just society for all; and
Whereas, while there has been exceptional progress towards gender equality and 
        parity in the United States since the drafting of the Declaration of 
        Sentiments and Resolutions in 1848, women continue to experience 
        institutionalized discrimination, gender-based violence, and systematic 
        barriers to equality: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that all men and women are created equal;
            (2) honors the historic and ongoing contributions and 
        achievements of women in the United States that have led to a 
        more just and equal society;
            (3) reaffirms its commitment to pursuing policies that 
        achieve true political and social equality for women, 
        commensurate with their role in life in the United States and 
        society; and
            (4) reaffirms its support of legislative initiatives to put 
        the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution to achieve legal 
        equality for women.
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