Affirming that all men and women are created equal.

IV 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. CUM- MINGS, 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 cer- tain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Lib- erty 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 Inde- VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:47 Mar 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR272.IH HR272 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 272 IH pendence, reiterates that both genders are endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap- piness; Whereas, in 1919, the 66th Congress of the United States passed a resolution proposing an amendment to the Con- stitution 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 coun- try; Whereas the resolution proposing the Equal Rights Amend- ment to the States for ratification, which was first intro- duced 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 ensur- ing 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 Resolu- tions in 1848, women continue to experience institu- tionalized discrimination, gender-based violence, and sys- tematic barriers to equality: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes that all men and women are cre- 2 ated equal; 3 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:47 Mar 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR272.IH HR272 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 272 IH (2) honors the historic and ongoing contribu- 1 tions and achievements of women in the United 2 States that have led to a more just and equal soci- 3 ety; 4 (3) reaffirms its commitment to pursuing poli- 5 cies that achieve true political and social equality for 6 women, commensurate with their role in life in the 7 United States and society; and 8 (4) reaffirms its support of legislative initiatives 9 to put the Equal Rights Amendment in the Con- 10 stitution to achieve legal equality for women. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:47 Mar 30, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR272.IH HR272 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS