This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden, among a flurry of strange and odd behaviors he's exhibiting during the closing days of his term in the White House, now has declared, unilaterally and by fiat, that the long-dead Equal Rights Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution.
His comments contradicted years of legal wrangling and fighting, and conclusions from not only the Department of Justice but the national archivist, whose responsibilities would include listing it.
A report from Reuters said the aging – and mentally declining – Democrat "called the Equal Rights Amendment 'the law of the land" on Friday."
That would be his political statement in support of changing the U.S. Constitution with an amendment that failed.
Reuters said, "It was unclear what practical impact Biden's comments might have. The White House issued his statement just three days before he leaves office, handing off to President-elect Donald Trump on Monday."
The ERA would have said, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
The history of the ideology is long and convoluted but in every scheme, it has failed. And under the Constitution, a president lacks the power to reverse court precedent, congressional action, and legal determinations, all of which would be necessary.
The report noted that the U.S. Senate, on a 51-47 vote that failed to reach the required 60 votes, blocked the Equal Rights Amendment from being ratified into law in 2023,
WND reported recently when far-left Sen Kirsten Gillibrand demanded that the corpse of the amendment be dug out of its grave and added to the Constitution.
For the ratification of amendments to the Constitution, at least 38 states must adopt the proposal.
During the time allowed for the ERA to be ratified, 35 states did adopt it. But that was not enough, even after Congress extended the allowed time.
It failed to meet its ratification requirements by the first deadline in 1972, and again in 1982.
Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan and Deputy Archivist William J. Bosanko explained in their statement, "As Archivist and Deputy Archivist of the United States, it is our responsibility to uphold the integrity of the constitutional amendment process and ensure that changes to the Constitution are carried out in accordance with the law. At this time, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) cannot be certified as part of the Constitution due to established legal, judicial, and procedural decisions.
"In 2020 and again in 2022, the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice affirmed that the ratification deadline established by Congress for the ERA is valid and enforceable. The OLC concluded that extending or removing the deadline requires new action by Congress or the courts. Court decisions at both the District and Circuit levels have affirmed that the ratification deadlines established by Congress for the ERA are valid. Therefore, the Archivist of the United States cannot legally publish the Equal Rights Amendment. As the leaders of the National Archives, we will abide by these legal precedents and support the constitutional framework in which we operate."
