US Senate Blocks Equal Rights Amendment for the Century

The US Senate failed to pass a resolution to enshrine equal rights for women in the Constitution, falling nine votes short of the 60 needed to clear the filibuster hurdle. The resolution would have removed a 1982 deadline for state ratification that prevented the Equal Rights Amendment from going into effect. Only two Republican senators joined Democrats in voting for the measure. The ERA was proposed in 1923 but did not pass Congress until 1972. Proponents of the amendment say it would ensure women get equal pay and secure their rights in legal matters, while opponents argue it could subject women to a military draft if it were reinstated.