The struggle over the Equal Rights Amendment started more than a century ago when leading suffragist Alice Paul first proposed it shortly after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

President Biden says he believes the amendment has met the requirements to be enshrined in the Constitution. Its history has been long and complex.

“Equality is a fundamental promise of our democracy. That is why the Equal Rights Amendment belongs in our Constitution,” Harris said in a statement. “It makes our nation stronger, and it is the law of the land because the American people have spoken in states across our nation.”