Rep. Maloney Leads Charge For Equal Rights Amendment On Women's Equality Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- On this Women's Equality Day, several New York lawmakers are calling for action in Washington.
As 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported, Rep. Carolyn Maloney has championed the Equal Rights Amendment for years and wants to make it part of the political conversation in the 2016 presidential race.
Rep. Maloney Leads Charge In Call For Equal Rights Amendment
Maloney is on the Joint Economic Committee, which she said found that "73 percent of the prime age working women are in the labor market. And in the families of America, 40 percent of their income comes from the wages of women."
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer was among the lawmakers who joined Maloney on Wednesday, listing some the reasons why the amendment is needed.
"White women are paid 77 percent of what men earn. Hispanic women earn 55 cents on the white male dollar and African-American women earn 64 cents on the same dollar," Brewer said.
Maloney said more women are in the workforce and are making viable contributions -- a different time than the prior ERA campaign.
"It took them 75 years to pass the right to vote. We do not intend to wait that long. We intend to pass the ERA," she said.
The lawmaker will be sending questionnaires to all of the presidential candidates asking them where they stand, and she thinks Donald Trump will support the amendment, Papa reported.
"I'll say any smart politician is gonna say yes because women are half the vote," Maloney said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also joined the call for action in honor of Women's Equality Day, saying in a statement that "New York is proud to be a leader in the fight for equal rights."
"From Seneca Falls to suffrage, the Empire State has long been at the forefront of the women's rights movement. Today, we are proud to uphold that legacy as we continue to strengthen and protect the rights of women with the passage of the Women's Equality Act and our Enough is Enough legislation to combat sexual assault and rape on college campuses.
"Nevertheless, our work to achieve equality is far from over. Discrimination against women still persists, and there is a great deal more to be done to achieve full equality for women.
"So as we mark Women's Equality Day and celebrate the accomplishments that have been made so far, we must also recommit ourselves to the work that remains."
