{"id":2692,"date":"2025-09-29T14:50:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T22:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/?p=2692"},"modified":"2025-09-29T14:53:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T22:53:05","slug":"urgent-action-needed-pass-s-j-res-38-for-the-era-in-a-reconciliation-package-amid-shutdown-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/urgent-action-needed-pass-s-j-res-38-for-the-era-in-a-reconciliation-package-amid-shutdown-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Urgent Action Needed: Pass S.J.Res. 38 for the ERA in a Reconciliation Package Amid Shutdown Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a century-long fight for constitutional equality, stands at a historic tipping point. <\/span>Senate Joint Resolution 38<\/a><\/b> —<\/span>A joint resolution establishing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski, which protects women, is the key to ratifying the ERA as the 28th Amendment by validating the 38 state ratifications achieved by 2020. As Congress scrambles to avert a federal government shutdown by midnight on September 30, 2025,<\/span> a reconciliation package offers a critical opportunity to pass this transformative resolution. While the <\/span>One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)<\/b> (July 3, 2025) and the pending <\/span>Defining Male and Female Act of 2025<\/a><\/b>\u00a0address specific policy frameworks, the ERA\u2019s passage is paramount to ensuring equality for all Americans. Here\u2019s why Congress must prioritize S.J.Res. 38 now.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Shutdown Crisis: A Moment for Bold Action<\/b><\/p>\n

With hours to go until the September 30, 2025, funding deadline, and as the saying goes “Nothing good happens after midnight.”. Congress faces intense pressure to pass a continuing resolution\u00a0 or omnibus bill to prevent a shutdown that would furlough 2 million federal workers, delay military pay, and cost the economy over $2 billion weekly. The Republican-majority House (220-215) and Senate (53-47) are deadlocked over spending, health subsidies, and foreign aid. A reconciliation package, requiring only a simple majority, is the most viable path to fund the government and advance S.J.Res. 38, bypassing the Senate\u2019s 60-vote filibuster threshold. This strategy, proven by the OBBBA\u2019s passage, can deliver the ERA alongside fiscal stability.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ERA: A Moral and Economic Imperative<\/b><\/p>\n

The ERA, first proposed in 1923, guarantees equal protection under the law regardless of sex. S.J.Res. 38 removes the 1982 deadline, affirming the 38 state ratifications and making the ERA the 28th Amendment. With women earning 82 cents for every dollar a man earns, and lacking constitutional safeguards against discrimination in pay, healthcare, and safety, the ERA is urgent. It would empower courts to uphold equality, as championed by Katrina\u2019s Dream Power of One<\/a> <\/strong>program, which urges calls to Congress (202-224-3121) to co-sponsor S.J.Res. 38. Supported by 80% of Americans (Pew, 2024) and bipartisan voices like Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the ERA bridges divides, promising $512 billion in annual GDP growth by empowering women economically (McKinsey, 2024).<\/span><\/p>\n

Leveraging Reconciliation for S.J.Res. 38<\/b><\/p>\n

A reconciliation package is the ERA\u2019s best shot. By bundling S.J.Res. 38 with shutdown-averting measures, Congress can:<\/span><\/p>\n