Biden Claims Equal Rights Amendment Ratified, Faces Backlash

In a controversial statement, outgoing President Joe Biden declared that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution currently has only 27 amendments. Biden's assertion, made through social media, faced immediate backlash and fact-checking, with critics pointing out that the ERA was never ratified within the required timeframe, which ended in 1982. The National Archives has stated that the ERA cannot be certified as part of the Constitution due to established legal precedents. Critics, including prominent media figures, have mocked Biden's claim as a misunderstanding of constitutional law, arguing that such declarations cannot unilaterally create amendments. Although Biden insisted that the ERA is now law, many legal experts maintain that it remains unratified, while some Democratic lawmakers are pushing for its recognition. This declaration has sparked discussions on women's rights and the constitutional amendment process in the United States.