WASHINGTON (AP) — The archivist and deputy archivist of the United States have issued a rare joint statement to say that the 1970s-era Equal Rights Amendment cannot be certified without further action by Congress or the courts. Tuesday’s statement comes as Democrats press President Joe Biden to act unilaterally on its ratification before he leaves office next month. The five-decade push to amend the Constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sex now remains stalled. Four years ago, Virginia lawmakers voted to ratify the amendment, becoming the 38th and final state needed. However, that ratification came nearly four decades after the congressionally mandated deadline.
