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U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), co-sponsor of the ERA Ratification Bill, has championed women’s rights since the start of her congressional career in 1992. As a politician, she’s achieved a series of firsts: the first woman to represent New York’s 14th Congressional District, the first woman to represent New York City’s 7th Council District, and the first woman to serve as Chair of the Joint Economic Committee.
Maloney has consistently used her congressional influence to push for legislation on feminist issues such as sexual assault, childcare and economic equality. Her persistent advocacy for full ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment is one of her most notable pursuits for women’s rights. In 2013, Maloney reintroduced the Amendment to the 113th Congress. She had previously introduced nine different variations of the bill to Congress beginning in 1997.
She oversaw the passage of the Debbie Smith Act, which allocates government funding to eliminate the country’s backlog of rape kits. The Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) called the bill “the most important anti-rape legislation ever considered by Congress.” She similarly attacked childcare issues with her introduction of the 2012 Childcare Affordability Act, which aimed to increase women’s access to childcare.