Question

(Although it passed Congress in 1972 and quickly gained the support of many states, it failed to be ratified by enough states to be added to the Constitution. True or False?

Answer 1

The statement is true; the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972 but failed to be ratified by enough states by the deadline, making its current legal status still debated.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement is true. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was passed in 1972 by Congress and quickly gained support from many states. However, it failed to get ratified by the necessary three-fourths of state legislatures, with only 35 states ratifying it by the initial 1979 deadline. Although some states ratified or revisited the ERA in later years, and the deadline was extended into the 1980s, the amendment has faced legal challenges regarding both the validity of the extension and states' decisions to rescind their ratification. As of now, despite reaching the required 38-state threshold with Virginia's ratification in 2020, the ERA's legal status remains a contentious issue due to the elapsed deadline and ongoing legal contention.