Council Member Virginia Maloney led a rally in City Hall Park urging Congress to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which was first drafted in 1923 to legalize equal rights for Americans. The bill was passed in 1972 but required a 38-state ratification deadline by June 30, 1982, and remained unratified until 2020, nearly four decades after its initial proposal. The rally urged Congress to extend the deadline and allow the ERA to become the 28th amendment. Former Congressional Representative Carolyn Maloney has been lobbying for the amendment's ratification across the country. However, the fight for Republican support is difficult due to politicians like Steve Scalise who believe the amendment is not about women's rights but rather about taxpayer funding going towards abortion.