President Joe Biden announced on Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered as an addition to the US Constitution, supporting efforts to ratify the amendment a century after the guarantee of equality between men and women was first passed.

“It is long overdue to realize the will of the American people,” Biden said.

“According to my oath and my duty to the Constitution and the country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have agreed to: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing to all Americans equal rights and protection under the law regardless of the law . about their sexuality.”

It’s unclear what effect the Democratic presidential candidate’s remarks will have in the coming days before he is replaced by Republican Donald Trump.

Leaders have no part in organizing things. And the director of the National Archives has previously said that the change cannot be confirmed because it has not been confirmed by the deadline set by Congress.

First passed more than a century ago, the ERA declared that “equal liberties under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any other country on account of sex.”

Its supporters say it is important to protect against sex discrimination and it will help achieve equal pay, while critics say that the first time for it to be part of the US law has passed and the change is no longer needed.

Here is a summary of what the ERA is, how long it has been debated and what Biden means:

What is the Equal Rights Amendment?

The ERA is a 1970s ban on gender discrimination, guaranteeing men and women equal rights under the law. As a constitutional amendment, it needs approval by three-thirds of the states before it can be added to the US Constitution.

How long has the push to codify the ERA taken?

There has been controversy over the ERA since it was approved by Congress.

The ERA was sent to the states for ratification in 1972, and Congress set a deadline of 1979 for three-thirds of state legislatures to ratify it. This deadline was extended until 1982.

But it wasn’t until nearly 40 years later, in 2020, that Virginia lawmakers voted to approve the amendment, meaning 38 key states did.

Congress tried in 2023 to raise the deadline for ratification, but the measure did not reach the necessary 60 votes in the Senate.

What is the archivist’s role in ERA certification?

The Director of the National Archives is responsible for verifying and publishing new updates when they meet acceptable limits.

Last month, the archivist and deputy archivist of the United States said in a rare speech that the ERA could not be ratified without action by Congress or the courts, saying that each agency should change the time frame to consider the amendment as it was approved.

A senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss White House plans, said the Democratic president had not ordered an archivist to confirm the changes.

Will Biden’s actions on the ERA change anything?

Not really. Mr. Biden’s move is largely symbolic — and it’s unclear whether his remarks will have any effect. Leaders have no part in organizing things.

And the head of the National Archives said the change could not be confirmed because it had not been approved by the deadline set by Congress.

Democrats have been pressing Biden to act on the credentials before he leaves office next week, and some members of Congress planned to hold a meeting Friday at the National Archives.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who led the effort among Democrats in the Senate, insisted that the archivist’s analysis was flawed.

Gillibrand previously said that Colleen Shogan was “improperly inserting herself into a clear policy, despite her position as a minister,” urging Biden to confirm the ERA over Shogan’s objections.