President Biden says he believes the amendment has met the requirements to be enshrined in the Constitution. Its history has been long and complex.

Legal scholars say President Joe Biden might be right about the Equal Rights Amendment — but his declaration on Friday has no legal significance. In a surprise move on his way out of office, Biden proclaimed that the amendment has met the requirements for ratification and is now part of the Constitution.

President Joe Biden said Friday that he believes the Equal Rights Amendment, which guarantees equal protections regardless of sex, is the “law of the land” but stopped short of ordering the U.S. archivist to publish the constitutional amendment.