<P> Congress had originally set a ratification deadline of March 22 , 1979 . Through 1977 , the amendment received 35 of the necessary 38 state ratifications . With wide , bipartisan support ( including that of both major political parties , both houses of Congress , and Presidents Ford and Carter ) it seemed headed for ratification until Phyllis Schlafly mobilized conservative women in opposition , arguing that the ERA would disadvantage housewives and cause women to be drafted into the military . Four states rescinded their ratifications before the 1979 deadline ; however , there is no precedent or mechanism within the US Constitution for rescinding , and , thus , it becomes a legal question . In 1978 , a joint resolution of Congress extended the ratification deadline to June 30 , 1982 , but no further states ratified the amendment before that revised deadline . </P>
what was one of the primary arguments against ratifying the equal rights amendment
arguing that the ERA would disadvantage housewives and cause women to be drafted into the military