During a keynote address at the New York State Fair Wednesday, Democrat New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand erroneously referenced the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment as the law that gives women the right to vote, Syrcause.com reported.
“This Women’s Day comes just one week after the 90th anniversary of the Fourteenth Amendment that gave women the right to vote,” Gillibrand told the attendees at the annual Women’s Day luncheon.
“If we went around this room, I bet each of you could name a few things you’d want to change,” she said. “Maybe you’re wondering – where do I start? Maybe you’re already leading the fight to change a policy at your workplace or child’s school. Maybe you’ve thought, ‘What’s the point? Nothing I do will make any difference.’ Well, I have good news: your voice does matter and you can achieve change.”
The Fourteenth Amendment grants citizenship to individuals born or naturalized in the United States. The law Gillibrand meant to refer to was the Nineteenth Amendment.
Gillibrand, who is best known for pushing anti-sexual assault bills on Capitol Hill, also got the anniversary of the amendment’s ratification wrong. It was ratified 95 years ago in August of 1920. The New York senator is a graduate of Dartmouth College and UCLA Law School.
Gillibrand’s office later told Syracuse.com that the senator was obviously talking about the Nineteenth Amendment and a “typographical error” made it into the final version of her speech. The publication notes the errors were also in the advance copy of the speech they were sent.