amy: linda coberly, you've been working on this for years.ut this whole issue of the seven-year deadline. what happened in 1972, that incredible moment -- but then not only its passage, but the fact it had to be ratified by the states and what all that means. >> good to be with you this morning. the process for amending the constitution set forth in article 5 and it has very specific requirements which have been met by the e.r.a., the first requirement is that congress must pass the amendment and propose it to the states by two thirds vote. that happened in early 1970's. the second is three quarters of the state ratify it. there are couple of ways that can happen. congress chose to have the legislatures to the ratification. there is nothing in article 5 that talks about the time limit. for the first 150 years or so, there were no time limits on proposed amendments. the last amendment added to the constitution took 203 years to ratify. it was proposed by james madison . it became part of the constitution only recently. in the early 20th centur