The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to protect women's sports, drawing strong reaction from both sides of the aisle. Republican lawmakers hailed the vote, while Democrats voiced opposition, raising concerns about potential discrimination.
The U.S. House of Representatives marked the commencement of the 119th Congress with a significant vote on Tuesday, passing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The bill garnered unanimous support from Republican representatives, while only two Democrats, Representatives Henry Cuellar of Texas and Vicente Gonzales of Texas, joined the majority. The remaining 206 House Democrats voted against the measure, with Representative Don Davis of North Carolina abstaining.
Following the vote, Republican lawmakers and women's rights advocates held a press conference on Capitol Hill, expressing their condemnation of the Democrats who opposed the bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, characterized the vote as 'shameful', emphasizing that only two Democrats voted in favor of what he deemed a common-sense measure to safeguard women's sports. Johnson stated, 'We had two Democrats join us, but it's shameful, there should be many, many more. In fact, I argue that every member of this body voted for common sense and to protect women. But for some reason, for politics I guess, they chose not to.' He added, 'The American people sent a clear message in November, they want us to return to common sense, but it seems that some of our friends in the other party are ignoring that plea.'Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, a prominent advocate for women athletes' rights and a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the NCAA regarding its policies on transgender athletes, also voiced her criticism of the 206 Democrats who voted against the bill. Gaines challenged the Democrats' arguments that the legislation would lead to young girls undergoing intrusive examinations for sports eligibility. She asserted, 'We heard of things like genital exams, we heard that girls would be asked to show what's in their underwear, we heard that they would have to show internal and external anatomy, inspections, Taliban-like enforcers, hire predators to peek at enforcers on and on and on, weird fearmongering about predators, but that's what Democrats do best.' Gaines further criticized those who deemed the bill a 'waste of time,' stating, 'I heard that this bill is a waste of time, and let me tell you the message I received when I heard that, it's that I am a waste of time. Girls around the country, just like me, are a waste of time. Your daughters are a waste of time to all House Democrats except for two.' Representative Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida who reintroduced the bill after its failure to pass in 2023, highlighted the Democrats' history of promoting and accepting transgender inclusion in women's sports. Steube stated, 'The Democrats have, for years, tried to allow biological males to compete in our nation's women's collegiate activities. It's absolutely absurd that we actually have to pass a bill that says only women can be in women's sports!' The Biden administration, along with other Democrats, has taken numerous actions over the past four years to facilitate the participation of transgender athletes in women's and girls' sports. On January 20, 2021, shortly after President Biden took office, he issued an executive order titled 'Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.' This order included a provision stating, 'Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.'Biden further issued a comprehensive rule in April that clarified Title IX's ban on 'sex' discrimination in schools to encompass discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and 'pregnancy or related conditions.' Although the administration insisted that this regulation did not address athletic eligibility, multiple experts presented evidence to Fox News Digital in June demonstrating that it would ultimately result in more biological men competing in women's sports. Democrats have proposed other federal legislation that would allow for greater transgender inclusion in women's sports. These include the Equality Act, which was introduced in 2019 and has undergone revisions that 'would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.' In March 2023, Democrats advocated for a transgender bill of rights, proposing a resolution 'recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights.' This resolution specifically called for federal law to ensure that biological men can 'participate in sports on teams and in programs that best align with their gender identity; use school facilities that best align with their gender identity.
Women's Sports Transgender Athletes House Of Representatives Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act Gender Identity Title IX
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