US Congress Holds Vote on Transgender School Athletes
The House of Representatives has implemented a prohibition on biological males participating in women’s and girls’ teams across all schools receiving federal funding. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A proposal by Republicans aims to prohibit biological males from participating in women's sports at federally funded schools. This legislation, recently passed by the US House of Representatives, would apply to kindergartens, elementary and high schools, as well as colleges and universities that receive federal funding.
The Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act stipulates that student athletes may only compete on teams that align with their gender assigned at birth.
“The American people sent a clear message in November. They want us to return to common sense, and we're going to see if Democrats have heard that message,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, stated to reporters before the vote on Tuesday.
“Everyone’s talking about their children today. I’ve got two sons and two daughters, and we see the difference. Of course everyone does. And it's kind of silly to deny it,” he added.
The final tally for the vote was 218 in favor and 206 against. Two Texas Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzales, broke ranks to support the Republicans, while another Democrat, Don Davis from North Carolina, voted “present.” All three won their seats in districts that have recently trended Republican.
“Why are we even having to discuss this? It's amazing to me that the idea that we would have XY chromosome males competing and taking the place of women and girls in sports is just mind-blowing,” questioned Doug LaMalfa, a Republican from California, during the debate over the bill. He also expressed surprise at the silence from feminists and activists who have championed women's rights.
Democrats retorted by dubbing the bill the “Child Predator Empowerment Act.” Oregon Democrat Andrea Salinas asserted that the legislation created an “unfair playing field,” as it enabled any parent to raise a concern regarding transgender athletes, a circumstance she described as "rare."
“Republicans should stop focusing on culture wars and start getting to work on lowering costs, investing in public education, and increasing access to affordable health care,” suggested Eugene Vindman, a Virginia Democrat who was born in Ukraine. His brother, Alexander, was involved in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in 2019.
Trump is set to be sworn in for his second term on Monday.
This marks the second occasion that the House has advanced the bill concerning transgender athletes, introduced by Florida Republican Greg Steube. The measure was initially passed in 2023 with a tally of 219-203, but Senate Democrats at the time declined to consider it. Now that Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, the new Senate leadership has indicated it intends to move forward with the bill shortly.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act stipulates that student athletes may only compete on teams that align with their gender assigned at birth.
“The American people sent a clear message in November. They want us to return to common sense, and we're going to see if Democrats have heard that message,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, stated to reporters before the vote on Tuesday.
“Everyone’s talking about their children today. I’ve got two sons and two daughters, and we see the difference. Of course everyone does. And it's kind of silly to deny it,” he added.
The final tally for the vote was 218 in favor and 206 against. Two Texas Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzales, broke ranks to support the Republicans, while another Democrat, Don Davis from North Carolina, voted “present.” All three won their seats in districts that have recently trended Republican.
“Why are we even having to discuss this? It's amazing to me that the idea that we would have XY chromosome males competing and taking the place of women and girls in sports is just mind-blowing,” questioned Doug LaMalfa, a Republican from California, during the debate over the bill. He also expressed surprise at the silence from feminists and activists who have championed women's rights.
Democrats retorted by dubbing the bill the “Child Predator Empowerment Act.” Oregon Democrat Andrea Salinas asserted that the legislation created an “unfair playing field,” as it enabled any parent to raise a concern regarding transgender athletes, a circumstance she described as "rare."
“Republicans should stop focusing on culture wars and start getting to work on lowering costs, investing in public education, and increasing access to affordable health care,” suggested Eugene Vindman, a Virginia Democrat who was born in Ukraine. His brother, Alexander, was involved in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in 2019.
Trump is set to be sworn in for his second term on Monday.
This marks the second occasion that the House has advanced the bill concerning transgender athletes, introduced by Florida Republican Greg Steube. The measure was initially passed in 2023 with a tally of 219-203, but Senate Democrats at the time declined to consider it. Now that Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, the new Senate leadership has indicated it intends to move forward with the bill shortly.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
