[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 26, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2832-S2833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE IMPORTANCE OF TITLE IX

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today the Commission on Opportunity in 
Athletics sent Secretary Rod Paige their recommendations to change the 
landmark gender equity law--Title IX.
  Two members of the Commission--Julie Foudy and Donna de Varona--
decided not to sign the report and instead submitted a minority report 
because they found the final report slanted, incomplete, and failing to 
acknowledge that discrimination against women in education still 
exists. I am very disappointed the Commission did not write a more 
balanced report, which all members would have felt comfortable signing.
  Since its passage more than 30 years ago as part of the Education 
Amendments of 1972, Title IX has played a monumental role in the 
advancement of equality for women throughout America. This landmark 
legislation has opened the doors to colleges, universities and sports 
team locker rooms for our sisters, daughters and friends. Women's 
participation in sports has dramatically increased so that women now 
make up about 40 percent of all college athletics, compared with 15 
percent in 1972. Studies have shown that women who participate in 
athletics learn important values such as, teamwork, leadership, and 
discipline--values that stay with them throughout their lives.
  On January 29, Senators Daschle, Snowe, Kennedy, Specter, Murray

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and I wrote to Education Secretary Rod Paige urging him to defend and 
strengthen the enforcement of current Title IX policies and 
regulations. Today, I joined those same Senators in a letter urging 
President Bush to reaffirm the current policies under Title IX and to 
reject the changes to those policies proposed by the Commission.
  Over the past 30 years, Title IX has been a good and fair law and it 
should not be weakened in any way. I urge President Bush and Education 
Secretary Rod Paige to give as much consideration to the report filed 
by Julie Foudy and Donna de Varona as they do to the majority report 
and to ultimately reject any efforts to weaken Title IX and its goal to 
address widespread sex discrimination in athletics and all other 
aspects of education.

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