[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S708-S709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





SENATE RESOLUTION 398--SUPPORTING THE OBSERVATION OF ``NATIONAL GIRLS & 
 WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY'' ON FEBRUARY 7, 2018, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF AND 
        CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Thune, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Collins, Ms. 
Warren, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 398

       Whereas athletic participation helps develop self-
     discipline, initiative, confidence, and leadership skills, 
     and opportunities for athletic participation should be 
     available to all individuals;
       Whereas, because the people of the United States remain 
     committed to protecting equality, it is imperative to 
     eliminate the existing disparities between male and female 
     youth athletic programs;
       Whereas the share of athletic participation opportunities 
     of high school girls has increased more than sixfold since 
     the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 
     (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) (referred to in this preamble as 
     ``title IX''), but high school girls still experience--
       (1) a lower share of athletic participation opportunities 
     than high school boys; and
       (2) a lower level of athletic participation opportunities 
     than high school boys enjoyed almost 50 years ago;
       Whereas female participation in college sports has nearly 
     tripled since the passage of title IX, but female college 
     athletes still only comprise 44 percent of the total 
     collegiate athlete population;
       Whereas, in 1972, women coached more than 90 percent of 
     collegiate women's teams, but now women coach less than 50 
     percent of all collegiate women teams, and there is a need to 
     restore women to those positions to ensure fair 
     representation and provide role models for young female 
     athletes;
       Whereas the long history of women in sports in the United 
     States--
       (1) features many contributions made by female athletes 
     that have enriched the national life of the United States; 
     and
       (2) includes inspiring figures, such as Gertrude Ederle, 
     Wilma Rudolph, Althea Gibson, Mildred Ella ``Babe'' Didrikson 
     Zaharias, and Patty Berg, who overcame difficult obstacles in 
     their own lives to--
          (A) advance participation by women in sports; and
          (B) set positive examples for the generations of female 
     athletes who continue to inspire people in the United States 
     today;
       Whereas the United States must do all it can to support the 
     bonds built between all athletes to break down the barriers 
     of discrimination, inequality, and injustice;
       Whereas girls and young women in minority communities are 
     doubly disadvantaged because--
       (1) schools in minority communities overall have fewer 
     athletic opportunities; and
       (2) the limited resources for athletic opportunities in 
     those communities are not evenly distributed between male and 
     female students;
       Whereas, with the recent passage of bills such as the 
     Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport 
     Authorization Act of 2017 (S. 534, 115th Congress), Congress 
     has taken steps to--
       (1) protect female athletes from the crime of sexual abuse; 
     and
       (2) empower athletes to report sexual abuse when it occurs; 
     and
       Whereas, with the beginning of the 2018 Winter Olympics in 
     South Korea, it is more important than ever to ensure the 
     safety and well-being of athletes by protecting those 
     athletes from the crime of sexual abuse, which has harmed so 
     many young athletes within youth athletic organizations: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate supports--
       (1) observing ``National Girls & Women in Sports Day'' on 
     February 7, 2018, to recognize--
       (A) the female athletes who represent schools, 
     universities, and the United States in their athletic 
     pursuits; and
       (B) the vital role that the people of the United States 
     have in empowering girls and women in sports;
       (2) marking the observation of National Girls & Women in 
     Sports Day with appropriate programs and activities, 
     including legislative efforts to protect young athletes from 
     the crime of sexual abuse so that future generations of 
     female athletes will not have to experience the pain that so 
     many female athletes have had to endure; and
       (3) all ongoing efforts to--
       (A) promote equality in sports and access to athletic 
     opportunities for girls and women; and
       (B) support the commitment of the United States to 
     expanding athletic participation for all girls and future 
     generations of women athletes.

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a Senate 
Resolution recognizing February 7, 2018 as ``National Girls & Women in 
Sports Day''. Since the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments 
of 1972, our Nation has taken many big steps toward achieving equality 
for women in our Nation's athletic institutions. In fact, since then, 
participation by high school girls in athletic programs has increased 
more than six fold. And in college sports, participation by women 
athletes has nearly tripled since the passage of Title IX.
  However, many disparities still exist between male and female 
athletic programs in our Nation today. Because there are simply fewer 
athletic opportunities and programs for girls, there are lower levels 
of participation in sports amongst present day high school girls than 
there were for high school boys in the 1970s.
  Across college campuses, women athletes still comprise only 44 
percent of the collegiate athlete population. And in some instances, 
the numbers have even shrunk over time. In 1972, women occupied more 
than 90 percent of coaching positions with collegiate women's teams. 
Today, women occupy less than half of these coaching positions.
  This resolution recognizes how far we have come, but more 
importantly, it acknowledges how much farther we still have to go to 
achieve equality for our female athletes. In looking to the future and 
resolving together that more must be done to provide girls and women 
equal opportunity in sports, we also celebrate and recognize female 
athletes from the past who have faced difficult obstacles in their 
lives to advance the participation of women in sports.
  We honor athletes like Althea Gibson, who was the first African-
American athlete to break down racial barriers in international tennis 
and who, in 1956, became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam 
tennis title with her victory at the French Open.
  We celebrate ``Babe'' Didrikson Zaharias, who, in addition to the 
Olympic medals she won at the 1932 Olympic Games in track and field, 
challenged conventions in the sport of golf to become the first woman 
in history who attempted to qualify in the U.S. Open tournament.
  We salute Wilma Rudolph, who in the 1960s was considered the fastest 
woman in the world and, with her performance at the 1960 Olympic Games, 
was the first American woman to achieve three gold medals at any single 
Olympics event in history.
  Each of these women faced tremendous difficulties to break down 
barriers in their respective sports to change not just the culture of 
sports in our Nation, but ultimately, to improve our country. Their 
names were inscribed in sports history, and in the process they became 
positive role models for entire generations of female athletes who 
continue to inspire us all with their talents. Finally, this resolution 
recognizes the importance of supporting girls and women in sports by 
holding to account those who use their positions of power--both 
individual and institutional in nature--to abuse and exploit.
  Mr. President, our Nation continues to struggle with the revelations 
that hundreds of young female athletes were sexually abused within USA 
Gymnastics affiliated institutions. The stories of these survivors, who 
endured such horrific abuse at the hands of professionals entrusted to 
develop their athletic talents, are absolutely heartbreaking and our 
Nation must do more to prevent these crimes from ever happening again. 
To put an end to this abuse, on January 30, 2018, Congress passed the 
Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization 
Act of 2017, which I had authored and introduced to require all Olympic 
sports organizations and amateur sports organizations to immediately 
report allegations of sexual abuse to law enforcement.
  As the Winter Olympics begin this week in South Korea, our Nation 
must continue to do everything we can to enforce this legislation and 
advocate on behalf of these young athletes whose lives have been turned 
upside down by the abuse that they endured.
  I would also like to thank the National Women's Law Center and the 
National Girls & Women in Sports Day Coalition for their support of 
this resolution. All young people in our Nation deserve equal access to 
freely participate in athletic programs and to feel safe and secure so 
they can thrive within their chosen sports. With these goals in mind, I 
call on all of us to examine the progress we have made and

[[Page S709]]

commit ourselves to addressing the inequalities we must still overcome 
to empower female athletes in our Nation.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

                          ____________________