[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H157-H158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1100
                      REPUBLICANS STAND WITH WOMEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, this past week, House Republicans passed the 
Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which ensures that 
biological men cannot compete in women's and girls' sports. It makes 
sense to about 99 percent of America.
  The idea that we even need a bill like this is disturbing in itself. 
Think about it. We are debating whether boys or men should compete 
against girls or women in athletics, all athletics.
  When Title IX was enacted back in 1972, Mr. Speaker, it opened the 
doors for women and girls to have equal opportunities in sports. When 
Title IX was enacted back 1972, it opened the doors for women and girls 
to have equal opportunities in sports. It is worth repeating.
  Before Title IX, women's sports were almost nonexistent, but since 
then, we have seen great progress. Women's sports have flourished, and 
we have seen amazing accomplishments in basketball, soccer, swimming, 
and so much more.
  Athletes like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Simone Biles, and Lindsey 
Vonn are now household names, inspiring young girls everywhere.
  Yet we have been faced with a narrow but loud group of activists and 
media who think it is acceptable for a 6-foot-4-inch biological male to 
compete against an average-sized, yet athletic, woman in sports.
  Let's be clear, it is not acceptable. Also, it is not acceptable to 
force women to share a locker room with a biological man, forcing them 
to shower and change together.
  This is not an overstatement, Mr. Speaker. It is happening, and it is 
traumatizing to women and girls to have a

[[Page H158]]

man walking around naked in their locker room or spiking a volleyball 
full force into their face.
  This failed ideological social experiment is disrupting the very 
fabric of what Title IX was designed to protect.
  One example, without mentioning names, is a male swimmer, who was 
ranked 554th among male athletes, but became the top-ranked female 
swimmer in the women's category in the Nation.
  We can go back to Caitlyn Jenner, who as Bruce Jenner competed in the 
Olympics and won the decathlon. As Caitlyn Jenner, she stated that if 
she would have transitioned earlier, she would have won every gold 
medal. Clearly, that is not fair.
  This does not respect the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices made 
by female athletes.
  This was a commonsense bill, and there was a right way and a wrong 
way to vote on it.
  In my view, as I stated earlier, 99 percent of Americans agree that 
men and boys should not be competing in women's and girls' sports, 
which is why my Republican colleagues and I voted to pass this bill 
yesterday with only two Democrats voting along with us. That is kind of 
disturbing in itself.
  Our Republican Conference will continue to stand with women 
throughout this Congress and advocate for the protection of their 
rights.

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