[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S607-S609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 National Women and Girls in Sports Day

  Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, November 5, 2024, that is the day that 
the American people sent shock waves to the swamp in DC when they 
overwhelmingly reelected Donald John Trump as President of these United 
States of America. And 77 million Americans didn't just deliver a 
mandate for President Trump, they also wanted his ``America First'' 
agenda.
  I come to the floor today to remind my Senate Republican colleagues 
that a critical part of the ``America First'' agenda includes 
prioritizing the safety of our women and girls in sports and protecting 
their privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms.
  I am here to call for a vote on my legislation, S. 9, the Protection 
of Women and Girls in Sports Act, that would save title IX and save 
women's sports.
  Today is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. That is today. To 
celebrate, President Trump will sign an Executive order this afternoon 
in the White House ending Democrats' intentional destruction of title 
IX and saving women's sports. I am very thankful for his leadership on 
this.
  President Trump's Executive order will make sure women's sports are 
protected for at least the next 4 years. But, unfortunately, Executive 
orders can be reversed.
  Congress needs to act on this to make sure the next Democrat 
administration, whenever it is, can't take the same steps to destroy 
title IX that the Biden administration took.
  For the past 4 years, the Biden administration waged an all-out 
assault on gender. Since the beginning of time, people have agreed that 
sex is assigned at birth and determined by God. But under the Biden 
administration, you had people claiming that men can get pregnant. Here 
on this floor, I heard that. Pure insanity.
  But it didn't stop there. They weren't content to just erase gender 
norms that have been accepted for thousands and thousands of years. No, 
they wanted to allow transgender men to participate against women and 
girls in sports.
  This has been happening in schools all across the country. Young 
women have been forced to compete against men and even share locker 
rooms and showers. On top of that, your taxpayer dollars are paying for 
this nonsense.
  Over the past several years under the Joe Biden administration, 900 
women's medals have gone to men--900. That is absolutely wrong.
  This one is personal for me. My first coaching job was in women's 
basketball years ago. Title IX was just starting to be implemented when 
I took that first job. I saw firsthand the immediate difference it 
made.
  Before title IX, at a lot of schools, college women's athletics 
didn't really exist. Back then, there were more than 10 times as many 
male athletes in college as female athletes. After title IX, that 
quickly changed. For the first time, the young women I coached had 
equal access to facilities, resources, and competition.
  I saw these hard-working young women go on to earn college 
scholarships, start careers, and become leaders of our country. I still 
keep in touch with many of these young women today, and I am deeply 
proud of them.
  Looking back on it now, I wonder if they would have had the same 
opportunities without title IX. Would they have had the same success if 
they had to compete against males 40 years ago?
  This really shouldn't be controversial. It is just common sense.
  A recent poll from the New York Times, of all publications, showed 79 
percent of all Americans believe men should not compete in women's 
sports--79 percent.
  President Trump campaigned largely on this issue. If you remember his 
campaign, he spent nearly $20 million on TV ads about the importance of 
keeping men out of women's sports.
  So on November 5, 2024, the American people didn't just elect 
President Trump; they also decisively rejected this ridiculous notion 
that men can get pregnant and boys should compete against women's 
sports--ridiculous. And they definitely didn't want their tax dollars 
funding schools that allow boys to share locker rooms with girls.
  My bill would prevent a school from receiving any Federal funding if 
they let boys compete in women's sports. It also defines gender as male 
and female for this purpose.
  I was glad to see President Trump sign an Executive order defining 
gender during his first few days in office. The President also made it 
clear under that Executive order that he wants Congress to take action 
on this as well because he understands it can go away with the signing 
of an ink pen.
  That is why today, I am also reintroducing a bill to prohibit men 
from competing in women's Olympic sports because men competing against 
women at any level is dangerous.
  We are all deeply disturbed--all of us were deeply disturbed this 
past summer to see videos of boys and men boxing against women.
  You know, when I was growing up, we were taught to never hit a girl. 
But I guess that is over now because of the Democrats.
  One study found out that males can punch up to 162 percent harder 
than females. Somebody is going to get killed or seriously injured if 
we don't stop this absolute nonsense. It is unsafe, it is unfair, and 
it is just plain wrong.

  The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act will make sure men 
aren't allowed to compete against women in any sport but especially not 
in a violent sport like boxing. This bill will restore fairness for the 
American women who train their whole lives to represent our country on 
the world stage. Their entire lives, they train.
  I know we are all looking forward to the United States hosting the 
Summer Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. I hope our bill has been passed 
and signed into law long before that so we can all enjoy some healthy, 
safe women-against-women or men-against-men competition during those 
Olympics.
  But this issue goes way beyond politics. I have heard from parents, 
students, teachers, and coaches all over the country about this. These 
are people who have personally seen the benefits of title IX and are 
very concerned about Democrats' attempts to take these opportunities 
away from women and girls.
  There are countless stories of girls who have benefited from title IX 
in my State of Alabama. This includes athletes like Rachel Argent of 
Thorsby High School in Chilton County, AL. Rachel's athletic ability 
and good grades drew the attention of college coaches across Alabama. 
Rachel's athletic ability and her good grades drew

[[Page S608]]

the attention of people from everywhere.
  Because of her talent and work ethic, she received a basketball 
scholarship to Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette, AL. 
After competing for 2 years and getting her degree, she got a softball 
scholarship at Samford University. That scholarship put her on the 
right direction to be able to buy her own uniform or her own equipment 
like she did in high school. It was all done because of title IX, and 
it was all paid for, which, years ago, would not have happened.
  She didn't have to worry about landing a full-time job while she went 
to school and participated in sports to pay her bills.
  After college, Rachel returned to Thorsby High School as a teacher 
and a coach. She wanted to give back to the school what she had gotten 
from title IX. She taught health and physical education for grades K-
12. She coached girls softball, basketball, track, and volleyball. She 
made an impact on hundreds of girls across the State of Alabama. It was 
all made possible, again, by title IX.
  Rachel's daughter Addie played softball, tennis, golf, and basketball 
at Chilton County High School. She got a gold scholarship to the 
University of Mobile, where she graduated with a degree in nursing. Her 
athletic scholarship was a key part of her getting a degree and 
becoming a nurse.
  There are countless other young women like Addie and Rachel across 
Alabama and every other State across the country. More than 50,000 
young women in Alabama alone competed in high school sports this past 
year--50,000. Every single one of them deserves the full benefit of 
fair competition.
  I am grateful that every Member of the Senate Republican leadership 
is a cosponsor of my Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. They 
have been very supportive. Leader Thune is a proud cosponsor of my 
bill, and I am glad to have his support. Leader Thune is committed to 
scheduling a vote on this bill and putting every Democrat on the record 
on whether or not they support men competing in women's sports.
  We brought this bill to the floor for a vote during the last 
Congress--really, we brought it twice--and every single Democrat always 
voted against it. What does that tell you?
  Leader Thune has not rescheduled it for a vote this Congress. Right 
now, we obviously have a lot of things to do with President Trump's 
Cabinet. Then we can get started on the reconciliation process and get 
the American economy jump-started again. We have a lot to accomplish in 
the first 100 days of the Trump administration, and I hope this bill is 
part of that 100 days.
  President Trump will sign an Executive order again today banning men 
from competing in women's sports. Let's lock that commitment in. Let's 
lock it in for young girls and women all across this country.
  Let's bring this bill to the floor for a vote very soon so the Senate 
can send it to the President's desk and make this permanent.
  To my Senate colleagues who are on the fence about this, I would ask: 
Do you have daughters? Do you have granddaughters? Do you have nieces? 
Would you want them competing against men in sports? Would you feel 
comfortable with them sharing a locker room with a biological male?
  I am excited to welcome my first granddaughter in a couple of weeks, 
Rosie Grace. I would raise hell if she was forced to compete, dress, or 
use the same showers as men. American taxpayers should not be forced to 
foot the bill for any schools that are allowing this to happen.
  The days of woke, swamp politicians running our government are over. 
Common sense has been restored to the White House, and Congress needs 
to get back to work and let President Trump work on this bill. This 
isn't about politics; this is about right and wrong. The American 
people have delivered a verdict. They want men out of women's sports 
and women's locker rooms. President Trump is 100 percent with us on 
this.
  The time to act is now. It is time to restore title IX protections 
and save women's sports.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, today is National Girls and Women in 
Sports Day. It is a holiday that celebrates women's many 
accomplishments in athletics.
  To be certain, we do have a lot for our athletic women and girls to 
celebrate, and soon after I leave the floor and these remarks, I will 
be heading to the White House to join President Trump as he signs an 
Executive order to keep biological men out of women's sports. This move 
is a triumph for the more than 3 million high school and college female 
athletes who deserve safety, fair play, and equal opportunity to 
succeed.
  In many ways, it is disturbing that this action is even necessary. 
Since title IX's enactment in 1972, which required equal resources for 
women's sports, the lives of millions of young women and girls have 
been improved with the benefits of fitness, teamwork, and leadership 
experience. Yet despite these advances for women, for 4 years the 
Biden-Harris administration waged a war on women's sports. Instead of 
empowering young women, they denied biological reality and blurred the 
difference between men and women.
  In 2022, Biden's Education Department announced new rules that would 
allow biological males to participate in women's groups and activities, 
essentially forcing schools to accept men into their women's athletic 
programs. Following up last year, the administration extended the 
rulemaking to private spaces, such as locker rooms and bathrooms, 
further jeopardizing the safety of women.
  Thankfully, in November, the American people rejected this radical 
agenda. Instead, they gave President Trump a mandate to protect women, 
restore fairness, and bring common sense back to government rulemaking. 
That is why, on Inauguration Day, President Trump issued an Executive 
order that affirms the Federal Government's position that there are 
only two sexes--male and female--that are grounded in biology, not 
gender ideology. In effect, this means no more forcing schools to allow 
biological men into women's spaces.
  For so many female athletes in Tennessee and across the country, 
President Trump's Executive orders are welcome news. But to ensure that 
every single one of them receives the safety, opportunity, and fairness 
they deserve, there is much more that Congress can and should do.
  At the top of the list: ensuring the National Collegiate Athletic 
Association, the NCAA, prohibits biological men from competing in 
women's sports. The NCAA is the Nation's largest governing body of 
college athletics. So it wields tremendous power over hundreds of 
thousands of student athletes all across the country.
  That is why it is so troubling that since 2010, the organization has 
allowed men to compete in female-only events. Time and again, we have 
seen this policy endanger women's safety and deprive them of hard-
earned records, medals, and accomplishments.
  Just 3 years ago, at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving 
Championships, Tennessee's Riley Gaines competed against and shared a 
locker room with a biological male who ultimately took home the trophy 
that she had rightfully won.
  And, in recent months, five NCAA women's volleyball teams were forced 
to forfeit their matches to avoid the danger of playing against a 
biological male on a competing team.
  To bring this unfairness and inequity to an end, I recently 
introduced a resolution calling on the NCAA to protect women in sports, 
including by revoking its policy that allows biological males to 
compete against women. This move would bring the organization in line 
with other leading athletic associations, including the National 
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and more than 20 States that 
have taken action to preserve fair play in women's sports.
  To support young women and girls in sports, I also introduced the 
Fair Play for Girls Act. Among its provisions,

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this crucial legislation would require the U.S. Attorney General to 
submit a report to Congress on the harms, lost opportunities, and 
harassment women have faced in athletics, as well as the effectiveness 
of State and Federal laws to prevent this abuse.
  At the same time, it is imperative that we celebrate the 
accomplishments of the young women who practice, train, and compete 
every day to achieve athletic success. That is why I introduced a 
resolution to designate October 10--that would be Roman numerals X and 
X, like the female sex chromosome--as American Girls in Sports Day. 
Specifically, the resolution calls on sports governing bodies to 
protect women and girls in sports.
  Young women across the country have suffered injuries, faced sexual 
harassment, and lost accolades because they were forced to share spaces 
designed for women with men. Together, President Trump and Republicans 
in Congress are working together to put an end to this assault on 
women, once and for all.