Continuing to point to cases around the country where male-bodied transgender athletes are dominating female sports, this week, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., filed a discharge petition for his “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act” this week.
When he first brought out the bill at the start of 2020, the congressman insisted the bill will “ensure that women and girls are allowed a fair playing field in competitive sports by prohibiting the use of Title IX funds to support women’s sports in which biological male athletes are allowed to participate against biological women athletes.” The bill would have “biological females compete against other biological females in women’s competitive sports that are funded through Title IX” and “requires that sex for the purpose of sport be determined by the athlete’s sex as determined by a physician at birth.”
“By forcing biological female athletes to compete against biological male athletes in competitive sports, we are taking away women’s opportunities on and off the field,” Steube said. “These unfair policies discount the hard work and determination put in by our female athletes and give biological male athletes an unfair advantage in joining teams, setting records and earning scholarships.”
Back in the spring of 2019, from his seat on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Steube brought out an amendment to the “Equality Act” which would “ensure that nothing in the bill could be construed to require biological females to compete against biological males in sports.” Steube’s amendment was shot down by the Democrat majority on the committee.
Steube’s bill was sent to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee when he brought the bill back at the start of last year.
Now Steube filed a discharge petition with the support of U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., the chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC).
“Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports is anti-science and an affront to female athletes around the country. We have seen this practice prevent talented athletes from achieving their goals; stripping them of records, rosters, and scholarships. By refusing to allow a vote on protecting women’s sports, Speaker Pelosi is enabling Congress to evade this critical and timely issue facing students across the country. Tonight, Republicans filed a discharge petition to force my bill, The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act onto the House floor. Instead of paying lip service to women, I hope my colleagues across the aisle will actually do something for women and girls by signing onto this petition. As the left perpetuates a craze to eliminate gender, the American people deserve to know where their elected representatives stand on protecting women’s sports,” Steube said.
“Congress passed Title IX 50 years ago, but the left is now scheming to effectively destroy that important civil rights protection. House Republicans must respond by strengthening protections for female athletes and by forcing Democrats to publicly state whether they support women’s right to compete on a level playing field. I’d like to thank Greg Steube, as well as Heritage Action, my fellow RSC members and the numerous groups supporting his important bill,” Banks said.
Advancing American Freedom, American Principles Project, CatholicVote, Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), Concerned Women for America LAC, Eagle Forum, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Family PAC Federal, Family Policy Alliance, Family Research Council, ForAmerica, Heritage Action for America, Independent Women’s Forum, Women’s Declaration International USA and Women’s Liberation Front are backing the discharge petition.
Still, with Democrats controlling both chambers of Capitol Hill, Steube’s petition is not expected to garner much momentum.
More than 40 Republicans have co-sponsored Steube’s bill including fellow members of the Florida delegation U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Dan Webster.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced the companion measure in the U.S. Senate with 18 Republican co-sponsors including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.
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