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The House voted Tuesday to pass a GOP-led bill that would ban transgender athletes from girls and women’s sports in federally funded schools and educational institutions.
The bill is next expected to be considered by the GOP-controlled Senate. The vote in the House was 218-206, with two Democrats voting in favor and one Democrat voting “present.” Representatives Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar of Texas were the two Democrats who voted for the bill and Representative Don Davis of North Carolina was the current vote.
Republicans have brought attacks on Democrats on transgender issues to the forefront in competitive races this past election cycle, including at the top of the ticket with President-elect Donald Trump.
In the wake of Trump’s White House victory, some Democrats said their party needs to do more to address voters’ potential concerns.
This is not the first time that congressional Republicans have proposed this bill.
During the last session of Congress, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 219 to 203, along strict party lines, but it was not taken up by the Democratic-led Senate .
Now, Republicans are talking about it again with the GOP-controlled Senate. The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, however, as some Democrats are expected to join Republicans in moving the legislation forward.
The bill would ban transgender women and girls from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. It seeks to amend federal law to require that “sex be recognized solely on the basis of a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” for the purpose of determining Title IX compliance in athletics, according to the legislative text.
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs or activities and applies to schools and other educational institutions.
The bill would not prohibit “schools or institutions from allowing men to practice against women’s sports teams,” according to a fact sheet from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce artwork.
According to the legislative text, the bill does not prohibit institutions “from allowing men to train or train in a sports program or activity intended for women or girls, to provided that no woman is deprived of a place on a team or sport. possibility of participating in training or competition, scholarship, admission to an educational establishment or any other advantage accompanying participation in the program or sporting activity.
However, the Education Committee’s fact sheet states that under the bill, “a recipient of federal education funding violates Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination if it exploits, sponsors or facilitates sports programs or activities and allows a male person to participate in a sports program or activity intended for women or girls.
The bill – called the “Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act” – was introduced by Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida.
Republicans have argued that transgender women hold a physical advantage over cisgender women in sports and therefore their participation could limit opportunities for others.
Democrats have said policies aimed at restricting transgender athletes’ participation in team sports add to the discrimination trans people face, particularly trans youth. And they argue that Republicans are seeking to undermine the rights of LGBTQ students by advancing the bill.
The House vote comes as GOP-led states across the country continue to push anti-trans measures, including bills intended to prevent transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. gender.
In addition to featuring heavily on the campaign trail, the issue of transgender rights has sparked controversy on Capitol Hill.
Late last year, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina announced she was introducing a resolution to block transgender women from using the women’s restroom at the U.S. Capitol. Mace’s decision came after Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware became the first transgender person elected to Congress.
McBride posted on Congress will be able to muster the same kindness.
“This is a blatant attempt by far-right extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to the problems Americans face. We should be focused on reducing the cost of housing, health care and child care, not on manufacturing culture wars,” McBride said.
It is unclear whether the bill will pass the Senate and will likely face an uphill battle in the House due to the narrow margin of partisan control.
Senate Republicans have 53 seats. Typically, that would mean at least seven Democrats would have to vote with Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold and advance a bill subject to a filibuster.
This story has been updated with additional developments.