WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families, condemned the Biden administration’s new Title IX proposed rule that coerces schools to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.
“For more than 50 years, Title IX has been a historic success for women and girls in this country,” said Senator Tuberville. “As a coach, educator, and mentor, I’ve seen its success firsthand. The Biden administration’s policies have already taken a sledgehammer to Title IX, and this proposed rule is another example of Joe Biden doing the bidding of the radical left. This new rule is a disservice to every girl in this country who dreams of becoming a student athlete. I urge the Biden administration to listen to parents, teachers, and coaches, and not to follow through with these misguided policies. Our colleagues in Congress will have to consider every option available to nullify this harmful new rule, including passing my legislation, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.”
The proposed rule would revise students’ Title IX discrimination protections in athletics to include gender identity. It would also allow the federal government to defund schools and overrule state policies aimed at supporting women in sports, after they are implemented, without providing clarity as to what kind of policy, if any, would comply.
In March, Senator Tuberville led more than half of the Senate Republican Conference in reintroducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The legislation would preserve Title IX protections for female athletes and ensure fair, safe competition in women’s sports across the country.
Senator Tuberville’s condemnation echoes the rebuke from U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee.
“This is a fairness issue. Female athletes who work extremely hard should not have their future in athletics hindered because they are forced to compete against biological males who have an unfair physical advantage,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This action by the administration is completely against the spirit of Title IX to promote participation in sports for girls and women.”
BACKGROUND
Last year, on the 50th anniversary of Title IX’s enactment, the U.S. Department of Education issued a proposed rule to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. Senator Tuberville offered a public comment to the proposed rule, citing his concern about the negative implications it would cause for female athletes. The department recently proceeded with its decision to finalize the rule. It is expected that the rule will take effect during the 2023-2024 school year.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act:
- Ensures Title IX provisions treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
- Bans recipients of federal funding from operating, sponsoring, or facilitating athletic programs that permit a male to participate in a women’s sporting event.
The legislation is cosponsored by 25 other Republican senators and is endorsed by Independent Women’s Voice, Concerned Women for America, and Heritage Action for America.
As a former educator, mentor, and coach for more than 40 years, Senator Tuberville is concerned about the future of girls’ and women’s sports. He began his career coaching high school girls’ basketball shortly after the enactment of Title IX, and witnessed the law’s positive impacts firsthand. Senator Tuberville has been a vocal advocate of preserving Title IX and urged federal officials to keep the protections in place.
More information about Senator Tuberville’s efforts to protect Title IX and women’s sports can be found below.
- NATIONAL REVIEW: Female Athletes Are Losing to the Radical Left
- WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Tuberville bill would defund women’s sports programs that allow biological men
- FOX & FRIENDS: Senator Tuberville joins Fox and Friends to discuss the 50th Anniversary of Inflation and Title IX
- FOX & FRIENDS: Tuberville Calls for Fairness in Women’s Sports
- DAILY WIRE: Ahead of 50th Anniversary of Title IX, Senator Tuberville Warns Biden Admin is Hacking Away at Women’s Progress
- DAILY WIRE: Senator Tuberville: Biden Title IX Modifications Will Destroy ‘Opportunities For Generations Of Women And Girls’
- WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Biden executive order will ruin women’s sports and erode Title IX
- DAILY CALLER: Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Tuberville Break Down Why They Think Trans Athletes Shouldn’t Compete In Women’s Sports
- AL.COM: U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville says Biden administration pushing women to the sidelines
- WATCH: Tuberville on Biden Administration’s Upcoming Title IX Proposed Rule: ‘It would take a wrecking ball to the five decades of Title IX success and tilt what was a level playing field to the far left’
- WATCH: Tuberville Presses Under Secretary of Education Nominee on Title IX, Free Speech on Campus
- WATCH: Tuberville: The Real March Madness
- Tuberville Warns Secretary Cardona Against Weakening Title IX Protections
- Tuberville Emphasizes Importance of Title IX Protections
- Tuberville Offers Amendment Protecting Women’s Title IX Rights
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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