Tipsheet

It's Been a Year Since the House Passed Rep. Greg Steube's Bill to Protect Women's Sports

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  April 23, 2024 5:30 PM

This article has been updated to include a statement from Concerned Women for America’s Penny Nance. 

As of last Saturday, it's been one year since the House passed Rep. Greg Steube's bill to protect women's sports, known as The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. While the bill passed 219-203, with all Republicans present voting in favor of the bill, it's been languishing for over a year while the Democratic-controlled Senate refuses to even consider the legislation.

"Specifically, the bill provides that it is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for federally funded education programs or activities to operate, sponsor, or facilitate athletic programs or activities that allow individuals of the male sex to participate in programs or activities that are designated for women or girls. (Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities, including in public elementary and secondary schools and in colleges and universities.) Under the bill, sex is based on an individual's reproductive biology and genetics at birth," a summary of the bill mentions. 

Polls have shown that Americans do not believe biological boys and men should be able to compete against girls and women, though that's exactly what we've been seeing lately, as Madeline has been covering at length.

"The Democrats pretend this doesn’t happen, but it feels like every week there is a story about a man taking a championship title, roster spot, record, or scholarship from a female athlete," Steube said in a statement shared with Townhall. "One year ago, the House took the commonsense step of passing my legislation, The Protection of Women and Girls’ Sports Act. Of course, zero Democrats joined us in protecting women’s sports and Joe Biden put out a threat to veto my bill - proving that the Democrats are so beholden to the radicals in their party that they are content with the complete erasure of women’s sports," he added, highlighting the Democrats' extreme position on the issue. 

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Making such an anniversary even more timely is that the Biden administration just last Friday issued a new rule that does away with Title IX protections for girls in sports based on sex. "Going forward, the basis of 'sex' now encompasses the concept of 'gender identity,'" Madeline mentioned in her reporting at the time. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has dared to claim the new rule will build upon Title IX protections. As Spencer also covered, the new rule is facing a legal challenge from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is among the several organizations in support of Steube's bill. 

Steube's statement also referenced Title IX. "Yet, here we are, a year later, and the Senate has let it collect dust on the shelf while the Biden Administration erodes Title IX protections," he reminded. "The vast majority of Americans do not want men competing in women’s sports. If Republicans are given the Senate back, and President Trump is in the White House, I know Republicans will deliver this urgent, commonsense protection for women’s sports!," he declared, with a message of hope for the November election. 

Former and potentially future President has made the protection of sports for women and girls a key issue of his, as has the MAGA Inc. PAC supporting Trump as it seeks to draw a stark contrast between Trump and President Joe Biden ahead of the November rematch from 2020. 

Steube has been a champion of the cause since even before Republicans took control of the House following the 2022 midterm elections. During the 117h Congress, Steube and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), then the chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), filed a discharge petition in an attempt to have the bill receive a vote by the then Democratically-controlled House. 

Besides ADF, other supporting organizations and individuals include Advancing American Freedom, Alliance Defending Freedom, American Principles Project, Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, CPAC, Eagle Forum, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Family Policy Alliance, Heritage Action, ICONS Independent Council on Women’s Sport, Independent Women’s Law Center, Women’s Declaration International USA, Women’s Liberation Front, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and 12x NCAA All American Swimmer Riley Gaines.

“Unlike the NCAA and the Biden Administration, Rep. Greg Steube, Sen. Tommy Tuberville and other sponsors of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act understand the gravity of the harm to female athletes who are forced to compete against males in their sports,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization. “We applaud the determination of House and Senate members working to pass laws that will prevent female athletes from having their trophies, their scholarships and their dignity stolen by men who claim to be women. We will continue to fight alongside them in this battle.”

A call to action from CWA last week also noted how the NCAA Board of Governors will be meeting to address the role of biological males in girls and women’s sports. 

“A coalition of current and former athletes have asked numerous times for them to protect female athletes but they have turned a blind eye to the damage this is causing to the athletes and to female sports,” CWA pointed out.