WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) today spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the “real” March madness: biological males competing in the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship and the further erosion of Title IX protections for women’s athletics.
The Senator emphasized the need to keep Title IX protections in place to provide female athletes a fair playing field and called for the passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, legislation he cosponsored which would prohibit federal funds from going to athletic programs that do not uphold Title IX protections and ensure the definition of “sex” in Title IX is based “solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” Senator Tuberville also previously introduced an amendment prohibiting educational institutions from receiving federal funding if they allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.
Excerpts from the Senator’s speech can be found below, and his remarks can be viewed here.
“…the discussion should not about inclusivity. It should be about fairness.”
“I would argue that by allowing biological males to compete in women’s athletics, Democrats have set serious efforts for women’s equality back by decades. And ultimately, this will have the effect of discouraging many young women from participating in sports.”
“In a recent article, two parents of a current collegiate athlete said ‘I think the NCAA needs to change its policies, and find a way to include transgender women without trampling all over biological women.’ Well, the NCAA has been silent. They have failed to take decisive action in ensuring a level playing field for women. And so now Congress must act to do so. This is why I joined Senator Mike Lee, and 16 fellow colleagues, in introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2021.”
“It is imperative for Congress to act so that an entire generation of women aren’t discouraged from pursuing their athletic dreams, whether on a field, court, or in a pool.”
“Having been a coach for 40 years, I can attest, more so than anyone else in Congress, that there are fundamental physical differences between men and women. But you don’t have to take my word for it. A recent study concludes that, ‘On average, males have 40-50 precent greater upper limb strength, 20-40 precent greater lower limb strength, and an average of 12 pounds more skeletal muscle mass than age-matched females at any given body weight.’ ”
“Title IX has provided women and girls the long-denied platform that had always been afforded to men and boys. It ensures female athletes had the same access to funding, facilities, and athletic scholarships. Before Title 9, female athletics received less than two percent of college athletic budgets — and athletic scholarships for women were virtually nonexistent. And since the 1970s, when I first started coaching, female participation at the college level has risen by more than 600 percent.”
“This week’s NCAA championship will once again emphasize that this debate is not limited to the halls of Congress – but one that we’re seeing play out across the country. It is an undeniable fact that biological males have a physiological advantage over females. So, let me be clear: the question here is not should we be inclusive and supportive of all athletes – it is how. The first step the Senate can take to address the wrong that the NCAA has allowed to happen is to pass S.251. I ask my colleagues to stand up for America’s female athletes and support these efforts to preserve women’s sports.”
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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