Kaine Criticizes Trump-Vance Administration’s Rollback Of Protections For Survivors Of Assault On Campus And LGBTQ+ Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and former civil rights attorney, issued the following statement regarding the Education Department's final rule reinstating Title IX regulations from President Donald Trump's first term:

"Today's Title IX final rule guts discrimination protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation, and will reimpose rules from the first Trump Administration that made it even harder for survivors of campus sexual assault to obtain justice," said Kaine. "America's future depends on the quality and safety of our schools. The Trump-Vance Administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and weaken protections for students are dangerous steps in the wrong direction."

Since Trump took office for his second term, Kaine has been at the forefront of opposing the Trump-Vance Administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). In July 2026, Kaine successfully secured committee passage of his legislation to prevent the Administration from scattering ED's programs to other agencies ill-equipped to handle them. Kaine has also advocated for legislation to combat campus sexual assault. Kaine has previously led introductions of the Survivor Outreach and Support on (S.O.S.) Campus Act and the Support for Universities and Colleges to Champion the Educational Success of Survivors (SUCCESS) Act, legislation to help support student survivors of sexual assault and other violence.

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