Vote Explainer The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act H.R. 28

Transparency is vital to democracy. Below please find explainers for key votes I took in the 119th Congress.

Vote Explainer: The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28)

Today, the Republican majority will again bring up the "Protection of Women and Girls and Sports Act" for a full House vote. Just as I did in the 118th Congress, I will vote NO. This is not the sort of balanced, fairness-oriented policy I've advocated for, and I won't vote yes on this bill just because it is the first option that comes to the floor.

To be clear, I firmly believe that there should be reasonable restrictions on transgender athletes in competitive sports. This is a matter of safety and fairness for female athletes who have worked exceptionally hard to compete. There is no denying that there are biological differences that result from being born male. Ignoring this scientific fact and opposing anyattempt at regulation is not only wrong, but it undermines what I believe should be a broader effort to enshrine core civil rights protections for transgender Americans.

The problem with this Republican bill, however, is that it is too extreme; it simply goes too far. Because it fails to distinguish between children and adults and different levels of athletics, school-aged kids who simply want to play recreational sports and build camaraderie like everybody else could be targeted by the federal government. My kids play co-ed sports today just as I did when I was their age, and I don't want any kids their age subjected to the invasive violations of personal privacy this bill allows.

Under this law, a 10-year-old girl who seems "too tall" or even just "too good" could be targeted by officials and forced to release medical information or have her private parts inspected, which is disturbing to say the least and a slippery slope for school policy and youth athletics.

While I'm a proud Democrat, I've stated my belief that our party has failed to come to the table in good faith to debate an issue on which the vast majority of Americans believe we are out of touch. We shouldbe able to discuss regulations for trans athletes in competitive sports, while still staunchly defending the rights of transgender Americans to simply exist without fear of danger or oppression. But instead, we've run away from the issue altogether. As a result, Republicans are in charge and continue to set the agenda with extremist bills like this.