Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, submitted the following statement for the record on H.R. 28, the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act."

I rise today to speak in opposition to H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.

Before I discuss the substance of the bill, I want to express my frustration that this is the first education bill my colleagues have decided to focus on in the 119th Congress. Parents in my district sent me to Washington to tackle issues such as school shootings, teacher preparation, academic achievement gaps, and access to higher education. Instead of addressing these critical issues, my colleagues have opted to kick off the 119th Congress with a bill that prioritizes culture wars over student welfare.

According to Congressional testimony from the NCAA, of the over 500,000 college athletes participating in NCAA sports, less than 10 are transgender.

For over 100 years, organizations like the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA, and high school leagues have developed frameworks for transgender inclusion in sports. Those same organizations have not asked for Congressional help in dealing with this issue. They already know how to keep sports fair, safe, and inclusive. However, H.R. 28 does not achieve any of those goals.

Sports are an invaluable part of the school experience. School sports activities offer fundamental life lessons-such as leadership, self-confidence, and teamwork-that every child should have the opportunity to experience. Regrettably, H.R. 28 threatens to rob children of this valuable experience. It seeks to single out students-some as young as kindergarten age-and ban them from participating in school sports with their friends. We know transgender students already face widespread bullying and discrimination, often leading to higher rates of depression and suicide. H.R. 28 would add to their pain by targeting their participation in school sports. This bill is both morally wrong and extremely dangerous for our children's mental health and safety.

Finally, despite the bill's name, H.R. 28 would actually make school sports less safe for women and girls. What this bill should be called is the "Child Predator Empowerment Act." This bill would require girls as young as four to face humiliating physical inspections of their private parts by adult strangers. Furthermore, the bill does not clarify who would be responsible for "inspecting" the girls' private parts.

Schools, sports organizations, and parents should make these decisions - not politicians in Washington attempting to use children as pawns in a political game.

I therefore oppose this bill, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill as well.

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