Ted Budd: “I rise today to support Senator Tuberville's Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. For more than half a century…”

“I rise today to support Senator Tuberville's Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. For more than half a century, title IX has expanded opportunities for women and girls from the classroom to the playing field. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, our country went from a ratio of 1 in 27 girls playing sports in 1972 to 1 in 5 today. We went from fewer than 30,000 female collegiate athletes in 1972 to nearly 230,000 female athletes today. That is progress that should be celebrated. However, women's sports are fundamentally undermined when biological males are allowed to compete against them. There are biological differences between men and women. If we ignore those differences, we threaten future opportunities for female athletes and the entire notion of women's sports. It is unfair, it is unsafe, and it is unacceptable. That is why Senator Tuberville's bill is so important. It simply ensures that title IX protections are clearly defined by a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth. The bottom line: Female athletes should compete against other female athletes. It is that simple. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.”