EXCLUSIVE: As the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act heads to the Senate after passing in the House of Representatives, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, believes it will continue to get bipartisan support there, just as it did in the House.
Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that she has spoken to multiple Democrats across the aisle who are in support of restricting trans inclusion in women’s sports.
“Many of my friends who are Democrats will tell you that they think Title IX is a thing and to have biological males competing against women is inappropriate, and they want opportunities for their daughters or nieces or granddaughters, and it’s frustrating to them when they hear or about or witness a transgender male playing in a women’s or girls’ league” Blackburn said.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn speaks during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. (Getty Images)
When the bill passed through the House last Tuesday, Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzales, D-Texas, were the only two Democrats to vote in favor of it. Blackburn expects and hopes that there will be multiple Democratic senators who vote in favor of the bill when it hits the Senate floor.
“I would expect there would be, I would hope there would be,” she said.
However, most Democrats have remained firmly opposed to the bill. Many have gone so far in their opposition to make unsubstantiated claims that the law would empower child predators to give genital examinations to young girls.
Many of the 206 Democratic house representatives, including Minority Rep. Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., presented that argument despite no language in the bill that indicates genital examinations would be used.
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Republicans insisted that proof of birth sex can be determined simply by a birth certificate. The Democrats’ attempt to tie the bill to child predator empowerment has driven many loyal voters away from the party, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Blackburn says she has “no idea” what those Democrats who argued it would result in child predator empowerment are thinking.
“I find it very difficult to believe that protecting girls in sports would have such an adverse effect,” Blackburn said. “Looking at the content of the bill is the best way to argue against it and know that a vast majority of Americans support protecting girls in girls’ sports.”
A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports.
Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
Controversies over trans athletes competing against women became a key election issue in 2024, as President Donald Trump and Republicans down ballot all vowed to take action to prevent it.
The GOP has indicated it will make good on its promise very early, as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act was the very first bill introduced to the 119th Congress. Blackburn plans to advocate strongly for the bill once it reaches the Senate, where the Republican majority and some Democrats are expected to pass it on to the White House for Trump to sign it into law.
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However, Blackburn is not stopping there. She is also introducing three other proposals to tackle the issue on both a legislative and cultural level.
The Tennessee Senator has introduced a resolution calling on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to revoke its transgender student-athlete eligibility policy, alongside Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla.
NCAA President Charlie Baker faced questions and criticism from Republican lawmakers for these policies during a congressional hearing on Dec. 17. Baker repeatedly cited federal law and recent rulings of federal courts that have enabled it. Blackburn and Steube’s resolution would force Baker and the NCAA to follow a new precedent instead.
Blackburn is also introducing a bill to assess and prevent violence against women in athletics. The Fair Play for Girls Act, which, in addition to keeping women’s sports for females, would “require the U.S. Attorney General to submit an analysis of violence against women in athletics to Congress.”
“We have talked with different women who have had adverse impacts,” Blackburn said. “This would require the attorney general to do an analysis and look at what is happening in the world of sports with women and to women and then looking at where there are impediments to fair competition for the girls, where there are occurrences of girls losing opportunities because a girl has joined their team or is playing in their league, and then also to look at harassment against women and girls in athletics.”
Blackburn is even looking to have a conscious protection of women and girls in sports ingrained into American culture with a resolution declaring Oct. 10 as “American Girls in Sports Day,” which Senate Democrats blocked last Congress.
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The date, Oct. 10, which translates to XX in Roman numerals, is meant to reference the XX chromosomes that determine female gender at birth.
“It would just be teams and schools celebrating their teams and treating it as a time for schools to give the opportunities to coaches to girls who have excelled in different sports, I think it would be a source of encouragement to more young girls to participate in sports,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn’s legislative proposals have been endorsed by Riley Gaines, Jennifer Sey, Caitlyn Jenner, Sage Steele, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Parents Defending Education Action and Independent Women’s Forum.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
