Senate Democrats block bill barring boys from competing in girls’ sports

March 4, 2025

Democrats in the U.S. Senate have prevented a bill from passing that would have prohibited men who identify as women from competing in women’s sports in school athletic programs.

The Christian Post reports that Senate Bill 9, also known as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, failed to get the 60 votes needed in order to get cloture on the bill so it could proceed to a final vote.

The move to invoke cloture failed on a 51-45 vote yesterday with every Democrat in the Senate voting against the measure.

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) said, “This is a decision for local communities where players and parents can participate in that discussion. This is a decision for sports leagues to thoughtfully craft policy that actually take seriously what is best for all players, not blanket mandates that will undoubtedly have unintended consequences.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who sponsored SB 9, had argued that “women’s sports at all levels has been under attack.”

Tuberville added, “We have women’s teams in some states that are all boys … no opportunities for girls or women to participate on the team. Young women have been forced to compete against men and even share locker rooms and shower time. And on top of that, your taxpayer dollars are paying for it.

According to the Christian Post, the bill had passed the U.S. House of Representatives in January by a vote of 218-206 with all Republicans and two Democrats–Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez–voting in favor of it.

Last month the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) reversed itself and enacted a new policy prohibiting so-called trans-identified male athletes from competing in women’s sports.

That shift followed an executive order by President Trump instructing that federal funding be withheld from schools that allow men to participate on women’s athletic teams.

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