These 2 Democrats voted for House Republicans' bill to bar transgender athletes from girls sports
Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, both of Texas, were the only Democrats to side with Republicans on Tuesday to pass legislation meant to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would amend Title IX — the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive government funding — to prohibit schools from allowing transgender girls or women to participate in athletic programs or activities “designated for women or girls.”
It defines sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
The bill passed the House Tuesday in a 218-206 vote, with Gonzalez and Cuellar joining all Republicans in support. Three Republicans and six Democrats did not vote, and one Democrat voted “present.”
“I believe that there should be rules to keep our sports fair and that boys should not play in girls sports," Gonzalez said in a statement. "Members of Congress must have the freedom to vote in a manner representative of their district. As Democrats, we should not be afraid to vote our district’s values because we're afraid of Washington."
Gonzalez told NOTUS ahead of Tuesday’s vote that the House bill “is very broad” and he hopes the Senate, which is set to consider the bill in the coming weeks, will add more guardrails.
Gonzalez, who narrowly won reelection in November, was hit by his opponent, former Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas), on the campaign trail for supporting gender-affirming care for transgender minors. An ad run by Flores’s campaign claimed Gonzalez pushed “sex changes for kids.”
Responding to the ad, Gonzalez said Flores was lying about his position.
“I have never supported tax dollars paying for gender transition surgeries and never will,” Gonzalez told Spectrum News in October.
A spokesperson for Cuellar, who voted against the bill in 2023, told The Hill he voted for the bill this time around “based on the concerns and feedback he received from constituents in his district."
In an interview with Politico in November, Cuellar, who is facing federal bribery charges, said Democrats need a more effective communication strategy on transgender rights.
“[Republicans] make those issues into ads and, part of that is, the Democrats set that up for them,” he said. “Transgender, pro-choice, I understand that, but the problem is that Democrats sometimes underestimate or don’t read the general public, and if they think that those are the big issues for the general public in rural America or in South Texas, they’re reading the public wrong.”
Cuellar also broke from House Democrats in 2023 by voting for a Republican-backed defense bill that would have restricted abortion access and gender-affirming health care for transgender service members.
Topics
-
Minnesota state House Democrats walk out in effort to block GOP speaker vote
Minnesota’s Democratic state representatives walked out Tuesday, failing to show up for the first day of the legislative session to deny the state House a quorum amid a fight over how to manage a ...NBC News - 13h -
House passes bill to ban transgender student-athletes from women's sports
The House passed legislation that would ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports at schools and institutions receiving federal funds.NBC News - 9h -
Republicans urge Trump nominees: Don't take the bait from Democrats
Senate Republicans are urging President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees to resist taking the bait from Democrats when their high-stakes confirmation hearings kick off next week, marking a ...The Hill - 2d -
House Republican bill would pave way for Trump to acquire Panama Canal for US
Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) will introduce a bill that would authorize the president to purchase the Panama Canal and put it under U.S. control, an acquisition that President-elect Trump has been ...The Hill - 6d -
Thune tees up Tuberville's bill to block transgender athletes from women’s sports
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday took the necessary procedural steps to place Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) bill blocking transgender athletes from women’s sports on the ...The Hill - Jan. 7 -
GOP lawmakers look to ban transgender athletes from women's sports
House and Senate Republicans on Tuesday refiled legislation to bar transgender women and girls from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity, jump-starting work on an issue ...The Hill - Jan. 7 -
Rep. Mike Johnson tells House Republicans Trump wants them to pass a single reconciliation bill
At a closed-door House Republican retreat Saturday morning, newly re-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said President-elect Donald Trump was in favor of passing a single reconciliation ...NBC News - Jan. 5 -
Republican Mike Johnson elected House speaker after dramatic vote reversals
President-elect Donald Trump congratulated Johnson, who eked out election as speaker of the House after a first ballot was kept open for more than an hour.CNBC - Jan. 4 -
Jeffries outlines priorities for Democrats after Johnson wins House speaker vote
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries introduced House Speaker Mike Johnson following the vote that reelected Johnson to the leadership role. Jeffries also called attention to priorities for Democrats as ...CBS News - Jan. 3
More from The Hill
-
FAFSA forms to make October release after two-year struggle
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms will be released on Oct. 1 this year, the Department of Education announced on Wednesday, hitting the normal deadline after two chaotic ...The Hill - 3h -
Nearly half of Americans skeptical Trump admin will lower health costs: Poll
Nearly half of Americans don’t believe that the incoming Trump administration will lower health costs, according to a new Gallup poll. The research, conducted after the presidential election, ...The Hill - 3h -
Jeffries: With narrow margin, House GOP can’t ‘pass anything close’ to bill Johnson floating
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) argued House Republicans, with their narrow margin, won’t be able to pass “anything close” to what Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has been floating. ...The Hill - 4h -
Here are the confirmed attendees at Trump’s inauguration
President-elect Trump’s Inauguration Day is less than a week away and he’s begun to plan who will attend various events in Washington to mark his return to the White House. Trump has invited many ...The Hill - 5h -
California Democrat hits FEMA over assistance claim denials: 'That's not right'
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), whose district has been damaged by the Eaton Fire, criticized FEMA for reportedly rejecting disaster assistance claims because of a lack of insurance information. "I am ...The Hill - 5h
More in Politics
-
FAFSA forms to make October release after two-year struggle
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms will be released on Oct. 1 this year, the Department of Education announced on Wednesday, hitting the normal deadline after two chaotic ...The Hill - 3h -
Nearly half of Americans skeptical Trump admin will lower health costs: Poll
Nearly half of Americans don’t believe that the incoming Trump administration will lower health costs, according to a new Gallup poll. The research, conducted after the presidential election, ...The Hill - 3h -
Jeffries: With narrow margin, House GOP can’t ‘pass anything close’ to bill Johnson floating
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) argued House Republicans, with their narrow margin, won’t be able to pass “anything close” to what Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has been floating. ...The Hill - 4h -
Here are the confirmed attendees at Trump’s inauguration
President-elect Trump’s Inauguration Day is less than a week away and he’s begun to plan who will attend various events in Washington to mark his return to the White House. Trump has invited many ...The Hill - 5h -
California Democrat hits FEMA over assistance claim denials: 'That's not right'
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), whose district has been damaged by the Eaton Fire, criticized FEMA for reportedly rejecting disaster assistance claims because of a lack of insurance information. "I am ...The Hill - 5h