{"id":2407814,"date":"2025-02-28T08:19:54","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T13:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-squeezes-democrats-with-transgender-athlete-senate-vote-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T08:22:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T13:22:46","slug":"thune-squeezes-democrats-with-transgender-athlete-senate-vote-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-squeezes-democrats-with-transgender-athlete-senate-vote-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune squeezes Democrats with transgender athlete Senate vote &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-squeezes-democrats-with-transgender-athlete-senate-vote-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2407814&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Senate is set to vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a controversial bill brought forth by \u200cRepublicans\u2062 that seeks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-says-transgender-people-are-made-in-the-image-of-god\/\" title=\"Biden Says Transgender People Are \u2018Made in the Image of God\u2019\">prevent transgender athletes<\/a> from competing in \u2062women&#8217;s sports by withholding \u200cfederal funding from schools that allow such participation. Although the bill is unlikely to pass due \u2063to the Senate filibuster, it highlights the ongoing political debate surrounding transgender issues, especially as Republicans focus on this topic in anticipation of the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<p>Senate majority Leader John Thune emphasized the \u2062importance\u200d of the issue,\u200c indicating that it resonates with\u200c a substantial portion of the public. While some Democrats are \u200bhesitant to take\u200c a clear stance on the bill, others, like Senator Ruben Gallego, suggest that the decision on transgender participation\u2064 in sports\u200b should be\u2064 made at the\u2064 local level rather then imposed by federal\u200b authorities. The discussion reveals complexities within \u2063the Democratic Party and reflects the wider national sentiment, as many voters beleive\u200b that support for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tucker-asks-tim-scott-the-toughest-question-that-the-elite-will-absolutely-hate\/\" title=\"Tucker poses a tough question to Tim Scott, one that the elite will despise.\">transgender\u2063 rights<\/a> has gone too far.<\/p>\n<p>The focus on transgender issues is not only a Senate matter; it parallels actions taken by the NCAA and state \u200dlegislatures,leading\u200b to legal challenges from <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">civil rights groups arguing<\/a> that such policies discriminate against\u2063 transgender students. \u2063as \u2063the Senate prepares for the vote, the implications\u2063 of this legislation could resonate beyond sports, \u2064affecting\u2063 election strategies and\u2064 public perceptions of both political parties.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Thune squeezes Democrats with transgender athlete Senate vote<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2023114\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Senate Democrats<\/a> will take a politically difficult vote on Monday when Republicans bring to the floor a bill preventing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3311219\/trump-sign-executive-order-keeping-men-out-women-sports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">transgender athletes<\/a> from participating in women&rsquo;s sports.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which withholds federal funding to schools that permit transgender participation, is not likely to become law due to the Senate filibuster.<\/p>\n<p>But the vote, teed up Thursday by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), suggests the continued potency Republicans see in transgender politics after putting it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3194182\/transgender-politics-2024-trump-harris-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">front and center<\/a> in the 2024 election. It is one of the first bills Senate GOP leadership is prioritizing since retaking the majority in January.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would hope that some folks come to the realization on the Democrat side of the [aisle] that if they want to actually be a viable party in this country, they need to take a look at what these 90-10 issues are,&rdquo; said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), relating the debate to his own daughters playing sports growing up.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Each of them would have been outscored, outshot, outrebounded &mdash; beaten out by, you know, a guy that wants to play on women&rsquo;s sports,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Several purple-state Democrats declined to say whether they will support the bill on Thursday, with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) calling it a &ldquo;cliffhanger&rdquo; for reporters covering the vote.<\/p>\n<p>But others were ready with a carefully calibrated response. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said the decision should be left to local communities even as he stated that transgender participation could at times be unfair.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Look, there are some areas where trans girls should not be playing in sports against biological girls, but that decision should be made at the local level, and it should be made between parents, teachers, principals, and athletic associations,&rdquo; he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We need to be doing this in a manner that we&rsquo;re not ending up picking on these poor kids,&rdquo; Gallego said of transgender athletes.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mark Kelly, his Democratic colleague from Arizona, similarly said the federal government should not intervene in the matter.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It shouldn&rsquo;t be a bunch of us here in the Senate dictating this to local communities,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s all kind of ridiculous.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Almost every Democrat who will be voting on Monday took a stance on the legislation in the last Congress. Freshmen like Gallego and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) <a href=\"https:\/\/clerk.house.gov\/Votes\/2023192\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">opposed<\/a> a version of the bill in 2023, when they were still serving in the House.<\/p>\n<p>So did <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/legislative\/LIS\/roll_call_votes\/vote1182\/vote_118_2_00108.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">all Democrats<\/a> who were already in the Senate when Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), the bill&rsquo;s sponsor, forced a floor vote last March.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome is unlikely to be much different on Monday. Only two House Democrats backed the legislation in January when Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3286361\/house-passes-bill-banning-transgender-athletes-womens-sports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">brought it back up for a vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The continued focus nonetheless opens the party up to negative campaign ads as a handful of vulnerable incumbents seek to defend their seats in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump campaign alone <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/us\/politics\/house-trans-athletes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">spent<\/a> more than $37 million on television ads related to transgender politics last year, while the Senate Leadership Fund, an outside GOP group, featured it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3194182\/transgender-politics-2024-trump-harris-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">heavily<\/a> in advertising against ousted Sen. Sherrod Brown.<\/p>\n<p>During the 2024 presidential election, 55% of voters, and 85% of Trump backers, said support for transgender rights in government and society had gone too far, according to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2024-transgender-rights-lgbtq-donald-trump-3bb3ace81ff32b6dec382b486ec6a772\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"AP VoteCast\">AP VoteCast<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), both up for reelection next year, were among those who told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> they still need to familiarize themselves with the legislation before disclosing their position.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate is just one battleground in the fight over school sports. The NCAA announced that it would bar transgender athletes from participating in women&rsquo;s sports after President Donald Trump signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rules-ca-gov-overstepped-his-authority-with-covid-order-issues-permanent-injunction-restraining-newsom-from-further-issuing-unconstitutional-orders\/\" title=\"Judge Rules CA Gov Overstepped His Authority with Covid ..., Issues Permanent Injunction Restraining Newsom From Further Issuing Unconstitutional ...s\">executive order<\/a> mirroring Tuberville&rsquo;s bill.<\/p>\n<p>But the order has been met with resistance from states including Maine and California, prompting Education Department <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3320627\/california-athletics-federation-investigated-defy-trump-transgender-sports-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">investigations<\/a> and legal threats from Attorney General Pam Bondi.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3331234\/florida-first-state-require-police-carry-out-ice-duties\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>FLORIDA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO REQUIRE POLICE TO CARRY OUT SOME ICE DUTIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Civil rights groups, meanwhile, are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3318556\/transgender-high-schoolers-sue-trump-sports-executive-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">suing the administration<\/a> over the executive order, arguing it discriminates against transgender students by denying them equal educational opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Fewer than 10 transgender athletes currently participate in college sports, the NCAA told a Senate committee in December.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2023114\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2023114\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thune pressures Democrats with Senate vote on transgender athletes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2407815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ruben-gallego-1024x592.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3685,45632,23610,33412,32076],"class_list":["post-2407814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-democrats","tag-senate-vote","tag-thune","tag-transgender-athletes","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ruben-gallego-1024x592.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2407814"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2407818,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407814\/revisions\/2407818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2407815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2407814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2407814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2407814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}