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Floor Speech

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Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.

This act will protect our daughters and granddaughters and keep the original meaning of title IX that was meant to help protect girls and promote females in sports.

On Monday, I was proud to support and vote for this bill. Sadly, every single Democrat--every single one--voted against it. It is deeply concerning and disappointing, frankly, that not one single Democrat would step up and say: I want to protect women's sports; that I have a daughter or a granddaughter who wants to have the same opportunities that title IX has provided over the last 50 years.

For 50 years, title IX has made it so women and girls would have a chance to compete in sports, but it is not just about athletic opportunities; it is about scholarships, and it is about long-term careers.

Title IX leveled the playing field so our daughters and granddaughters could dream big and pursue their dreams. We saw this on full display in Nebraska when we had Volleyball Day in Nebraska. For those of you who do not recall, Nebraska set a women's sports attendance record. Over 92,000 people came to watch our women's volleyball teams. It occurred at Memorial Stadium. It was the largest crowd ever.

You don't have to take me at my word that this is important for title IX. The Omaha World-Herald called it ``the biggest title IX statement of all time.''

It was an incredible moment and could not have happened without title IX. That progress is under attack today.

The Biden administration tried to eliminate those protections. The Biden administration tried to rewrite title IX without the approval of Congress. They tried to change the definition of ``sex'' to include ``gender identity,'' which, let me tell you, that was not a thing 50 years ago when this bill was written.

Girls would be forced to share dorm rooms, locker rooms, and bathrooms with males. Men would be able to take women's spots on sports teams and women's scholarships. That is what happens if you allow this to go forward, if you allow men to compete in women's sports, just by claiming they are a woman. The damage is already being done.

Last night, President Trump told the story of Payton McNabb. Payton was a high school volleyball player on the girls' team who was severely injured by a male opponent who smashed a ball into her head. She suffered a concussion, a brain bleed, and permanent whiplash. She also dealt with vision problems. It never should have been allowed to happen.

Riley Gaines is another example. Riley swam for the University of Kentucky and competed against a man for 3 years in her college career.

Lia Thomas, formerly William Thomas, was a mediocre male swimmer who then decided that he would be a women's swimmer, with all that goes along with that, not only competing in events but accessing women's restrooms and their locker rooms. He became one of the top women swimmers--because it is true, what we all know from common sense: Males and females are built differently.

It is wrong and it is unfair to allow men to compete against women in women's sports. It ignores science and common sense.

Last August, the United Nations released a report that showed that over 600 female athletes--600 female athletes--in more than 400 competitions have already lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports because those women were competing against males who claimed to be women. That is hundreds of young women who have trained for years, only to have their medals, records, and opportunities taken from them.

The American people see the unfairness of it, and they strongly support protecting women's sports. A 2025 poll from the New York Times found that 79 percent of Americans want to keep women's sports for women--for biological females. That includes a majority of registered Democrats.

This isn't a Republican or a Democrat issue. This is an American issue. And unlike my Democratic colleagues and President Biden, President Trump took steps to protect women's sports. He took action to protect the original meaning of title IX, in his first few days as President. He knew that title IX was written to protect women, not erase them. His leadership stood for fairness, science, and common sense.

But there is no guarantee the next President is going to uphold President Trump's action. This bill would make those protections permanent. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is simple. It says that, under title IX, ``sex'' means the person's reproductive biology at birth. That is how title IX was written. That is how title IX was understood for decades, and that is how title IX should work today.

Men and boys shouldn't compete against women and girls in female sports. It is just common sense. It is absolutely just plain common sense.

Yet, 2 days ago, every single one of my Democratic colleagues voted against protecting women's collegiate athletics. They chose the wrong side of an 80-20 issue. They chose not to fight for science, for equal opportunity, and for women and girls.

I urge them to reconsider. Let's stand with women over radical policies. Let's stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans. Let's keep a level playing field for our daughters and granddaughters. Again, I urge my Democratic colleagues to reconsider.

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