Today, Leader Kevin McCarthy was joined by Reps. Jim Banks, Greg Steube, Debbie Lesko, Kat Cammack, Diana Harshbarger, Burgess Owens, and Claudia Tenney on the 50th anniversary of the signing of Title IX for a roundtable highlighting the importance of preserving its protections as radical Far-Left Democrats work to destroy women’s sports. House Republicans are unified in defending the rights of women and girls to have fair competition in sports. Watch the full House Republican roundtable HERE. For a fact sheet from the House Education and Labor Committee on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, click HERE. Highlights of the House Republican roundtable are below. Leader McCarthy highlighted the Biden administration’s destruction of Title IX and women’s sports:

“It erases women’s sports, it attacks American values like fair competition, and it creates a world in which female athletes that speak out are actually bullied by their peers in the media…We should listen to [today’s speakers] urgently so that we can protect and strengthen Title IX, so that women’s sports can grow even stronger over the next 50 years.”

Rep. Jim Banks detailed the importance of Title IX and the Republicans Study Committee’s work to protect women’s sports:

“[Title IX] has never been under attack more than it is at this point, 50 years later…The Republican Study Committee’s discharge petition for Greg Steube’s bill to save women’s sports now has nearly 200 co-signers including Leader McCarthy…”

Rep. Greg Steube spoke on his legislation and the fight of the House Republican Conference:

“It’s a sad day in America when we actually have to pass a bill to say that women’s sports is going to be women’s sports and men’s sports is going to be men’s sports…50 years of equality for women on the athletic field would be destroyed by what this administration wants to do…I’m honored to fight for women’s ability to compete on the athletic field competitively and with each other.”

Rep. Debbie Lesko highlighted her leadership in the fight to defend women’s sports:

“I had to introduce a bill called the Women’s Bill of Rights that actually defines under federal law what a woman is and what a man is…The Democrats under one-party Democrat rule have totally destroyed women’s rights and girl’s rights. We no longer have girls and women’s sports, we have co-ed sports and men and boys sports - that’s it.”

Rep. Kat Cammack spoke on radical Far-Left Democrats’ destruction of women’s opportunities in sports:

“Today I serve as the youngest Republican woman in Congress…I have played sports for nearly half of my life…This isn’t a progressive policy, this is regressive - this is backwards. And it is a slap in the face to every single woman and parent who has fought for their child to have an opportunity to play…Now more than ever, we have to stand and defend women’s sports as they are under attack from the woke Left." 

Rep. Diana Harshbarger highlighted the importance of Title IX for women and girls:

“Title IX was created to ensure that women and girls had the same academic and athletic opportunities as men and boys. But when Democrats have referenced this stature in recent months, they completely abandon the words ‘women’ and ‘girl’…Americans know better.”

Rep. Burgess Owens shared his firsthand experience and the importance of defending the voice of women and girls as Democrats threaten Title IX:

“We are fighting against an ideology that is tenacious, it’s shameless, and it only thrives on lies. The fact that we are now told that there is no difference between men and women is a bald-faced lie…There are women and girls who depend on your courage, your voice…We are so thankful to be able to help represent what [women] deserve, which is the opportunity to go out, compete, and win.”

Rep. Claudia Tenney slammed the Biden administration’s radical destruction of Title IX:

“We are not against anyone, we are just for women…I am really disappointed that our administration is not recognizing the strength and the greatness that women bring…in the new Congress we are going to have more Republican women then we’ve ever had in history.”

Representatives from Independent Women’s Voice, Concerned Women for America, Family Policy Alliance, Family Research Council, and Alliance Defending Freedom also attended.

Outside guests also included:

• Rep. Barbara Ehardt, Former NCAA women’s basketball coach and first state legislator in the country to introduce a Save Women and Girls’ Sports bill

• Macy Petty, Young Women for America ambassador and NCAA scholarship volleyball player

• Cynthia Monteleone, Team USA world champion track athlete who competed against a transgender athlete at the World Championship

• Riley Gaines, Champion NDAA swimmer who competed against Lia Thomas

• Chelsea Mitchell, High school runner who lost four state championships and other honors to biological males