U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate floor to mark the anniversary of an executive order signed by President Trump, which aimed to protect opportunities for women and girls in sports by restricting federal funding to institutions that allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.
Thune highlighted his personal connection to the issue, referencing his daughters’ achievements as student athletes and expressing a desire for his granddaughters to have equal opportunities in sports. He stated, “Sports are – always have been – a big deal in my family. And I’m the proud father of two daughters, both of whom excelled as student athletes, one of whom is in both a high school and college hall of fame.”
He discussed the progress made since Title IX was enacted in 1972, which prohibited sex-based discrimination in education and expanded opportunities for women. However, Thune argued that allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports presents new challenges. “But now women’s sports are facing a new challenge: the push to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports,” he said.
Citing concerns about fairness and competitive advantage, Thune stated, “Biologically, men possess physical advantages when it comes to sports – things like greater muscle mass and greater aerobic power – which means that, by and large, men are likely to dominate in women’s sports, taking wins and medal opportunities away from women.”
He referenced testimony from female athletes who felt disadvantaged by these policies. One runner said: “It robs girls of the chance to race in front of college scouts who show up for elite meets, and to compete for the scholarships and opportunities that come with college recruitment. I’ll never know how my own college recruitment was impacted by losing those four state championship titles to a male. When colleges looked at my record, they didn’t see the fastest girl in Connecticut. They saw a second- or third-place runner.”
Thune also cited findings from a 2024 United Nations report on violence against women and girls focused on sports: “‘Policies implemented by international federations and national governing bodies, along with national legislation in some countries, allow males who identify as women to compete in female sports categories… The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals… over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports.’”
He criticized Democratic senators for opposing legislation intended to restrict participation in women’s sports at federally funded educational institutions only to females: “And every single Democrat opposed the bill. Every Democrat voted against protecting spaces for women and girls in sports.”
Thune concluded his remarks emphasizing continued challenges but noted current protections under Title IX: “Thanks to this administration’s actions, Title IX is being enforced and upheld… But thanks to my Democrat colleagues, those protections can be removed or reversed by the next administration.” He ended with concern about preserving Title IX’s legacy.
Senator Thune represents South Dakota as its U.S. senator and serves as Senate Republican Whip. He participates on committees such as Finance; Agriculture; Nutrition and Forestry; Commerce; Science; and Transportation according to his official website. His work includes community outreach efforts supporting veterans and legislative initiatives focusing on agriculture, energy policy development and economic growth.
