House Republicans voted to repeal a Biden administration rule that broadens federal protections against discrimination for transgender students on Thursday.
The move marks the most recent win for the GOP in opposing revisions to Title IX, the historic law that bans gender discrimination in federally funded schools and educational initiatives.
In April, the Education Department implemented a comprehensive set of updated regulations to the long-standing law, which now includes a broader interpretation of sex discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Republicans in Congress and states across the country have strongly opposed this measure.
Transgender Student Protections
House Republicans approved a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to reverse the Title IX rule from the administration, going back to regulations implemented by former President Trump.
The resolution was approved in a strict party-line vote of 210-205, with ten Republicans and eight Democrats choosing not to vote. Despite the House vote, it is unlikely that the Democratic-controlled Senate will pass the same resolution.
Moreover, the White House has announced that President Biden would exercise his veto power if the resolution makes it to his desk. The Education Department did not provide an immediate response to requests for comments about the House vote.
Republicans claim that the recently proposed regulation would allow transgender females to join female school sports teams, while the Biden administration has not yet completed a distinct rule regarding athletic eligibility.
The Education Department's proposal, released last year, aims to prevent schools from implementing rules that outright forbid transgender student-athletes from joining sports teams that correspond to their gender identity.
Nevertheless, schools could still restrict involvement according to certain requirements. The department has recently shifted this proposal to the category of "long-term action" without specifying a deadline.
Reactions and Legal Challenges
"The Biden Title IX rule will be the end of girls' sports," said Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), the primary sponsor of the disapproval resolution. "We must return to the Trump administration policies that protected our girls from these left-wing agendas."
House Democrats condemned the decision to overturn the recent Title IX rule change, which seeks to enhance support for pregnant and parenting students and revise procedures for addressing sexual misconduct allegations in schools.
Over twenty Republican-led states have filed lawsuits against the new regulations, alleging that they weaken the original purpose of Title IX.
Last month, federal judges supported the states in three cases, preventing the administration's rule from being implemented in 14 GOP-led states while the cases are being resolved. It is anticipated that the other states will adopt the modifications by August 1.
The regulation is also prevented from being implemented in schools where children of Moms for Liberty members attend, a conservative group, and in schools attended by Young America's Foundation members, a youth conservative organization.
Title IX Implications in the Future
While Title IX is a federal law, every administration has traditionally had their own way of enforcing it, and schools need to comply in order to get federal funding.
House Republicans passed a resolution to reverse the Department of Education's new rule on Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students, pregnant and parenting students, and survivors of sexual assault and harassment.
Should the resolution pass, it would void the rule and block any potential future administrations from implementing comparable safeguards, leading to substantial damage for students across the country.
The White House promised to reject the resolution if it gets to the president's desk, rendering the gesture mostly symbolic.
