U.S. Senate Democrats have blocked a Republican-led bill that would ban transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports at federally funded schools and educational institutions.
As reported by CNN, the bill’s failure to advance Monday highlights the limits of Republicans’ narrow margins in Congress, despite control of both chambers. The party still needs support from Democrats in the Senate for most legislation to clear a 60-vote threshold. The party line vote was 51-45, CNN reported.
The Senate vote comes as Republican-led states continue to introduce bills intended to keep transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
The Republican-led House passed its own version of the legislation in January, 218-206, with two Democrats voting in favor and one Democrat voting “present.”
The bill seeks to amend federal law to require that “sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” for the purpose of determining compliance with Title IX in athletics, according to the legislative text.
Republicans have argued that transgender women hold a physical advantage over cisgender women in sports and thus their participation could consequentially limit opportunities for others.
Democrats have said that policies to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in team sports adds to the discrimination that trans people face, particularly trans youth.
Senate Republicans have 53 seats. Typically, according to CNN, that would mean that at least seven Democrats would need to vote with Republicans to hit the 60-vote threshold to advance a bill subject to a filibuster.
NCAA president Charlie Baker told a Senate panel in December that there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes he is aware of who currently compete in college sports, as reported by The Hill.
