Senate Democrats on Saturday turned back a Republican attempt to fold a nationwide ban on transgender women and girls in female sports into a broader election-law bill, keeping the sports issue out of the GOP's Safeguard American Voter Eligibility America Act for now. The chamber voted 49-41 along party lines against advancing the amendment, sponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. It needed 60 votes to move on, the Hill reports. It would bar schools and colleges that receive federal funds from running or supporting athletic programs that let transgender girls and women compete in line with their gender identity.
Tuberville said that this was the fourth time Senate Democrats had blocked the proposal and that it has yet to receive a single Democratic vote. The underlying SAVE America Act, backed by President Trump, would tighten voting rules by requiring proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to cast a ballot. Trump has pressed Republicans to attach additional provisions, including the transgender sports prohibition, an end to no-excuse mail voting, and restrictions on gender-affirming surgery for minors.
Although members of both parties expect the overall bill to be rejected, per the AP, Republicans put the legislation on the Senate floor for a lengthy debate after Trump said he will not sign other bills until this one passes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday that Republicans "haven't made any final decisions about how to conclude this." He said he wants to get senators on the record, "one way or the other."
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