Senate Democrats block progress of single-sex sports bill

Most Democratic senators on Monday evening voted against a motion to proceed to a vote on a bill that would order school athletics programs to classify sports by biological sex. Two Independents also voted against the bill’s progress, while 51 Republicans were in favor of moving forward to a vote. Two Democratic senators and two Republicans abstained from the vote. The Monday vote was 51 for cloture, 45 against—leaving the measure marooned in debate. Senate rules require 60 of its 100 members to vote for cloture in order to end debate and proceed to a vote on a bill.

What’s in Senate Bill 9? The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 introduced by Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., would make it a violation of Title IX, the 1972 landmark women’s rights law, for federally funded education programs to allow males to compete in sports designated for women or girls. Tuberville’s bill also clarifies that sex is defined by biological characteristics and genetics at birth.

Dig deeper: Read Katie J. McCoy’s World Opinions piece on the cultural roots of transgender ideology.