WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) applauds Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) for introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to strike down the Biden administration’s unlawful Title IX regulation, which unilaterally rewrites the landmark sex equality law and undermines women’s rights, free speech, and due process. Sen. Hyde-Smith’s introduction of the CRA comes as a growing nationwide momentum of female athletes, coaches, and advocates fight against the Title IX changes through the Our Bodies, Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Bus Tour, which is traveling coast to coast this summer.
If this new Omnibus Rule goes into effect on August 1, Title IX will be turned on its head through extra-statutory regulations that require schools to allow males to self-identify into women’s spaces, opportunities, and athletics.
By replacing “sex” with “gender” and claiming that Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of “gender identity,” a term never mentioned in the original statute, the Biden administration’s rewrite forces schools to let males who identify as women take women’s scholarships and enter women’s spaces — including women’s locker rooms, dorm rooms, and athletic teams.
Carrie Lukas, Independent Women’s Voice Vice President, said, “Thank you Senator Hyde-Smith for standing up for fairness and for common sense. Congress wrote and passed Title IX more than 50 years ago to ensure that both sexes — female and male — have equal opportunity in education, including in athletics. The Biden administration’s illegal re-write and new interpretation of this law completely guts those protections and destroys equal opportunity and fairness. Congress, the people’s elected representatives, need to put a stop to it.”
May Mailman, Independent Women’s Law Center Director, said, “We have seen Americans across this country come out to support women’s opportunities through our Take Back Title IX Bus Tour. Congress can make our call a reality. Congress does not need to watch President Biden force women to change and shower with men. We are deeply grateful to Senator Hyde-Smith for introducing the legislation to end this nightmare.”
Riley Gaines, former 12-time All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky and Independent Women’s Voice ambassador said: “I have met thousands of Americans across the country who are terrified of the changes and harm the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite will formally establish — the American public does not stand for this outright denial of biological reality. I applaud Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith for her leadership, and call on every Member of Congress to take action, rather than looking away as the Biden administration unilaterally erases over fifty years of protection for women.”
Paula Scanlan, former University of Pennsylvania swimmer and Independent Women’s Voice ambassador said: “Thank you, Senator Cindy-Hyde Smith, for fighting to keep Title IX as it was originally intended. Title IX was landmark legislation when it was passed by Congress and paved the way for hundreds of thousands of women in athletics. Now, it’s time for Congress to take back Title IX from the Biden administration’s illegal and bureaucratic attempts to undermine fairness and safety for girls and women.”
The administration’s draft rules, released on June 23, 2022, “in celebration” of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, generated overwhelming public opposition, with citizens filing a record number of comments with the Department of Education.
Immediately following the Biden administration’s illegal rewrite of Title IX, Independent Women’s Law Center filed a blockbuster lawsuit – Alabama vs. Cardona – against the Biden administration’s illegal Title IX regulation. National Law Journal said IWF’s lawsuit stands out for its comprehensive challenge to multiple aspects of the regulation.
IWV calls on lawmakers to support the CRA and to preserve Title IX and women’s rights across the nation.
Independent Women’s Voice is leading efforts against the Title IX rewrite:
- Independent Women’s Forum, IWV’s sister organization, organized the Our Bodies, Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Summer 2024 Bus Tour. The tour is hitting the road from coast to coast this summer ahead of the Biden administration’s new regulations to activate supporters across the country to take back Title IX and stand up for women’s sports.
- Independent Women’s Forum recently joined the “Take Back Title IX” roundtable, hosted by U.S. Senators on Capitol Hill including Sen. Hyde-Smith, to advocate fairness in women’s sports. Read their written testimonies here.
- IWV drove more than 20,000 public comments to the Department of Education opposing the Biden administration’s plan to gut Title IX.
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Independent Women’s Voice fights for women by expanding support for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being.