CNN
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Senate Democrats on Monday blocked a GOP-led bill that would ban transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports at federally funded schools and educational institutions.
The bill’s failure to advance 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.
The Senate vote comes as GOP-led states across the country continue to put forward anti-trans measures, including bills intended to keep transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
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Republicans put attacks over transgender issues front and center in competitive races during the last election cycle, including at the top of the ticket in the presidential race. In the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s White House win, some Democrats have said their party must do more to address potential voter concerns.
The GOP-led House passed their own version of the legislation in January by a vote 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.
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive funding from the federal government, and applies to schools and other educational institutions.
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.
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Democrats have said that policies to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in team sports adds to the discrimination that trans people face, particularly trans youth. And they argue that Republicans are seeking to undermine the rights of LGBTQ students by advancing the bill.
Senate Republicans have 53 seats. Typically, 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.