REP. JODEY ARRINGTON: Women’s Sports Are One Election Away From Extinction
By Rep. Jodey Arrington
October 1, 2026
AS SEEN IN THE DAILY CALLER
Under President Trump’s leadership, Title IX protects women and girls from discrimination based on biological sex.
As obvious as that may sound, it represents a complete reversal of the Biden administration’s radical weaponization of federal education funding to force schools to ignore biological reality. That agenda began on President Biden’s first day in office, when he directed federal agencies to treat gender identity the same as sex. His administration then used that interpretation to attack the fairness of women’s sports, undermine the privacy of women’s locker rooms, and steal hard-earned opportunities from female athletes.
This should not be a political issue. But the Democrat Party has normalized an ideology so radical that basic biological reality is now treated as controversial.
President Trump has since restored the biological-sex standard at the federal level, while the Supreme Court has affirmed that states may keep men out of women’s sports. Together, those actions represent major progress in restoring common sense and common decency, but the fight isn’t over.
The Court’s decision rightfully recognized a seminal law of nature: Men and women are biologically different, and those differences matter in athletic competition. Yet its ruling only confirmed that states may enact laws protecting women’s sports. It did not establish a nationwide prohibition on men competing against women.
That means girls in states that bar males from women’s sports can compete on a level playing field, while female athletes elsewhere will still be forced to compete against them.
A girl’s safety, privacy, and athletic opportunities should not depend on her ZIP code or which political party is in power.
Fifty-four years ago, Congress passed Title IX to prohibit sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funding. In the decades that followed, generations of women and girls gained opportunities to learn, compete, and succeed.
In 1972, no one thought it necessary to explain that “sex” referred to whether someone was biologically male or female. Everyone understood what those words meant, so Congress never expressly defined “sex” in the law.
Nevertheless, here we are.
Justice Neil Gorsuch highlighted the problem in the Supreme Court’s recent decision. Because Title IX imposes conditions on federal education funding, schools must be clearly informed of what the law requires. Congress never defined “sex” in the statute, leaving room for future administrations to impose their own meaning.
That ambiguity gave the Biden administration an opening to substitute its radical ideology. Unless Congress closes that loophole, future Democrat administrations will exploit it again.
The question is straightforward: Should protections for our daughters change every time a new administration takes control of the White House?
The answer must be no.
That’s why Congress must pass my Title IX Clarification Act.
The bill defines “sex” under Title IX as biologically male or female. It gives schools, states, parents, and students a clear federal standard and prevents future administrations from reinterpreting the law around gender identity.
Put plainly, the Title IX Clarification Act makes biological sex the nationwide standard for schools receiving federal money. In fact, schools that deny women equal opportunities by ignoring this standard could lose federal funding.
We should be grateful for President Trump’s bold leadership in reversing the Biden administration’s harmful policies and standing up for female athletes. But executive orders are temporary. Any future Democrat president will easily revoke those protections with the stroke of a pen unless Congress acts.
Nearly 80 percent of Americans oppose males competing in women’s sports. Congress has a responsibility to our daughters to turn that overwhelming consensus into a lasting federal standard.
There are two sexes: male and female. It’s time our laws clearly reflect that reality.
Women’s sports must remain for women, and federal education funding should never be used to force schools to deny biological reality. Title IX gave generations of girls the opportunity to thrive. It is now our responsibility to protect that promise for every girl who comes next.
It is time for Congress to pass the Title IX Clarification Act.
U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington is a Republican serving the 19th Congressional District of Texas. He is the Chairman of the House Budget Committee and a Senior Member of the House Ways & Means Committee.
