The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 passed 218 to 206, with two Texas Democrats, Reps. Vincente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, joining Republicans, while Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) voted present.

If signed into law, it would prevent schools from allowing biological males to compete in school athletic programs for women or girls. The government would withhold federal funding from schools where biological men are allowed to compete in female-designated athletics.

Ahead of the vote, Democrats blasted the bill as “hateful” and “prejudiced” during debate on the House floor and in caucus, with many lawmakers arguing that it is an invasion of privacy for young children.

“There is only one way for you to enforce this, which is to literally get — and I’m a parent — get in your child’s business, ask them to show them their genitals, or call the parents like, what is wrong with you?” Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) told the Washington Examiner ahead of the vote.

The bill was the first legislative test for House Democrats on their response to transgender issues after Republicans spent nearly $215 million on attack ads that largely went unanswered by Democrats in the 2024 election.

Democrats spent much of Tuesday centering their messaging on Republicans’ legislative slate, arguing the GOP campaigned on economic issues but has spent the first weeks of the 119th Congress pushing partisan politics.

“We are two weeks into the 119th Congress and already the GOP is wasting our time on political messaging bills,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) said during the debate.

Several members, including Balint and Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and Maxwell Frost (D-FL), stood next to a poster that named the bill the “GOP Child Predator Empowerment Act.”

On the other side, Republicans pushed the bill as a “common sense” way to preserve women’s sports and said the presence of men in women’s locker rooms is the “invasion of privacy.”

“It saddens me to hear my colleagues who I respect and enjoy working with, on most things, totally unrecognizing the fact that the American people, parents and grandparents, teachers, don’t stand with them,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) said.

“Girls and women lose their fair chance at winning when a biological male enters the field,” Walberg added. “We can’t let women’s sports become collateral damage for the far-left’s campaign in the science-based understanding of sex.”

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) questioned his Democratic colleagues’ vigorous opposition.

“It’s amazing to me that the idea that we would have X/Y chromosome males competing and taking the place of women and girls in sports is just mind-blowing,” LaMalfa said.

“Where are the feminists? Where are the people that fought so hard to get rights for women and now they fade into the background over this transgender situation we are advancing way too much in this country?” LaMalfa added.

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 is one of 12 bills included in the GOP’s rules package that will be fast-tracked to the House floor for a vote. One such bill, the Laken Riley Act, received bipartisan support in the House and is on track to receive the same in the Senate.

However, this bill may face more pushback from Senate Democrats, which could place the Senate GOP in a bind as they need 60 members to overcome the filibuster. With a 53-seat majority, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 would need bipartisan support before heading to the White House for a signature.