-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I rise today in strong opposition to any attempt by the Federal Government to meddle in decisions about who can and cannot participate in school sports.

Simply put, it is not the Federal Government's place to tell State and local sports leagues across this country how to do their jobs. This is a decision for local communities, where players and parents can participate in that discussion at the local level.

This is a decision for sports leagues to thoughtfully craft policy that actually takes seriously what is best for all players, not blanket mandates that will undoubtedly have unintended consequences for the safety of all students.

I, for one, trust our States, our leagues, and our localities to make these decisions without interference from Congress or the President. For years, we have seen them do it thoughtfully and carefully. They have done what is best for the children, in consultation with parents, teachers, coaches, and community members. This is exactly how this type of policy should be created.

But Republicans are now saying that they actually know better than these local sports leagues. The President is saying that he knows better than parents what is good for their children. President Donald Trump and my Republican colleagues have inserted themselves into this discussion, tying the hands of leagues that are actually focused on the best interest of our children. And as far as I can tell, it is just to score political points and stir the pot of the culture wars.

I will close with this. Too often in this debate, it gets lost that we are talking about real people. It is clear that my Republican colleagues, when they casually dehumanize trans Americans in their attack ads, forget or simply do not care that they are talking about real people--often youth, often children--who already do not feel welcome in their communities.

This legislation tries to send the message that certain kids are not welcome in Little League or on the basketball court, and, really, that they are not welcome in school at all, beside their peers--what a heartbreaking message to tell a child. No American, especially those who are already vulnerable, should be demonized and picked on so that politicians can win elections--period, full stop.

At the end of the day, while Republicans are focused on playing politics with children's sports leagues, I am focused on issues that I hear about from my constituents every day. I am focused on lowering household costs and taking on the big corporations that are price- gouging families at the grocery store and at the pharmacy.

I am focused on growing our made-in-America economy and making sure that everyone has a fair chance to get a good-paying job. I am focused on ensuring that people can access high-quality healthcare and protecting Medicaid. I am focused on the people of Wisconsin and their needs, not stepping on their right to decide what is best in their own local communities.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source