Recognizing Lauren Matthew of West Valley High School State Champion
Floor Speech
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Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding Lauren Matthew of West Valley High School of Spokane, the rightful State champion in the girls' 400-meter race.
Lauren is the winner. However, the Washington State high school record books will tell a different story.
Last weekend, a transgender athlete claimed the Class 2A girls' State title in the 400-meter dash for the second year in a row. Every person in this country deserves dignity and respect, but this outcome is unfair and deeply troubling.
Keeping women's sports female is common sense and an issue that unites the vast majority of Americans. Transgender males should not be competing in girls' athletic events. It is not just unfair. It is a betrayal of the young women who dedicate themselves to excellence through hard work and training.
Like many others, I welcomed President Trump's executive order earlier this year, keeping men out of women's sports, as a step in the right direction. However, in Washington State, the law still requires schools to allow participation in sports based on gender identity, not biological sex. That violates Title IX and Federal protections for women's athletics.
We honor these young ladies like Lauren Matthews for their commitment, their discipline, and their performance. Moreover, we will keep fighting to ensure fairness in women's sports is not just a talking point but a promise kept. Their achievements deserve to be celebrated.
Here in this Chamber, Lauren Matthews and all the young female athletes out there just like her are celebrated.
Here in the Halls of Washington, D.C., in our Nation's Capitol on the floor of Congress, I am proud to recognize Lauren as the champion of the State 400-meter dash. She is an outstanding athlete and an inspiration to so many young girls and young athletes out there, including my own.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage Lauren to keep running hard, keep working, keep inspiring, keep winning, and know that we in Congress have her back.
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