Suzanne Bonamici Blasts GOP Over 'False Narrative' Surrounding New Title IX Rule

4 months ago

Prior to the Congressional recess, during debate on the House floor, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) spoke in opposition to the effort to override the Education Department's new Title IX provisions.

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Transcript

00:00I rise today to speak in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 165, a Congressional Review Act resolution

00:07to repeal the Biden-Harris administration's Title IX rule. The administration's final Title IX rule

00:14does three things. First, it safeguards against all forms of sex-based harassment and discrimination

00:22by making several improvements to the 2020 Trump administration's Title IX rule.

00:27These include requiring schools to take prompt and effective action to address sexual harassment,

00:33as opposed to the lax Trump standard that a school's response just not be deliberately

00:39indifferent. The new rule places the duty to report possible discrimination on more employees

00:45in contrast to the old rule, which only required some employees to report when they had actual,

00:52possible knowledge of sexual discrimination or assault. And it recognizes that discrimination

00:58based on sex includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

01:04following Supreme Court precedent. Second, the Title IX rule promotes accountability and fairness

01:11and how schools respond to and discipline sex-based discrimination by mandating that

01:16schools handle complaints in a timely manner and implement a fair and transparent process.

01:22And finally, this rule empowers students and families to exercise their rights under Title IX.

01:28The administration's Title IX rule explicitly protects sexual assault survivors and people

01:34affected by discrimination from retaliation for seeking to have their Title IX rights enforced.

01:40Further, the rule guarantees access to supportive services for survivors of sexual assault and

01:46accused individuals. And despite what my colleagues repeatedly claim, I thought I was in the wrong

01:51debate for a minute, this rule does not address students' participation in sports. This false

01:58narrative follows the many attacks against the LGBTQI plus community in this House and state

02:04legislatures across the country. We have had more than 60 anti-LGBTQI plus votes on the floor

02:11on the House floor this Congress, and it's a distraction to claim that this rule harms women in

02:16sports. For example, the department does not, has not issued a separate proposed rule to address

02:23athletics. They are working on it, but it has not been finalized. That's not the debate we're having

02:28today. Let me be clear. Trans girls, like all girls, deserve the opportunity to participate

02:34on school sports teams. But my colleagues across the aisle keep talking about athletics because

02:39they don't want to admit the truth behind this resolution. The resolution is an attempt to

02:43undermine non-discrimination protections for LGBTQI plus students. LGBTQI students, including

02:50trans students, deserve to go to school free from discrimination, and that's what this rule is about.

02:57It's not about bathrooms. In fact, the real risk of violence occurs when transgender people are

03:02barred from using the appropriate facility. Transgender people experience shockingly high

03:07rates of sexual and physical violence and are much more likely to be a victim than a perpetrator.

03:13And, and I'm streaming, I am also extremely concerned about the false narrative that my

03:19colleagues have invented to portray trans individuals as criminals attempting to enter

03:24restrooms to harm others. That is not supported by evidence or data. Transgender people want the

03:30same thing everyone else wants, safety, comfort, and privacy. We must work to protect the transgender

03:36community from discrimination and stop the false narratives that exacerbate and encourage

03:41prejudice against innocent people. This bill is particularly extreme because passing it

03:47would prevent any substantially similar rule from being enacted on these issues in the future.

03:52Voting for this bill would prohibit protections for sexual assault survivors and protections

03:57against discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity in schools that

04:02receive federal funding. If Republicans truly cared about protecting women and children, they'd

04:07stop this prejudiced rhetoric and take action on bills that would actually protect women from

04:11discrimination and harassment and defend women's reproductive health care, make child care more

04:17affordable, preserve opportunities in workplaces for all parents, especially women. Instead, this

04:22joint resolution is another attempt to undercut this administration's efforts to empower survivors

04:28and protect all Americans from discrimination. I do want to note this is another plank in the

04:34Extremist Project 2025 takeover of government that will sanction discrimination and strip

04:41Americans of their rights and freedoms. Page 333 if you're looking for it. Now I also note,

04:47Madam Speaker, that yesterday my Republican colleagues were supporting dignity for

04:51dishwashers. I implore all of you, show some dignity to the LGBTQI students who just want to

04:59go to school and learn free of discrimination. Show some dignity to the girls and women who

05:03survive sexual assault and deserve justice. So for these reasons and others, I encourage

05:10all of my colleagues to vote no and I reserve the balance of my time.

Suzanne Bonamici Blasts GOP Over 'False Narrative' Surrounding New Title IX Rule

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