Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record letters from the Human Rights Campaign and the Athletes' Advisory Council. Human Rights Campaign, April 14, 2023. Dear Representative: On behalf of the Human Rights Campaign's more than three million members and supporters nationwide, I write to express our strong opposition to H.R. 734--the misnamed Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023 which seeks to implement a discriminatory ban on transgender girls participating in girls' sports nationwide. As the nation's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer equality, we are deeply concerned about the negative impact this legislation would have on young people already facing significant challenges due to stigma and discrimination. Athletics are an experience everyone deserves equal access to. School sports provide important development opportunities that teach young people about teamwork, perseverance, leadership, discipline, and exercise, and help them build friendships and community. All kids--including transgender girls and intersex children who would also be restricted from participating in school sports by this bill--should have the same opportunities to participate in activities that embody our shared ideals as Americans. We know that allowing transgender and intersex youth to play sports in school does not disadvantage anyone else. States, school districts, and athletic associations around the country have allowed transgender and intersex young people to participate in school sports consistent with their gender identity for decades--all without issue. Indeed, despite hundreds, if not thousands, of transgender women and girls participating in sports over time, only a handful of transgender athletes in high school or college have had any notable success. This is because transgender and intersex students do not seek to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity to gain an unfair advantage--they do it for the same reasons other young people play sports in school: to challenge themselves, improve their fitness, be part of a team, and have fun. Banning transgender and intersex kids from playing sports in school would do nothing to address ongoing, well- documented threats to girls' and women's sports, including a lack of equal resources, pay inequality, and sexual harassment. Advocates for women and girls in sports like the National Women's Law Center, the Women's Sports Foundation, Women Leaders in College Sports, and American Association of University Women all support policies allowing transgender people to play sports consistent with their gender identity. These groups oppose efforts to exclude transgender students like this bill, which would promote baseless fears and misinformation rather than solve any real problems. We urge you to vote no on H.R. 734, as well as vote against any anti-LGBTQ+ amendments. We will consider these key votes. Sincerely, Kelley Robinson, President.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Jacobs).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I speak in opposition to H.R. 734, the politics over participation act. We can all agree on the need to address the challenges facing our education system, issues like gun violence, academic achievement gaps, and the lack of mental health support for our students. These are serious challenges that demand serious action. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have used their first 100 days in the majority to pursue a radical education agenda that prioritizes political points over students' safety and success. Today, we are considering another piece of this extreme agenda, one that again targets transgender kids. School sports activities offer fundamental life lessons--such as leadership, self-confidence, and teamwork--that every child should be able to enjoy. As Members of Congress, our responsibility is to ensure that student athletics are, above all, fair and safe. H.R. 734 does the exact opposite. It makes school sports less fair by singling out and banning transgender women and girls as young as kindergarten from participating on school sports teams with their friends. We know transgender students already face widespread bullying and discrimination. Adding to their pain by targeting their participation in school sports is both wrong and dangerous. Furthermore, contrary to my Republican colleagues' claims, H.R. 734 actually makes school sports less safe for women and girls. To enforce its ban on transgender student athletes, the bill would require all girls as young as their preteens to ``prove their gender.'' For example, under Utah's blanket ban on transgender student participation in school sports, parents of the second- and third-place finishers in a State-level girls' competition complained to the Utah High School Activities Association that they suspected the winner of the event was trans. Following the complaint, the school was forced to investigate the student by combing through her records going back to kindergarten. She was, in fact, not transgender. The association has received other complaints about supposed trans competitors, sometimes with the reasoning being simply that a girl doesn't look feminine enough. Simply put, H.R. 734 does not protect women and girls. It only makes school sports less safe and less fair. There are schools, States, and sports associations that have been allowing transgender people to play equitably and consistent with their gender identity with no issues for decades. This bill doesn't address the most elite level of athletes. Yet, even at the most elite level, organizations like the International Olympic Committee have frameworks for transgender inclusion in sports. They reject the type of categorical blanket ban Republicans are pushing for kids as young as kindergartners in schools. Congress has no business targeting transgender women and girls and imposing a nationwide ban on their participation in school sports. We need to refocus on our job in Congress to address the most pressing issues facing students and parents and ensure that every child in America can reach their full potential. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 734, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California, (Ms. Pelosi), Speaker Emerita.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, fundamentally, the difference between the two sides is that my friends on the other side of the aisle do not recognize trans people as human beings. They do not even recognize the validity of trans. That is a terrible error, and it is wrong, and it does not grant trans people humanity. A subsequent corollary to this stance is that they don't believe that trans people are who they are, that somehow it is a choice. I am going to tell you: This debate itself has been traumatizing. I can remember when I was a teenager when debate in California was occurring over the Briggs Initiative, which would have banned LGBT teachers from teaching. One Republican Governor, Ronald Reagan, at the last minute opposed the initiative, and to me that meant a lot. It means a lot to me that Spencer Cox of Utah recognizes that trans kids exist and that we should protect them. This bill is horrible. All should stand opposed to it. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the Democratic whip.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, while girls' participation in sports have increased 1,000 percent since Title IX, the participation numbers still have not reached that of boys 50 years ago. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan), the chair of the Equality Caucus.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Robert Garcia).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member of the full Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record a Statement of Administration Policy from the administration. Statement of Administration Policy h.r. 734--protection of women and girls in sports act of 2023--rep. steube, R-fl, and 93 cosponsors The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 734. For students nationwide, participating in sports and being part of a team is an important part of growing up, staying engaged in school, and learning leadership and life skills. H.R. 734 would deny access to sports for many families by establishing an absolute ban on transgender students--even those as young as elementary schoolers--playing on a team consistent with their gender identity. Schools, coaches, and athletic associations around the country are already working with families to develop participation rules that are fair and that take into account particular sports, grade levels, and levels of competition. As a national ban that does not account for competitiveness or grade level, H.R. 734 targets people for who they are and therefore is discriminatory. Politicians should not dictate a one-size-fits-all requirement that forces coaches to remove kids from their teams. At a time when transgender youth already face a nationwide mental health crisis, with half of transgender youth in a recent survey saying they have seriously considered suicide, a national law that further stigmatizes these children is completely unnecessary, hurts families and students, and would only put students at greater risk. Discrimination has no place in our nation's schools or on our playing fields. Instead of addressing the pressing issues that families and students face today--such as raising teacher pay, keeping guns out of schools, addressing the mental health crisis our youth face, and helping students learn and recover academically from unprecedented disruptions--Congressional Republicans have instead chosen to prioritize policies that discriminate against children. If the President were presented with H.R. 734, he would veto it.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a statement by the National Parents Union in opposition to H.R. 734. National Parents Union. H.R. 734 bullies kids instead of teaching them to read. It's time to get focused on what matters to American families. The National Parents Union continues to be frustrated with the lack of focus from House and Education Workforce Committee Leadership on issues that matter to American Families. Families across the country want Congress to focus on ensuring that every child is prepared for their future-- not bullying kids who want to play sports among their peers. 32 percent of our country's 4th graders were proficient readers according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. That means that 7 out of 10 of our current 5th graders cannot fully engage in their learning because they cannot read the content. Our latest national parent poll clearly states parent priorities and nowhere to be found is anything about members of their kids sports teams. 90 percent Believe students should have access to high- quality, well rounded education with resources to support their individual needs. 90 percent Believe that students should be prepared for college and/or careers when they graduate. 90 percent Believe students should be protected from any form of discrimination at school.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time remains on each side?

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to the politics over parents act as a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, as a member of the LGBTQ community, but above all, as a teacher. I am an educator and I know how important parental involvement is. All parents, including the parents of LGBTQ kids, have rights. They have rights to send their children to schools where they will be affirmed, protected, and free from harassment, and given the opportunity to thrive. They have a right to be free from bullying and humiliation. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from a million MomsRising. [Mar. 21, 2023] So-Called `Parents Bill of Rights' Is All Wrong for America's Moms, Families--A Toxic Plan That Will Create More Division, Damage to Our Kids and Communities Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the so-called `Parents Bill of Rights' (H.R. 5) House Republicans are poised to pass this week: ``The badly misnamed `Parents Bill of Rights' the House GOP plans to vote on this week is all wrong for America's moms, kids, families, and educators. It is a recipe for censorship, bullying and book bans, and for division based on race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, masquerading as a bill of rights. If it were to become law, the Parents Bill of Rights would create more division by pitting educators against parents. It would do enormous damage to our kids, schools and communities. ``America's moms want schools to be safe and inclusive and to value diversity; for parents to be respectful; and for educators to be able to be honest about their identities and allowed to teach our country's truths, good and bad, and the values that got us to where we are today. We want our children to learn about the history and obstacles faced, and overcome, by members of our Black, Brown, AAPI, Native American, immigrant, religious-minority, LGBTQ+, and other communities. We want our students to be able to access unbiased health information. We want all our youth, regardless of income, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, to be safe and included in schools that prepare them to contribute to and succeed in our society. ``And we want a society that rejects `us vs. them' and puts in place the caregiving and other supports that will allow all families to succeed. MomsRising has more than a million members and we have been working closely with moms in every state for more than a decade. What this country's moms want from Congress is affordable child, elder and disability care; paid family and medical leave; fair pay; health care and medications we can afford; vastly improved maternal health care for all of us; the ability to make our own decisions about if, when and how many children to have; and laws that will end the scourge of gun violence and keep our children, streets, schools and communities safe. ``Coming soon, we will release the Moms Rising for Freedom Agenda with ten key policies lawmakers should support that moms across the Nation really want, instead of the divisive and harmful policies in the `Parents Bill of Rights.' That is how we build a society in which we can all flourish and thrive.''

Mr. TAKANO. In committee, my Republican colleagues have preached about parents' God-given rights. I will tell you now that children have a God-given right not to be physically or emotionally harmed. As a teacher, I know of instances where children were outed by staff, and as a consequence those children faced severe punishment at home. One student was viciously beaten by his father and transferred out of a district after his family was informed that he was caught being physically affectionate with another boy. Imagine the situation in which educators are placed when government requires them to out their student to an unsupportive family. I will tell you what happens to those kids: 73 percent of LGBTQ youth report anxiety. 58 percent of them report depression. 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ, and 46 percent, nearly half of them, have seriously considered suicide. Good teachers care about their kids. Good teachers know that a relationship with parents is important. But when a home is not safe for LGBTQ kids, school becomes their safe place, and teachers need to be their cheerleaders, not their first bullies. This bill forces good teachers to do bad things. It alienates students from their parents. It outs kids. It forces kids back into the closet. It is a fundamental invasion of privacy that puts children in danger. In the first 3 months that this Congress has been in session, this is what Republicans have chosen to spend our time and taxpayer dollars on. The so-called Parents Bill of Rights Act is the exact type of Big Government overreach my colleagues across the aisle proclaim they are against, and puts the cost of their pursuit of political gain on the backs of students and teachers. This is worse than simply bad legislation. It is a concerted attack on children, parents, and teachers. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the bill.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank a member of my staff on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for his invaluable service to our Nation's veterans, this Congress, and our country. Daniel Santa Cruz joined our committee in 2020 as our digital director. From the outset, he demonstrated an outstanding technical ability and tremendous creative vision. He proved instrumental in helping the committee meet the new digital demands of the COVID-19 pandemic; developed, produced, and directed thousands of hours of compelling video content; created graphical representations of our work for social media platforms; and captured powerful images of committee members hard at work for America's veterans across the world and in our Nation's Capital. His charm, humor, and generosity have been infectious, and his commitment to the work of this committee has been incredibly impactful. The work of my committee, this Congress, and our government to honor and support our veterans was made better by Daniel's service, and he will be deeply missed.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar), my good friend who serves on the House Appropriations Committee.