Washington– The Senate on Saturday rejected an amendment that would have banned transgender athletes from women’s sports, rejecting one of President Donald Trump’s priorities. He puts pressure on Congress To work on a The voting bill is extensive.
Senators were holding a rare session over the weekend to discuss the voting legislation, which would establish strict new voter registration requirements and require photo IDs at polling places in an effort to prevent people in the country illegally from casting ballots.
The House passed the bill earlier this year, but the Republican president has since said he wants to add additional priorities to the legislation, including a sports ban for transgender athletes and a ban on all mail-in voting.
Democrats are expected to eventually block the broader legislation. Republican senators have repeatedly said they do not have enough support to abandon him Legislative procrastinationwhich leads to a threshold of 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, or find another alternative solution to pass the bill. Republicans hold 53 seats.
However, Republicans brought the legislation to the Senate floor this week for a lengthy debate, with Trump saying he would not sign other bills until the voting measure passes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday morning that Republicans “have not made any final decisions on how to end this matter.”
“What we’re trying to do is make sure we’re having a thorough discussion,” and recording everyone “one way or another,” Thune said.
The amendment, which was blocked by a 49-41 vote, would penalize educational institutions that receive federal funding if they allow individuals assigned male at birth to participate “in an athletic program or activity designated for women or girls.”
Trump also wants Congress to ban sex reassignment surgeries for some minors as part of the debate over the voting bill. It is unclear whether the Senate will hold a vote on that.
Additionally, Trump said he wants the House-passed bill to include a ban on most mail-in ballots. Trump has criticized mail-in ballots for years and has used it as a linchpin in his efforts to overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Banning mail-in ballots would face strong opposition from lawmakers.