[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 18, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1772-H1782] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-18
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ: I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, all opposition to this bill is not radical. Indeed, the Republican Governor of Utah also opposed a similar bill, and in his veto message he talked about the fact that even though he might not understand what it means to be trans, even though he doesn't understand the science which might be conflicting, he said: I choose to err on the side of kindness and compassion. He wanted to make sure that the children live, the few children in his State who play sports, the few trans children in his State who play sports, he said: Why are we heaping so much hatred on those children? I want them to live. The reason why that concern is so profound is because of the fact that transgender kids have an extremely high risk of suicidal behavior. In 2021, suicide was the second leading cause of death for kids ages 10-14 and 20-34. Nearly one in five trans kids attempted suicide that year. I want our trans kids to live. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Rules.  {time}  1300  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, our Rules Committee meeting last night was an embarrassment. Republicans went on and on about locker rooms, the same creepy stereotypes they leaned on when they tried to stop gay marriage. They went on and on about fairness, but no mention of the unfairness girls' sports teams face when it comes to unequal resources, unequal pay, and unequal treatment. They went on and on about safety, but no mention of the number one reason America's schools are unsafe: gun violence. Our kids are being slaughtered, for God's sake. Does anybody on the other side even care? Republicans claimed trans people don't even exist, which makes me wonder why they wasted all our time on their creepy obsession with controlling the lives of people they think aren't even real. Republicans now believe Congress--Congress--should be empowered to pick and choose which kids should be allowed to play on the soccer team. You can't make this stuff up. What is next? A bill about who can play together at recess? Republican hypocrisy is breathtaking. Republicans want to ban trans kids from sports, but they won't ban child marriage in States like West Virginia and Tennessee. The same party systematically taking away women's reproductive rights across the country, the same party that won't lift a finger as our kids are massacred in our schools, that takes NRA blood money instead of addressing an actual problem like gun violence, now wants to use protecting girls as their sick excuse for targeting trans kids. Enough is enough. Stop the fearmongering. The truth is that this bill would mean more trans kids, already vulnerable as it is, would be bullied, beaten, and killed. It would deprive trans kids of the opportunity to learn about teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. Finally, let me just say that the trans community deserves so much better than this. I hope they know that they have allies in Congress and across the country who care about them and who will fight for them. It shouldn't be a radical idea to respect people for who they are, and it shouldn't be a radical idea to love people for who they are. I urge my Republican colleagues to stop the lies, stop the bigotry, stop the hate. Leave kids alone. I urge a ``no'' vote on this awful, rotten rule and a ``no'' vote on the underlying bill.