Biden Drops Key Rule Proposal Amid Christmas Festivities

In a move that surprised many, the Biden administration has decided to abandon its push to amend a critical rule that would have permitted transgender individuals to participate in women’s sports. The reversal effectively halts efforts to modify Title IX, a landmark law originally enacted to ensure gender equality in education and athletics.

The Education Department, in a statement laden with bureaucratic language, confirmed it was withdrawing the proposed changes to Title IX after encountering widespread opposition. The revision had sparked controversy, with critics arguing it would compromise the integrity of women’s sports and lead to legal battles.

As reported by Just the News, the administration cited several factors in its decision, including over 150,000 public comments opposing the rule, a slew of lawsuits challenging the changes, and the dwindling time left in Biden’s term. Consequently, the proposal has been shelved indefinitely.

The proposed rule, introduced in April 2023, would have allowed biological males to participate in women’s sports and access facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms.

Jennifer Sey highlighted the announcement on social media, emphasizing the controversy it had stirred.

Jonathan Scruggs, Senior Counsel and Vice President of Legal Strategy at Alliance Defending Freedom, hailed the decision as a win for women. In a statement, Scruggs remarked, “Women and girls deserve to compete on a level playing field, and the U.S. Department of Education has taken a step in the right direction by withdrawing this proposed change.”

He continued, “As the withdrawal admitted, many Americans voiced their opposition to the rule change, and there are many pending lawsuits related to protecting women’s sports—including a comment submitted by Alliance Defending Freedom and multiple lawsuits brought by ADF to protect women’s sports. The decision to withdraw the proposed sports rule merely reflects the views of the vast majority of Americans who believe that women’s sports should remain reserved for female athletes.”

Scruggs also warned that the broader battle over gender ideology and Title IX was far from over. “The Biden administration has attempted to insert gender ideology into Title IX... Activist groups across the country have filed numerous lawsuits to force females to compete against males,” he noted. He called for continued efforts to secure fair opportunities for female athletes, including urging the Supreme Court to review two pivotal cases, B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education and Hecox v. Little.

Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt, incoming press secretary for President-elect Donald Trump, criticized the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw the rule rather than allow Trump to address it after taking office. Speaking to NBC, Leavitt said, “By adding more red tape, the Biden administration is making it more difficult for President Trump to govern. But he will not be deterred by their dirty tricks and will implement his America First agenda.”

On Outkick, Ian Miller observed, “The administration clearly recognized that this rule had no chance of surviving the lawsuits or the court of public opinion, especially after Donald Trump’s re-election demonstrated widespread rejection of such extremism.”

He added, “It’s also clear they wanted to minimize backlash from the political left by releasing the news on the Friday before Christmas, a time when much of the country is distracted by the holidays and the first game of the new College Football Playoff era. Sounds about right for how this administration has handled controversial issues over the past four years.”