A recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on legislation aimed at safeguarding women's sports saw minimal attendance from Democratic senators, with most members of the party absent for the majority or entirety of the proceedings.
Only two Democratic senators, Ranking Member Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, made an appearance. Both departed within the first hour of the hearing, and Senator Klobuchar did not speak. Additionally, no witnesses were presented by the Democratic side of the committee.
Democratic Senators' Limited Engagement
Senator Durbin dedicated a significant portion of his opening remarks to diverting attention from the central topic of transgender athletes in women's sports. Instead, he brought up various other issues, including economic affordability, limiting children's access to cell phones, artificial intelligence, and public trust in government.
Before leaving the session, Durbin stated his intention to "refuse to treat this hearing like a responsible exercise of this committee. I will not ask questions, and I already did not call any witnesses." He then exited the hearing shortly thereafter.
Inquiries sent to all ten Democratic members of the committee regarding their absence received only one response, from Senator Durbin's office, which indicated, "Sen. Durbin explained his position during his opening statement this morning."
Senator Durbin's comments directly addressing the hearing's subject matter were limited to expressing concerns for the LGBTQ community. He referenced a study by The Trevor Project, which highlighted that young LGBTQ+ individuals face an elevated risk of suicide. He also raised the prospect of "sex verification checks" for female athletes as a potential consequence of protective measures for women's sports, characterizing such measures as a "vendetta."
We can all agree that we want to be fair and safe in women's athletics, but this vendetta against a small number of people in the trans community affects everyone, including cisgender girls, who can be subject to inappropriate gender verification checks.
When asked to elaborate on these concerns, Senator Durbin's office referred to a press release from March 2025, which asserted that measures designed to protect women's sports could "subject women and girls to physical inspection by an adult if someone from an opposing team accused them of being transgender."
Meanwhile, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut informed reporters in person that his absence from the hearing was due to a classified briefing on the Iran conflict. When pressed for his general stance on the issue of safeguarding women's sports, Senator Blumenthal declined to comment, stating, "I'm not going to talk about it in the hallway here."
Unsubstantiated Claims and Republican Critique
Concerns about potentially invasive gender verification procedures were voiced by Democrats last year in the lead-up to a vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. However, these concerns were never substantiated by any language within the bill itself, nor were any examples provided of such examinations being implemented elsewhere. The only form of verification publicly advocated by proponents and Republican lawmakers is cheek swab DNA testing.
The Democratic party's earlier messaging regarding fears of invasive gender tests, prior to the vote on last year's legislation, sparked considerable backlash, even among their own constituents.
The general position taken by the party on the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports has proved to be largely unpopular. Polling data from The New York Times, Quinnipiac University, and the Pew Research Center consistently indicate that over 70% of Americans believe that women's sports should not allow biological males to compete.
In anticipation of the 2026 midterm elections, many Democrats have subtly distanced themselves from previous endorsements of transgender athletes, without explicitly retracting or altering their official stance on the matter.
The widespread absence of Democratic members from Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing aligns with this recent trend. Witnesses and Republican committee members present at the hearing openly criticized the lack of Democratic participation.
Sen. Darline Graham, a Republican from North Carolina, expressed her dismay, stating, "I’m also disappointed our Democratic colleagues left the room, because I think the risk of physical harm is real and has already happened."
Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, also voiced his criticism of the Democratic departures, remarking, "I’m a little disappointed that my Democratic colleagues left. It’s their right, but I’m disappointed."
Sen. Ashley Moody, a Republican from Florida, was particularly critical of the absent Democrats.
The reason why it is going now from one Republican senator to another Republican senator is because there’s not one Democratic senator here to ask those that are actually involved as females in female sports about the dangers and missed opportunities and challenges for what’s been happening across our nation for our young women and girls. Shockingly, not one female Democratic senator has engaged in this hearing or asked you any questions about your experiences, your concerns, your fears based on your backgrounds, [or] what you predict may happen in the future if we don’t, as you said, lead. I assume that was because he’s trying to justify why not one woman on the other side of the aisle showed up to ask these questions and engage.
Currently, 23 states across the United States do not have regulations in place that prohibit biological males from participating in women's sports. California, Maine, and Minnesota have engaged in legal disputes with the previous Trump administration over this issue, following an executive order signed by then-President Donald Trump last February to protect women's sports.