East Idaho Times

U.S. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho and Representative Burgess Owens from Utah have called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to align its policies with former President Trump's Executive Order, advocating for the protection of female athletes' opportunities in the Olympics. The IOC is set to meet during the week of March 17th to elect a new president and discuss future events, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The lawmakers emphasized the importance of fairness in women's sports, stating, "In the United States, we honor our female Olympians. These athletes, and so many others, have inspired generations of young women around the world to compete and excel." They further urged that "the IOC must base eligibility for women’s athletic competitions on biological sex," arguing that allowing biological males to compete in women's categories undermines competitive opportunities and safety for female athletes.

Joining Risch and Owens in this appeal are several other U.S. Senators and Representatives: Mike Crapo (Idaho), Jim Banks (Indiana), Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee), Steve Daines (Montana), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), Josh Hawley (Missouri), Jim Justice (West Virginia), James Lankford (Oklahoma), Tim Sheehy (Montana), Tommy Tuberville (Alabama); Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Vern Buchanan (Florida), Tim Burchett (Tennessee), Dan Crenshaw (Texas), Brad Finstad (Minnesota), Craig Goldman (Texas), Mark Green (Tennessee), Ashley Hinson (Iowa), Mike Kennedy (Utah), Nick LaLota (New York), Blake Moore (Utah), Riley Moore (West Virginia), Austin Pfluger(Texas ), John Rose(Tennessee ), Claudia Tenney(New York).

Senator Risch has consistently advocated for fairness in women's sports through various legislative actions. These include demanding policy clarification from the NCAA regarding privacy and safety for female athletes' facilities, introducing legislation to defend women and girls in sports, proposing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to uphold Title IX protections, and urging conferences like Mountain West to ban biological males from competing in women's sports.