Chuck Grassley Opens a Senate Judiciary Hearing on Transgender Athletes Six Weeks Before the Midterms and Every Democrat but One Stays Away — Dick Durbin Says He Refuses "to Treat This Hearing Like a Responsible Exercise of This Committee" and Walks Out, While Katie Britt Says "Not One Member on the Other Side of the Aisle Has Had the Respect for Women to Come in Here and Ask Questions"

September 25, 2026

On Sept. 23, 2026, the Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Chuck Grassley held a hearing titled "Standing Up for Women in Sports: Ensuring Opportunity, Fairness and Safety for Female Athletes." Grassley opened by saying that allowing "biological men to play in women's sports breaks the promise of Title IX." Ranking Member Dick Durbin gave an opening statement calling the hearing a distraction from cost-of-living concerns and a "vendetta against a small number of people in the trans community." He said he had called no witnesses and would ask no questions, then left. None of the committee's other Democrats attended. Republicans Katie Britt, John Kennedy and Ashley Moody pointed to the empty seats. The hearing is part of a Republican push on the issue ahead of the midterms.