Republican lawmakers are voicing their frustration over failed attempts to pass transgender-related bills with the midterm elections approaching. Despite the introduction of 127 bills in 2026 aimed at curbing transgender rights, including prohibiting biological males from competing in female sports, many have stalled, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker.
Florida Rep. Greg Steube, among others, expressed dissatisfaction with congressional leadership for not advancing legislation on transgender issues. Steube’s Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act has stalled even after passing the House on January 14, 2025. He criticized Senate Majority Leader John Thune for not pushing the bill through the Senate.
“The American people gave Republicans a mandate to act, not let Senate Democrats and a handful of Republican holdouts dictate what can and cannot pass,” Steube said.
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace also expressed her frustration, as her Stop the Invasion of Women’s Spaces Act has yet to receive a floor vote. Mace argued that leadership is allowing “common sense” legislation to languish.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s office highlighted several trans-related bills the House Republicans have passed, including the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act. Yet these efforts have stalled in the Senate.
Polls indicate that a majority of Americans support bans on men participating in women’s sports.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who sponsored the Prohibiting Abortion & Transgender Procedures on the Exchanges Act, criticized leadership for ignoring these issues. His proposal sought to bar health plans from covering transgender procedures for minors.
Despite setbacks in standalone bills, some provisions have passed within larger packages, such as the Rescissions package in July 2025, which cut foreign aid funding for LGBT programs.
President Trump has taken executive actions to address these issues, including orders to ban trans-identifying individuals from the military and limit federal funding for gender-related procedures for minors. However, efforts to codify these orders into law face challenges.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down Trump’s trans military ban, prompting plans to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.
With polling data indicating broad public support for restrictions on transgender participation in sports, it remains to be seen how these legislative efforts will progress.
