Nebraska senators cosponsor legislation to reverse federal Title IX rule

Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are cosponsors of legislation to overturn a U.S. Department of Education rule extending Title IX protections to include gender identity.

Ricketts said the rule broadens the original intent of Title IX and could punish students for failing to use preferred pronouns.

“These rules are anti-common sense and anti-science,” he said. “They violate the will of Congress. Congress passed Title IX to protect women.”

Ricketts also expressed concerns that the new rule could hurt women’s sports and education.

“It's not just about athletics,” Ricketts said. “The rewrite threatens the progress and safety of American girls and women in education, too. These Title IX changes will negatively impact women's academic scholarships and that could ultimately impact their career opportunities.”

When asked for the University of Nebraska’s perspective on the Title IX changes, spokeswoman Melissa Lee wrote that the university is monitoring the developments.

Ricketts and Fischer joined more than 30 other Republican senators in cosponsoring a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Department of Education rule.

The Congressional Review Act gives Congress the ability to overrule federal regulations from government agencies by passing a joint resolution.

The resolution can be vetoed by the president and would need a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate to override the veto.

If the resolution is unsuccessful, the new Title IX rules take effect Aug. 1.