{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.dgraham.senate.gov/press-releases/icymi-senator-darline-graham-fights-to-protect-womens-sports", "ICYMI: Senator Darline Graham Fights to Protect Women\u2019s Sports", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Darline Graham", "G000608", "www.dgraham.senate.gov", "darlinegraham", "https://www.dgraham.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-South Carolina) today affirmed her support for keeping biological men out of women\u2019s sports and ensuring safe standards for female athletes at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and a press conference following the hearing. Senator Darline Graham commended the witnesses for their work in protecting girls\u2019 sports and ensuring that men stay off the field and out of the locker rooms.\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cIn South Carolina, we don\u2019t overcomplicate this issue. Boys are boys and girls are girls. The separation of the sexes on the playing field or court is essential to preserving fairness and safety.\u201d https://youtu.be/FB_Oa-nQAQ0?si=6DdIyRG5VkVAYqoM&t=48\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cI\u2019m a volleyball mom. There\u2019s nothing I love more than watching my daughter play. I\u2019ve traveled to gyms and towns across South Carolina and the southeast following our team and cheering on our girls. I know one simple truth: boys have no place in girls\u2019 sports.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/yaBDQ0OxdOM?si=w-fw5dH7pfwFdOXE&t=1434\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cOver the many years that I watched my daughter play volleyball, policies and legal theories weren\u2019t important. What was important was whether she had a fair shot at winning and most importantly, whether she was safe. In the end, it will be our daughters who will benefit from those willing to stand up for common sense.\u201d https://youtu.be/FB_Oa-nQAQ0?si=V3_fl67UYPrr-CSc&t=116\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cWhat a shame it was that our Democratic colleagues couldn\u2019t stick around today to hear the brave people and their testimony [at today\u2019s hearing].\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/yaBDQ0OxdOM?si=o6LJaEmhL9AQP6C3&t=1421\n\nOn Protecting Girls\u2019 and Women\u2019s Safety:\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cMiss Smolak, as both an athlete and coach, what responsibilities do you believe sports organizations have toward female athletes?\u201d\n\nFORMER PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER CARLY SMOLAK: \u201cI think first and foremost safety. I mean I thought that went without saying until recently, but if you can\u2019t ensure the safety of your athletes then there\u2019s no trust there from the athletes. I also think leaders need to lead, and cowering around this issue, hoping somebody else solves it, is so frustrating to watch, because I don\u2019t think that they see what I see. I think that they\u2019re afraid.\u201d https://youtu.be/FB_Oa-nQAQ0?si=kACL5PTW1rhKcvV7&t=204\n\nOn the NCAA\u2019s Misguided Policy:\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cMr. Bock. In February 2025, the NCAA announced a new rule limiting competition in women\u2019s sports to student athletes who are quote assigned female at birth only. Is the current NCAA determination of biological sex sufficient? If not, what recommendations would you give to strengthen that standard to protect female athletes?\u201d\n\nBOCK: \u201cThank you, Senator Graham. No one\u2019s assigned a sex at birth. They are their sex at birth. The NCAA\u2019s policy fails from the start by failing to define women on biological terms. The NCAA policy also fails because it includes no enforcement mechanism. They\u2019re engaging in no oversight.\u201d https://youtu.be/FB_Oa-nQAQ0?si=mUMCpbF9uyNJDAFC&t=249", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.dgraham.senate.gov/press-releases/icymi-senator-darline-graham-fights-to-protect-womens-sports"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9386806525290012, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}