House passes bill with bipartisan support to ban transgender student athletes from women’s sports

The GOP-led House on Tuesday passed a measure with bipartisan support to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.

The bill, presented by Florida GOP Rep. Greg Steube, got 218 yes votes from Republicans and two votes from Democrats.

Three Republicans and six Democrats did not vote on the measure.

The measure passed despite opposition from over 400 LGBTQ and civil rights groups that argued it would undermine the civil rights of transgender students, according to The Hill newspaper.

Republicans during a press conference Tuesday criticized Democrat in the Senate, where the measure now goes, for having not supported the legislation when it was introduced in the past. 

"We're going to stand up for what is right, whether the Senate will do the right thing or not," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that chamber will voter later his week on a measure from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., to deport illegal migrants who sexually abuse women.

"In the last Congress it was noted that 203 Democrats voted to let biological males play in female-only sports," Johnson said. "We will remedy both of these problems."