Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC-01) has submitted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that aims to prevent male cadets or midshipmen from participating in athletic programs designated exclusively for women at U.S. Service Academies. The amendment specifies that eligibility for these sports should be determined by biological sex.
“Women who fight to earn their spot on Service Academy teams deserve a level playing field,” said Congresswoman Mace. “This amendment ends the nonsense, protects fairness, and ensures female athletes at our nation’s military academies are not forced to give up opportunities they’ve worked hard to earn.”
The proposal references executive actions taken by former President Trump regarding gender policies in federal institutions and seeks to extend those measures to service academies. According to the statement, the amendment is intended to reinforce standards based on biological sex and maintain fairness in competition.
Rep. Mace’s office highlighted her ongoing efforts related to similar issues, including several bills focused on athletics, privacy, and federal policy concerning gender definitions. Among them are the Protecting Girls’ Sports for Military Kids Act, Gender-Affirming Child Abuse Prevention Act, Protecting Women’s Private Spaces Act, Restoring Biological Truth in Government Act, Prison Rape Prevention Act, and TRANS MICE Act.
The amendment will next be considered by the Rules Committee as part of the NDAA process.
Nancy Mace currently serves as a member of Congress representing South Carolina’s 1st district since 2021, after previously serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2018 to 2020. She was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1977 and lives in Charleston. Mace graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1999.
