Johnson addressed reporters at a press conference after the Republican-controlled House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to keep trans-identified men from competing in women’s athletic competitions.
At the beginning of his remarks, Johnson asserted “We know from Scripture and from nature that men are men and women are women and men cannot become women.”
When a reporter asked the speaker to clarify why he thinks “Christian Scripture teaches that,” Johnson responded by noting, “It goes back to the first book, Genesis.” He highlighted the relevant portion of the Bible as stating, “Male and female He made them.”
The measure, which received all but two of its votes from Republicans, makes it a violation of federal law for any recipient of federal education funding “who operates, sponsors, or facilitates an athletic program or activity to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.”
The Republican-controlled House passed the bill in the previous Congress, but the Democrat-controlled Senate did not bring it up for a vote.
Unlike when the House voted on the legislation in the 118th Congress, Tuesday’s vote saw two House Democrats break with their party to support the bill.
The bill faces higher hurdles for passage in the Republican-controlled Senate. Republicans only have 53 seats in the upper chamber and most legislation requires 60 votes to pass.