Donald Trump Handed Major Setback on Transgender Bill

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-handed-major-setback-on-transgender-bill/ar-AA1AdxLj?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=0ff3c3e76058473fa2d857bd853c7657&ei=145

Story by Sean O'Driscoll (4 March 2025)

Senate Democrats have blocked a Republican bill that sought to bar transgender athletes from women's sports at federally funded schools.

On Monday, 51 Senate Republicans voted in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, while 45 Democrats opposed.

Tuberville introduced the legislation into the Senate in January with several Republican co-sponsors.

The Trump-supported bill is one of several Republican measures to stop trans women from, among other things, using women's restrooms or participating in women's sports. Last year, several anti-trans bills passed on the state level.

The bill also sought to add new wording to Title IX equality legislation so that "sex shall be recognized based solely on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth."

Before the vote, Baldwin said on the floor of the Senate that she was in "strong opposition to any attempt by the federal government to meddle in decisions about who can and cannot participate in school sports."

Unless Republicans can persuade several of their Democratic colleagues to support the bill, it's unlikely the legislation will pass in the current Senate term.

I'm confused.  I followed the link and read the article, but I'm still confused.  How is a 51-45 vote in favour of the bill a defeat?  Does it need a unanimous vote?

It needed at least 60 votes to move forward:

The legislation's failure highlights the narrow majority that Republicans have in Congress. While the GOP controls the Senate and the House, to reach the 60 votes needed to pass most bills through the upper chamber, it requires the support of Senate Democrats.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

Ah, I didn't know that.  I thought it only needed 50% + 1.  Thanks.

The 60 vote level is the historic Filibuster level where they agree they are stopping discussion and then agree to call the vote. As the sessions go on there is a lot of game playing where amendments are added and stripped from what is called must pass or toss away legislation.   The Bargaining with what the House will pass also makes the whole process frightening and maddening.