Amid various exit polls, it’s clear that the economy emerged as the primary concern for most voters last year. Americans expressed feeling financially strained due to rising costs of everyday items like eggs and housing, and they expected action from their elected officials.

So what was one of the first actions taken by the newly elected House of Representatives? They moved to enact legislation aimed at addressing the “urgent economic crisis” of transgender girls and women participating in sports.

Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of working to alleviate consumer fees, creating incentives for affordable housing, or tackling the misleading price increases that have caused grocery bills to soar, the House made it their top priority to regulate the participation of transgender girls and women in sports. Rather than focus on the majority of Americans, House lawmakers diverted their attention to a very small group.

“We should be focusing … on matters that enhance the lives of our constituents. Such as making healthcare and housing more accessible. Reducing everyday costs and combating climate change. But here we are again,” stated Suzanne Bonamici, a Democratic representative from Oregon, just before the House approved the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.”

“This has happened repeatedly,” Bonamici continued. “Republicans ignite fear around the transgender community to distract from their inability to present practical solutions for the real problems our daily lives.”

Moreover, the bill’s ambiguous language poses a risk to all women and girls. Who will be responsible for enforcing this legislation? And how will it be done? As currently worded, nothing would stop a sexual predator from falsely accusing a young girl who fits a certain appearance and demanding proof of her gender identity.

The individuals we have elected don’t seem committed to their responsibilities, nor do they demonstrate genuine concern for the well-being of their constituents. If rents keep rising and filling your gas tank feels more expensive, or if economic disparities are reaching historical levels, or if a significant housing shortage is exacerbated by climate-related disasters, House members show no interest! They are not addressing the real threats to girls and women in sports, such as abusive coaching or lack of funding and resources.

The only priority for these House members pushing this bill appears to be “owning the libs,” alongside ensuring that the general public remains unaware of the hate being directed towards the transgender community. This helps prevent accountability for lawmakers and their wealthy sponsors when grocery prices remain high.

“House Republicans have a significant vote scheduled for today. I wish I was discussing a bill aimed at reducing costs for hardworking families or facilitating homeownership for more Americans—issues that many people identified as priorities in the upcoming 2024 election,” expressed Lori Trahan, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts, who played Division-I volleyball at Georgetown.

“Instead, right in their second week of power, House Republicans have opted to vote on a federal oversight of sports at every level.”

NCAA president Charlie Baker mentioned last month that there are “less than 10” transgender athletes among the 510,000 young men and women competing in the NCAA. While exact figures for youth and high school sports participation are lacking, it can be inferred that with around 300,000 transgender youths nationwide, the actual number in sports is likely only a few hundred at most.

There is also a lack of scientific backing for such bans, as the studies often cited to argue that transgender women have an edge in sports rely primarily on the performance of cisgender men, which doesn’t provide a fair comparison.

Nonetheless, Republican members of the House deemed it crucial to limit a few dozen transgender children from participating in sports, ignoring the clarity from the public that their financial stability should be the main focus. Instead, GOP lawmakers chose to engage in virtue signaling.

Transgender athletes pose no real threat to the economy. In contrast, the lawmakers’ fixation on this issue is a distraction from their actual responsibilities they’ve been elected to fulfill in Washington.

Connect with News Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.