Congressman Rogers Votes for Federal Bills to Protect Women and Girls in Sports, Deport Violent Illegal Immigrants, Launch Disaster Relief Reform, and Strengthen Economic Ties with Taiwan

WASHINGTON, DC (January 16, 2025) – As the nation prepares for the Presidential Inauguration of Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, the U.S. House of Representatives started off the 119th Congress by passing federal legislation to protect women’s rights, improve safety across our homeland, increase transparency of disaster relief funding, and strengthen ties with key allied nations, among other important bills.
 
U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), Dean of the House, voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to strengthen protections for female athletes, acknowledging the biological differences between men and women to protect the integrity of athletic competition.
 
“Female athletes have come too far over the last 50 years to be forced to compete on an unfair and uneven playing field with biological men who have a natural physical advantage over them – that is not equality,” said Congressman Rogers. “This bill strengthens the current law and further defines the protections necessary for women and girls in sports.”   
 
The House also passed the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, a largely partisan bill that would deny and deport violent illegal immigrants who commit a sex offense or domestic violence. Congressman Rogers voted in support of the bill to strengthen protection and safety from violent sex offenders who have illegally entered, or try to enter, our homeland.
 
“The safety of the American people is our top priority. The Biden Administration’s open border crisis has resulted in preventable violence and fatal attacks by criminal illegal immigrants, yet 145 House Democrats voted to keep them in America,” said Congressman Rogers. “We can and will protect the American people, and this bill is the first step in the right direction.”
 
As several states continue to recover from deadly and catastrophic natural disasters, the House voted to take extra measures to reform disaster relief funding and transparency. Congressman Rogers voted in support of the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act and the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate with the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other agencies to help streamline relief efforts. The second bill specifically requires federal agencies to publish information about disaster assistance online at USAspending.gov, including expended or obligated funding, along with projects and activities that received federal aid.

“First and foremost, we must do a better job of helping our fellow Americans who have been devastated by flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and other natural disasters that leave behind billions of dollars in damages. It is not only our responsibility to provide aid, but to ensure it is not misused or wasted, and these bills will help protect those taxpayers dollars.”
 
Among other legislation passed this week, the House passed the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, to strengthen American economic ties with one of our key allied nations, reducing dependence on Communist China. The legislation provides Taiwan, one of the nation’s largest trading partners, with tax benefits and requires the same in return for Americans. It sets the stage for a tax treaty-like agreement to be considered and adopted by the U.S. government.
 
Taiwan is America’s largest trading partner without a tax treaty, supporting $1.5 billion in U.S. exports. The U.S. export of goods and services to Taiwan supported an estimated 188,000 American jobs in 2019, according to the House Ways and Means Committee.
 
The U.S. does not have diplomatic ties to formally negotiate a tax treaty; however, Taiwan currently has agreements with the European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and others.
 
For more information about Congressman Rogers’ work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.
 
Click here to read the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
Click here to read the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act.
Click here to read the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act.
Click here to read the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.
Click here to read the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act.