President Donald Trump on Friday intensified his push for Senate Republicans to remain in Washington through part of their August recess, calling on lawmakers to stay until they approve legislation aimed at overhauling the rules governing compensation and recruitment for college athletes.
The legislation, known as the Protect College Sports Act, has stalled in the Senate amid disagreements over its provisions. The ongoing dispute has also complicated efforts to quickly advance other legislative priorities before lawmakers leave for their five-week August recess.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged senators to remain in the nation’s capital until the bill is passed.
“THE PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT is a great Bill, and the Senate will hopefully stay in D.C. until it passes,” Trump wrote.
The president argued the legislation is essential to the future of college athletics, warning that failure to act would have widespread consequences for universities, athletic programs, and student-athletes.
“Without this Bill, millions of young Athletes will be hurt, programs will be canceled, Women’s and Olympic Sports will go away, the fans will be robbed, and Universities will go broke,” Trump said.
As pressure mounted, Senate Republican leaders circulated a “hotline” alert Friday to determine whether senators had objections to moving forward with the legislation. The bipartisan proposal was negotiated by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the committee’s ranking Democrat, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington.
The bill seeks to establish nationwide standards governing name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements, athlete transfers, and eligibility rules across college sports.
Cruz is attempting to secure unanimous consent to bring the legislation to the Senate floor before lawmakers depart for the August recess.
According to the proposal circulated by Senate Republican leadership, senators would first vote on a motion to proceed to the bill. If that motion succeeds, the Senate would then hold a second vote requiring a 60-vote threshold for final passage.
Despite that effort, resistance remains.
One senior Senate Republican aide said there are multiple objections to advancing the legislation on such an accelerated timetable.
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., indicated he was comfortable waiting before moving ahead with the measure.
“It’s complicated, there are a lot of pieces to this. I’m okay with waiting,” Warnock said.
Warnock represents Georgia, home to the University of Georgia, a prominent member of the Southeastern Conference.
The debate comes as NIL agreements continue to play an increasingly significant role in college athletics. Last month, the Aflac Kickoff Game featured a major name, image and likeness agreement involving Auburn ahead of its Sept. 5 matchup against Baylor.
The legislation has also undergone changes following negotiations with major college athletic conferences. While the SEC and Big Ten initially opposed the Protect College Sports Act, both conferences recently announced their support after working with the bill’s authors to revise its language.
Some Republicans, however, remain concerned about how the legislation could affect state laws governing women’s sports.
Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., have expressed concerns that, as currently written, the bill could override laws enacted in 27 states that prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
Trump rejected those concerns in another Truth Social post, insisting the legislation preserves those state protections.
“Nobody has done more to protect Women Athletes than me — and this Bill CLEARLY protects the Laws in 27 States protecting Women’s Sports, and banning Men from Women’s Sports. Anyone who tells you differently is LYING! Stop grandstanding, and try getting this done,” Trump wrote.
The president has repeatedly urged senators to delay their August recess until additional legislative priorities are addressed. He has previously called on the Senate to remain in session to consider the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and require photo identification in federal elections.
Trump has also encouraged senators to pass a budget resolution that would lay the groundwork for a third reconciliation package providing funding for the Pentagon, struggling farmers, and grants to states that adopt election reforms.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has proposed holding a vote on a motion to proceed to that budget resolution before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.
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