Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana on Tuesday took the president of the NCAA to task for not taking a firm stand against biological men participating in women’s sports.

At a Senate hearing on sports betting, Mr. Kennedy questioned why Charlie Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who heads the NCAA, wasn’t doing more to bar transgender biological males from competing against females.

“Why do you support allowing transgender women, who are biological males, to compete against nontransgender biological females?” the senator asked his fellow Republican. “You are allowing biological males to compete against biological females, and you folks at the NCAA don’t do anything except sit there, watch, cash your checks and suck on your teeth.”

Mr. Baker agreed with Mr. Kenndey’s statement that biological males have an advantage “every time competing with a biological female.”

However, the NCAA chief said federal courts have taken the position that these transgender athletes do have the right to compete and that there is “no clarity on this issue legally.”

Mr. Baker said the NCAA follows federal law and would work with Congress to carve out federal standards.

Mr. Kennedy scoffed. He said Mr. Baker and the NCAA have the opportunity to lead on the issue.

“Why don’t you stand up and say in front of God and country that federal law is wrong and the NCAA believes in fair competition and we also believe in equality?” Mr. Kennedy said. “In America, you can be whatever you want to be, and you can be whoever you want to be, but our job is to promote fairness in sports.”

Then came the senator’s zinger: “Why don’t you go onto Amazon and buy a spine online and take a stand?”

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.