Sarah McBride made history when she became the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. Now, as the Delaware Democrat prepares to set up her operations in Washington, some of her soon-to-be Republican colleagues are trying to ban trans women from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol.
Introduced Monday by Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, the resolution would ban members, officers and employees of the U.S. House “from using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.” Mace said that the resolution, which she wants incorporated into the House rules package for the next Congress, is “absolutely” in response to McBride’s imminent arrival.
She also told reporters that McBride “doesn’t get a say in this.”
The resolution has sparked outrage among some Democrats. McBride, who will be sworn in on Jan. 3, called the resolution a distraction.
“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness,” McBride wrote on X, adding in part in a follow-up post: “This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing.”
McBride has become a prime target for anti-trans Republicans. Mace’s resolution has the backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who even said that it “doesn’t go far enough.”
Greene, who has repeatedly misgendered McBride and other trans people, also suggested that she might get into a physical altercation if McBride were to use women’s restrooms, NBC News reported.
Anti-trans attacks were a prominent feature of GOP campaigns — including Donald Trump’s — in the 2024 elections. Some Democrats have since urged their party to de-emphasize protecting trans rights.
Mace’s resolution has the backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who even said that it “doesn’t go far enough.”
It’s unclear how much backing Mace’s measure has among House Republican leaders. The South Carolinian told Axios on Tuesday morning that House Speaker Mike Johnson had assured her that the resolution would be included in the House rules. But Johnson has declined to say so in public.
“This is an unprecedented matter, so we’re going to … find a resolution that that solves the problem,” the Louisiana Republican told reporters Tuesday, adding: “This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before. We’re going to do that in a deliberate fashion with member consensus on it, and we will accommodate the needs of every single person.”
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