House Speaker Mike Johnson declared Wednesday that women’s facilities in the Capitol complex will be reserved for biological women, as Congress is about to swear in its first openly transgender representative.
“All sex facilities in the Capitol and House of Representatives office buildings — such as restrooms, locker rooms and locker rooms — are reserved for persons of that biological sex,” Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement.
“It is important to note that each member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol,” he added. “Women deserve only women’s spaces.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson emphasized that there are unisex facilities in the Capitol complex. Anadolu via Getty Images
The speaker later told reporters that “it is enforceable like all other House policies” and asserted that “we are not against anyone but for women” with this policy.
The speaker’s announcement comes in response to controversy among Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives over transgender Rep.-elect. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), who represents the First State general district.
“I’m not here to argue about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and lower costs for families. Like all members, I will follow the rules set forth by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them,” McBride, who was born male and identifies as female, responded in a statement to X.
“This attempt to distract from the real issues facing this country has not distracted me in recent days as I have remained hard at work preparing to represent the largest state in the union in January” , the 34-year-old Prime Minister added. old new legislator.
In 2016, McBride publicly crowed about ignoring a policy restricting transgender people’s access to women’s restrooms.
“Here I am in an NC women’s restroom that I’m not allowed to enter. Stop this. We are good people. #ThisIsTransgender, McBride wrote on X at the time with a selfie in the bathroom.
That same year, newly elected President Donald Trump indicated that Caitlyn Jenner would be allowed to use the women’s restrooms in Trump Tower.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) publicly and privately demanded that women’s facilities in the Capitol be reserved for biological women.
She was endorsed by several female Republican lawmakers, such as far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Greene even threatened to clash with McBride if they met at a women’s facility.
‘He’s a man. He is a biological male. “So he is not allowed to use our women’s restrooms, our women’s gym, our locker rooms or areas specifically designated for women,” Greene said. told reporters this week. “He has plenty of places he can go.”
Sarah McBride has reportedly coached fellow Democrats on how to tackle criticism from the Republican Party. Getty Images
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) this week criticized Republicans for pushing the transgender bathroom issue.
“This is the lesson you learned from the November election…that you want to bully a member of Congress?” Jeffries groaned during a press conference on Tuesday.
Nancy Mace has demanded that transgender women be banned from women’s facilities. CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
Mace has drafted two resolutions to protect women’s facilities — one that did so at the Capitol complex and a second she announced Wednesday that applies to federal offices.
“Oh, you thought threatening me would silence me? No. I simply doubled down and introduced a new bill to protect women and girls across the country on all federal property, everywhere,” she proclaimed. on X Wednesday.
Leave a Reply