House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that women’s facilities at the Capitol complex are reserved for biological women, as Congress prepares to swear in its first openly transgender representative.
“All single-gender facilities in the Capitol and House office buildings – such as restrooms, changing rooms and locker rooms – are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” Johnson (R-La) said in a statement.
“It is important to note that each member’s office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol,” she said. “Women deserve a place just for women.”
The Speaker later told reporters that “like all House policy, it is enforceable” and argued that with the policy “we are not anti-anyone, we are pro-women”.
The speaker’s announcement comes in response to controversy among House Republican lawmakers over transgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.), who represents The First State’s at-large district.
Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) publicly and privately demanded that women’s facilities at the Capitol be reserved for biological women.
She has the support of several female Republican lawmakers, such as far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Greene even threatened to confront McBride if he encountered her in any women’s facility.
“He is a man. He is a biological male. So she is not allowed to use our women’s restrooms, our women’s gym, our locker rooms and areas designated for women,” Green said. told reporters this week“He’s got a lot of places he can go.”
McBride, 34, was born male and identifies as female. The representative-elect previously criticized GOP efforts to reserve women’s restrooms for biological women.
“This is a blatant attempt by far-right extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on reducing the costs of housing, health care and child care, not creating culture wars,” McBride wrote. on x,
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) criticized Republicans this week for emphasizing the transgender bathroom issue.
“That’s the lesson you learned from the election in November…that you want to threaten a member of Congress?” Jeffries expressed his condolences during a news conference Tuesday.
Mace has drafted two proposals to protect women’s facilities — one at the Capitol complex and another that applies to federal offices, he announced Wednesday.
“Oh, you thought threatening me would make me shut up? No, I have filed a new bill to protect women and girls on all federal properties across the country,” he announced. on x Wednesday.
The Post has contacted McBride for comment.
(Tags to translate)Politics(T)US News(T)Congress(T)Marjorie Taylor Greene(T)Mike Johnson(T)Republican(T)Transgender
