House Speaker Mike Johnson said transgender women cannot use women’s restrooms in the Capitol and House office buildings. This also applies to changing rooms and locker rooms, Johnson said.
“All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” the statement said Wednesday.
Johnson continued, “It is important to note that each Member’s office has its own private bathroom, and unisex bathrooms are available throughout the Capitol.”
After winning her election earlier this month as Delaware’s sole representative in the House, Rep.-elect Sarah McBride will become the first openly trans member of Congress.
McBride responded to Johnson on Wednesday saying, “I’m not here to fight about the bathroom. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to reduce the costs facing their families. Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson. Even if I don’t agree with him.”
MORE: Rep. Nancy Mace says Capitol restroom bill targeted 1 transgender member of Congress
It’s unclear what will happen to South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace’s bill that would ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the Capitol, but she celebrated the speaker’s decision as a victory for women’s rights.
PHOTO: Rep.-elect Sarah McBride leaves a Democratic House meeting on Capitol Hill, Nov. 19, 2024, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
“I’m proud to be a woman, and today, women won,” Mace said. “And I’m not going to stop there. I have another bill that I’ve drafted, and I’m going to file it when I come back in December – if you’re a federally funded educational institution, school, etc., women have. to be protected, too, in private space, so this is just the beginning.
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the decision “disgusting”.
“Because if you ask, ‘What’s your plan on how to implement this?’ they did not come up with an answer. And what is inevitably the result in women and girls who are primed for attack because they want to, because people want to check the person who is trans and who is cis and who did what,” he said.
Mace has said before that his bill is “absolutely” in response to McBride entering Congress.
“Yes, and indeed. And then some,” Mace told reporters at the Capitol. “I’m not going to stand up for someone, you know, someone with a penis, in a women’s locker room,” she said.
MORE: Sarah McBride to be first member of Congress to come out trans, ABC projects
Asked by ABC News on Wednesday if he had met with McBride about the issue, Mace said he had not.
“They can’t talk about it. It’s about women’s rights, and at some point we have to draw a line in the sand,” Mace said. “I am a socially conscious person. I chose to marry gay, not once, but twice.”
“He was born a biological male,” McBride said. “No — I’m not a pronoun. I don’t care. I try to be as respectful as I can. I will even work with him or her in the legislation. I can work with anyone who is willing to work with me, but I will not play gender ideology this, this crazy lunatic, that men want to force women.”
How Johnson plans to implement this policy is unclear, but the speaker has “general control” of the facility, according to House rules.
“This attempt to distract from the real issues facing this country has not bothered me over the past few days, as I continue to work hard to prepare to represent the greatest state in the union in January,” McBride said in a statement Wednesday. .
In response to Mace, McBride has received support from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
“Instead of focusing on lowering costs and real solutions to improve the health and safety of women and families, Republicans ruthlessly attack our new members to distract them from their inability to govern. We will not stand for it,” the woman’s post. caucus read in X.
Jeffries said Republicans are bullying McBride.
“This incoming, small, House Republican majority of the Conference began the transition to the new Congress by bullying members of Congress,” Jeffries said Tuesday. “This is what we are doing? This is the lesson you learned from the election in November? This is your priority, if you want to harass members of Congress, instead of accepting them to join this body so that we can all work together to solve it and give real results to people American?”
ABC News’ Isabella Murray, John Parkinson and Chris Boccia contributed to this report.
Speaker Johnson says transgender women won’t be allowed to use women’s bathrooms at Capitol originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
