By A contentious new battle over transgender rights has erupted in Congress as Republican Representative Nancy Mace introduced legislation to ban transgender women from female bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, explicitly targeting newly elected Democrat Sarah McBride, who will become the first openly transgender member of Congress in January.
Mace, representing South Carolina, openly acknowledged Tuesday that the resolution directly responds to McBride’s historic election. “It’s 100 percent because of McBride,” Mace told reporters, according to the Washington Post. “This is about women and our right to privacy, our right to safety. I’m not going to allow biological men into women’s private spaces. It is the height of hypocrisy.”
The move drew sharp criticism from Democratic leadership, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemning it as an act of bullying. “This is your priority, that you want to bully a member of Congress, as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so all of us can work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?” Jeffries said.
McBride responded to the measure on social media platform X, emphasizing workplace dignity: “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.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson offered a measured response Tuesday, declining to confirm whether the measure would be included in the House rules package. “We’re going to do that in a deliberate fashion with members’ consensus on it, and we will accommodate the needs of every single person,” Johnson said, adding, “We treat everybody with dignity… We’ll provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress.”
The controversy emerges amid intensifying Republican focus on transgender issues nationally. During the recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised to keep “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools… and men out of women’s sports.” This marks a reversal from his 2016 position, when he supported transgender students using bathrooms matching their gender identity.
Republican legislators across the country have advanced measures restricting gender-affirming care for minors and limiting transgender athletes’ participation in sports. The bathroom bill represents the latest escalation in this broader political battle over transgender rights, now reaching directly into the halls of Congress.
The resolution’s timing coincides with McBride’s groundbreaking election as the first openly transgender representative in U.S. history. The measure’s fate remains uncertain, with consideration expected during the vote on House rules after members are sworn in.
