Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has privately committed to back an effort led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) to block biological men from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol.
Mace announced Monday she would introduce a resolution to ban transgender women (biological men) from using biological women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol.
Johnson, during Tuesday morning’s weekly House Republican Conference meeting, said transgender women won’t be allowed to use women’s restrooms in the Capitol, Politico reported.
“He said there’s not going to be any biological men using our restrooms,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told Politico.
Mace confirmed Greene’s account, telling Axios that Johnson “said to me last night that he would include it in House Rules.”
Despite pledges made in private, Johnson was less committal in a post-meeting press conference, refusing to address whether Mace’s proposal would be included in a rules package.
“We will provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress,” he said, noting this is a new issue for congressmen to deal with.
The Speaker earlier had refused to answer whether freshman-elect transgender Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) is a man or a woman.
“Look, I’m not going to get into this,” he replied. “We welcome all new members with open arms who are duly elected representatives of the people. I believe it’s a command, we treat all persons with dignity and respect. We will. I’m not going to engage in silly debates about this.”
The majority party generally negotiates the rules package for each Congress internally before an up or down vote on the House floor, which usually breaks on party lines. While this practice is generally uneventful, conservatives in the 118th Congress used Republicans’ small majority to force rules changes in exchange for their support of eventual Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
In January 2023, after intense internal negotiations, which occasionally spilled into the public, one Republican voted with all Democrats against that rules package.
If Johnson does not address Mace’s concerns through the rules package for the upcoming Congress, she could force a House floor vote on her resolution, requiring each member to publicly record a vote. That threat from Mace is likely to spur Johnson to go the rules route, where he can insulate his members from a public fight on the issue.
Exactly how Johnson would address the issue through the rules is uncertain. Mace’s proposal in the form of a binding resolution would require enforcement by the Sergeant at Arms.
Transgender advocates have attacked Mace, who said her effort is “100 percent” in response to the anticipated arrival of McBride, the first transgender person elected to Congress. McBride was born a biological man.
But Mace and other women see this is as an issue of safety and privacy.
“Playing make believe dress up doesn’t mean you should be allowed in women’s private spaces,” Mace said.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
