A brewing battle over bathroom access is set to ignite the new Congress, with House Republicans signaling their intent to prevent Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to the House, from using women’s restrooms, The Associated Press reports.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) voiced support for a resolution sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) that would restrict access to single-sex facilities based on biological sex, effectively barring McBride from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol building. He confirmed that the provision would be included in upcoming House rule changes. Rep. Mace, who explicitly stated the resolution targets McBride, vowed to champion the issue if it’s not included.
The resolution has sparked immediate backlash from Democrats, who labeled the effort as bullying and a distraction from pressing national issues. Rep.-elect McBride herself condemned the move as a “blatant attempt from far-right extremists” to deflect attention from crucial matters such as healthcare and housing costs. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), the House Minority Whip, criticized the GOP’s prioritization of the bathroom debate over other legislative concerns.
The debate reflects a broader national conflict over transgender rights, with at least 11 states having enacted laws restricting bathroom access for transgender individuals in public schools and other government buildings. This issue was also a key point of contention during President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign.
McBride, who recently won her election in Delaware, previously made history as the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in 2016. Her election victory, she stated, demonstrated that Delawareans judge candidates “based on their ideas and not their identities.”
