Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that he is banning transgender individuals from accessing bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol complex that match their gender identity. The apparent decree appears to leapfrog a resolution proposed by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., that would prohibit House members from "using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex," accomplishing her stated goal with the stroke of a pen.
Mace and other Republicans have made no secret of the fact that these moves are directly targeted at Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., a transgender woman. Asked if she was proposing the bill in response to her imminent entry into Congress, Mace said: "Yes, and absolutely. And then some."
In his announcement, Johnson said that "all single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings (like restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms) are reserved only for individuals of that biological sex. It's important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women's only spaces."
Later, he told reporters that the ban was "enforceable" per his authority as speaker.
McBride, for her part, declined to speak on the policy itself, waving it off as a" blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing."
"We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars," she said.
