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.”
