Axios: Congress erupts over bill targeting new transgender member

[Dennis Donovan]

Axios - Congress erupts over bill targeting new transgender member



Andrew Solender
17 mins ago
Politics & Policy

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill with a bill to keep Sarah McBride, soon to be the first transgender member of Congress, from accessing the women's bathrooms at the Capitol.

Why it matters: The measure is not being immediately dismissed by Republican leadership, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) telling Axios, "We're going to talk about that. We're working on the issue."

•House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), asked about the bill, told Axios: "Haven't seen it."
•But other Democrats expressed fury at the effort: "The cruelty is the point," fumed Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), a co-chair of the Equality Caucus.

Driving the news: Mace's two-page resolution, first reported by Fox News, prohibits House members and staffers from "using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex."

•The measure covers bathrooms in the Capitol and House offices, charging the House sergeant-at-arms with enforcing the prohibition.
•Mace told reporters on Monday night: "Sarah McBride doesn't get a say in this. If you're a biological man, you shouldn't be in women's restrooms."

/snip

[snot]

1. Lawd, how petty can we get?

Make all the bathrooms unisex.

[Duncan Grant]

2. She's on record supporting trans equality (2021). What's this about?

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/1403136/exclusive-rep-nancy-mace-on-why-she-supports-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-compromise-legislation/


“I strongly support LGBTQ rights and equality,” Mace told me. “No one should be discriminated against.”

“It isn’t a black-and-white issue,” Mace continued, “I do believe that religious liberty, the First Amendment, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist. I’m also a constitutionalist, and we have to ensure anti-discrimination laws don’t violate First Amendment rights or religious freedom.”

The congresswoman’s life experiences have shaped her refreshingly clear-eyed views on this issue.

“I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ,” she explained. “Understanding how they feel and how they’ve been treated is important. Having been around gay, lesbian, and transgender people has informed my opinion over my lifetime.”

[Deuxcents]

3. Wondering if the Me Too Congress Act would have any bearing on this issue...