JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, a Republican, is leading an effort in Congress to ban transgender women from using facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms that do not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. This push comes after the election of Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware. She will be the first openly transgender woman to serve in the House. NPR's Elena Moore is here to talk about how this is all unfolding. Hi there.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey there.
SUMMERS: So Elena, can you just start by telling us what exactly Congresswoman Mace is proposing?
MOORE: Yeah. She has two different proposals right now. The first is a measure to bar transgender women from entering women's bathrooms in the Capitol. And then today she followed up with legislation that would expand those limitations to all federal property across the country. And Mace is being direct about why she's doing this. I was in a group of reporters yesterday that asked if this effort is in response to McBride coming to Congress.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
NANCY MACE: Yes, and absolutely, and then some. I'm absolutely, 100%, going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there, fighting you every step of the way.
MOORE: And there, Juana, she is referring to McBride as a man. Mace says the effort is about protecting women's rights. She's been public about being a survivor of sexual abuse and says that her experience is part of the reason she's working on this.
SUMMERS: OK. We know that Republicans control the House. They hold a narrow majority. How likely is it, though, that either of the things that Mace is proposing will actually pass?
MOORE: House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is a staunch conservative, tried to toe the line on this a bit yesterday, calling for everyone to be treated with respect. Today, he made a stronger statement, saying that facilities in the Capitol and House office buildings are, quote, "reserved for individuals of that biological sex." So I asked Mace about that move today, and here's what she said.
MACE: I fully support his statement. I fully support his policy. Does that stand the test of time? I want to make sure that it does.
MOORE: You know, and she said she's still lobbying for the change in rules for the Capitol to be made official.
SUMMERS: And what about Sarah McBride, the Delaware representative-elect? How has she responded to all of this?
MOORE: Yeah. I mean, in general, McBride hasn't engaged a whole lot. She put out a statement on X a few days ago saying she sees this as a distraction by Republicans, and she's focused on policy instead of, quote, "manufacturing culture wars." But today, after Johnson's move to informally, you know, bar her from using those facilities at her soon-to-be workplace, McBride put out another statement saying she plans to follow Johnson's rules, even though she disagrees with them. And, you know, she kind of extended an olive branch to her future colleagues, saying, quote, "each of us were sent here because voters saw something in us that they value." And she went on to say she looks forward to seeing those qualities in every member come January.
SUMMERS: Transgender issues have come up quite a bit in Republican politics recently. Help us understand - how does Mace's effort fit into that larger conversation?
MOORE: Well, President-elect Donald Trump has spent millions of dollars on campaign ads saying Vice President Kamala Harris is, quote, "for they/them" - you know? - and it was about her position on gender-affirming health care. But anti-trans messaging has become part of a broader Republican political strategy. Now it's also playing out within the halls of Congress.
SUMMERS: That's NPR's Elena Moore. Thank you.
MOORE: Thank you, Juana.
(SOUNDBITE OF ELMIENE AND BADBADNOTGOOD SONG, "MARKING MY TIME") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
