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House Clash Escalates as Mace Challenges Crockett to ‘Take It Outside’

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Nancy Mace Jasmine Crockett House Oversight Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A heated exchange between Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas erupted during a House Oversight Committee meeting on Tuesday, with Mace asking Crockett if she wanted to “take it outside.” The confrontation occurred during a debate over the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which seeks to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at federally funded institutions.

The argument began when Crockett criticized Mace and other Republicans for focusing on transgender issues rather than addressing constituents’ concerns. “Somebody’s campaign coffers really are struggling right now. So, she can’t keep saying trans, trans, trans, so that people will feel threatened,” Crockett said. Mace, visibly agitated, responded, “I am no child. Don’t even start. I am a grown woman of 47 years. Do you want to take it outside?”

Committee Chairman James Comer repeatedly called for order, hitting his gavel as tensions flared. Crockett later added, “Trans people ain’t going nowhere, just like when the racists wanted to make sure that Black people somehow were going to be dismissed in this country, we ain’t left either.”

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which passed the House largely along party lines with a 218-206 vote, would require schools receiving federal funding to restrict sports teams to individuals based on their sex assigned at birth. Only two Democrats, Representatives Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar of Texas, supported the bill, while one Democrat, Representative Don Davis of North Carolina, voted present.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future. Senate Democrats would need to secure 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and it remains unclear whether any Democrats will support the measure. If passed, the bill would go to President Joe Biden‘s desk, though he has expressed opposition to such legislation.

This is not the first time Mace and Crockett have clashed. Last week, during a debate over holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt, Crockett criticized Mace for invoking “white privilege.” “It was a spit in the face, at least of mine, as a Black woman, for you to talk about what white privilege looks like,” Crockett said. Mace has also faced criticism from Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida, who called her behavior “wild” and accused her of threatening violence.

The National Women's Law Center condemned the bill, stating, “Don’t be fooled by the deceptive title of these bills. They do nothing to address actual inequities and harm that women and girl athletes face. And worse—they’re dangerous to women and girls.”