House Speaker Mike Johnson Renews Transgender Bathroom Ban Near House Chamber

WASHINGTON — Transgender individuals will be barred from using single-sex bathrooms that align with their gender identities near the House Chamber under a policy renewed Friday by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. The policy, included in the Congressional Record, restricts access to facilities such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms to individuals of the corresponding biological sex.

The policy, which applies to areas under the Speaker’s control, including the House hall, corridors, and unappropriated rooms, will be enforced by the sergeant-at-arms. According to the Congressional Record, private restrooms in member offices and unisex facilities remain available throughout the Capitol.

The ban was initially proposed by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who has been vocal in her opposition to transgender individuals using facilities that align with their gender identity. Mace has repeatedly misgendered Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the nation’s first openly transgender member of Congress, and vowed to block any efforts to allow transgender individuals access to single-sex spaces. “I’m absolutely 100% gonna stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women’s restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms,” Mace told reporters.

McBride, who has criticized the policy as a distraction from pressing national issues, said she would comply with the rules despite her disagreement. “I always knew that there would be some members of the Republican caucus who would seek to use my service representing the greatest state in the Union in Congress as an opportunity for them to distract from the fact that they have absolutely no real policy solutions for the issues that actually plague this country,” McBride said in a statement.

The renewed policy comes amid a broader Republican focus on anti-transgender rhetoric, particularly during the recent election cycle. President-elect Donald Trump and other GOP figures have emphasized the issue in campaign ads and public statements. However, some Republicans, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have expressed reservations about prioritizing the bathroom debate. “I don’t want to get into the bathroom issue. Because it’s a very small number of people we’re talking about, and it’s ripped apart our country,” McCarthy told Time magazine last month.

The policy has sparked debate over the balance between individual rights and traditional norms, with advocates on both sides of the issue continuing to push for their respective positions. As the 119th Congress begins, the bathroom policy remains a contentious topic, reflecting broader national divisions over transgender rights.