South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace pushed back on Democratic and media critics on Wednesday over their opposition to a measure she has proposed that would bar biological men from using bathrooms and other facilities designated only for women. Mace, who is a victim of rape and sexual assault, doubled down on her efforts to keep women’s spaces sacrosanct as Democrats falsely accused her of attacking Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, who is Congress’ first transgender female.
During an interview on Capitol Hill, Mace also revealed she was getting death threats from men “pretending” to be women. Here’s how the exchange went:
REPORTER: With your piece of legislation about banning, uh, women from using —
REP. NANCY MACE: It doesn’t go far enough.
REPORTER: My question to you is, you have said it was created in response to Representative-elect McBride. Should legislation be created targeted at one specific person?
MACE: It doesn’t mention anyone in the legislation.
REPORTER: But you said it was aimed at her.
MACE: No, I have said it is a result of this. I’m not going to allow biological men into women’s spaces. I will stand in the brink and stand in the way of anyone on the radical left who says it is okay for a penis to be in the women’s locker room or bathroom or changing room. Hell no. I’m not going to stand for it, and the Speaker said it will be in the House rules package. If it is not, I’ll be ready with a privileged motion to force a vote on this.
This is not okay. I’m a survivor of rape, I’m a survivor of sexual abuse. And I’m not going to allow any man into any female private spaces. End of story. And by the way, I’m getting death threats from men pretending to be women. Why is it that these crazy people — the insanity of the radical left — are willing to kill women over a man’s right to be in the women’s restroom?REPORTER: Speaker Johnson has said he wants to treat every new member with dignity and respect. Forcing this congressperson to go into a male restroom, is that dignity and respect?
MACE: Forcing women to share private spaces with men is not dignity and respect. I’m absolutely going to stand in the way of anyone who thinks it is okay for a man to be in our lockerroom, our changing rooms, our dressing rooms, and our bathrooms. If you agree with that, you’re crazy.
Also Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) issued a statement Wednesday that bars biological men from women’s bathrooms, according to a press release obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Johnson said “all single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings (like restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms) are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.”
Johnson also noted that, “each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.” When asked later about the policy’s enforceability, Johnson said: “like all House policies, it’s enforceable,” adding that, “we have single-sex facilities for a reason.” He added, “Women deserve women’s only spaces,” adding that the policy affirmed existing House rules regarding single-sex facilities on Capitol Hill.