House Representative-elect Sarah McBride has said she will adhere to new rules from Speaker Mike Johnson banning transgender women from using female-only bathrooms in Congress.
McBride, the first openly transgender woman elected to Congress, made the announcement on Wednesday in a statement posted on social media commenting: "I'm not here to fight about bathrooms."
Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson released a statement in which he said, "All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office buildings—such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms—are reserved for individuals of that biological sex."
Transgender rights have become highly contentious across the U.S. in recent years, with a number of Republican-controlled states passing legislation banning transgender women from participating in women's sports or accessing female-only bathrooms.
McBride, a Democrat, was elected on November 5 as House representative for Delaware's at-large congressional district. In her statement, the 34-year-old said: "I'm here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families. Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them."
The Democrat added: "This effort to distract from the real issues facing this country hasn't distracted me over the last several days, as I've remained hard at work preparing to represent the greatest state in the union come January."
McBride ended her statement with a conciliatory note, stating: "I continue to look forward to getting to know my future colleagues on both sides of the aisle."
The comments came hours after Johnson released a statement saying access to single-sex spaces in Congress would be determined by "biological sex."
The speaker also said: "It is important to note that each member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women's only spaces."
Newsweek contacted McBride and Johnson for comment via email on Thursday outside of regular office hours.
Johnson's move came after Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace filed a bill that would ban transgender women from female bathrooms, restricting access based on "biological sex."
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mace said: "Letting biological men in our spaces is not only an invasion of privacy. It puts our safety at risk too."
Mace also addressed Delaware's incoming transgender congresswoman directly, commenting: "McBride, a biological male, does not get a say in women's private spaces."
The Republican released a video of herself placing a label reading "biological" above the sign for a women's bathroom in the Congress.
Her actions were condemned by New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who accused her of "plain bullying" and Vermont Democrat, Representative Becca Balint, who said: "The cruelty is the point."
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