Mike Johnson calls extra press conference to make anti-trans statement

WASHINGTON ― Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) called reporters on the phone Tuesday afternoon just to make sure they’re clear that he opposes transgender rights.

Earlier in the day, Johnson had asked a question at a press conference about whether newly elected Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat who will be the first transgender member of Congress, is a man or a woman.

Johnson apparently received enough backlash from the right that his office rounded up reporters so he could make another statement.

“I want to make a statement and be very clear,” Johnson said during his brief second news conference at the Capitol. “I was asked a question and I rejected the premise because the answer is so obvious. For anyone who doesn’t know my well-established history on this issue, let me be unequivocally clear: A man is a man and a woman is a woman, and a man cannot become a woman.”

Anti-trans sentiment runs high among Republicans on Capitol Hill, thanks in part to Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign, which spent millions on TV ads accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of being for “them/them.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Tuesday even allegedly said in a closed meeting she would “fight” any trans woman who tried to use the women’s restroom near the house floor, in what was likely a reference to McBride.

“I shouldn’t, but you know, it’s pretty aggressive for biological men to invade our space for women,” Greene told reporters after the meeting.

There is not one large bathroom that all 435 members of the house must share; each legislator has a toilet in their own personal office in the buildings surrounding the Capitol. There are also the usual gender-segregated bathrooms in hallways throughout the Capitol complex, including those on the House floor, which members sometimes step out during votes to use.

The hop started on Monday when Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) made a decision to prohibit house members and employees from using gender bathrooms other than those corresponding to their “biological sex,” which the rule does not define.

Mace told HuffPost that the resolution was specifically aimed at McBride and that Johnson had assured her that he would include the resolution as part of a broader package of rules that House Republicans will pass in January at the start of the next congressional session.

During his first press conference Monday, Johnson, in addition to not saying whether McBride is a man or a woman, declined to say whether he would support Mace’s decision.

“We welcome with open arms all new members who are duly elected representatives of the people,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a command that we treat all people with dignity and respect.”

Johnson also said Monday that the chamber would “meet the needs of each individual,” presumably including McBride, though he did not provide specifics.

At his second press appearance, Johnson repeated the line about dignity, again without saying whether the House would try to bar certain lawmakers from certain restrooms.

“We treat everyone with dignity,” Johnson said. “We can do and believe all those things at the same time. I want to make it clear to everybody because there are a lot of questions. That’s where I stand. I’ve stood there all my life. Those are the facts.”

Later Tuesday, Mace said Johnson had assured her the anti-trans language would be included in the House rules.

“I spoke to him several times yesterday, but he assured me it would be in the House Rules package,” Mace told HuffPost.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) questioned the focus on trans issues during his own news conference Tuesday — while avoiding a question about whether there should be accommodations for a trans lawmaker.

“Is this your priority? Are you going to bully a member of Congress as opposed to welcoming her to join this body? So we can all work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?

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