146 House Democrats Oppose Women’s Museum Bill as GOP Adds Trump Control, ‘Biological Women’ Language
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 21
146 House Democrats Oppose Women’s Museum Bill as GOP Adds Trump Control, ‘Biological Women’ Language
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 21
146 Democrats have withdrawn backing for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum bill ahead of a House vote, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus formally opposed it this week.
GOP revisions let President Donald Trump pick an alternative National Mall site within 180 days and route design approval through boards that include Trump-selected members, Democrats say.
The amended bill also limits the museum to “biological women,” a change Democrats call anti-trans language that broke a bipartisan deal; Speaker Mike Johnson and sponsor Nicole Malliotakis say that wording is the real reason support collapsed.
231 lawmakers still co-sponsor the measure, including 127 Democrats, but the dispute marks a sharp break from the broad bipartisan support the museum effort had retained for years.
How might new legislation alter presidential influence over America's national museums and their stories?