House Rejects Women’s Museum Bill 216-204 as ‘Biological Women’ Clause Splits Both Parties
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 21
House Rejects Women’s Museum Bill 216-204 as ‘Biological Women’ Clause Splits Both Parties
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 21
A 216-204 House vote killed legislation to secure a National Mall site for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum after every Democrat and a small group of Republicans opposed it.
The break came after Republicans amended the bill to limit the museum to “biological women” and bar depicting “any biological male as female,” language Democrats called a poison pill targeting transgender people.
Democrats also objected to a provision letting the president choose an alternative site within 180 days, saying it gave Donald Trump undue control over the museum’s location and content.
The Republican defections came from conservatives who questioned whether a separate women’s museum was needed and said the bill still lacked safeguards against left-wing content.
Congress authorized the women’s history museum in 2020, but it is unclear whether GOP leaders will try again after the latest clash over transgender inclusion and presidential authority.
How might new legislation alter presidential influence over America's national museums and their stories?