Women's museum bill collapses after Dems revolt over ‘biological women’ language

 

Bipartisan lawmakers voted against legislation that would have advanced the construction of a new women’s history museum in Washington, D.C., amid disagreements over “identity politics,” with House Democrats criticizing the proposed exclusion of transgender individuals from the museum.

Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the legislation over a GOP provision stipulating that only biological women would be recognized by the museum.

The measure failed in a 204–216 vote after a small group of Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the legislation, which would have secured a site on the National Mall for the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

The bill would have authorized the use of federal land on the National Mall for the construction of the American Women’s History Museum, as the Smithsonian cannot begin building until the site is formally transferred for the project. The museum was planned for a location across from the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall.

 

Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) rejected Democrats’ criticism of the bill, saying America has “more than enough women to display in this museum that we shouldn’t be fighting over the need to have non-biological individuals in there.”

“So, I don’t understand why we’re pulling bipartisan support from legislation to establish this museum,” Malliotakis added. “As a matter of fact, let me read, so everybody at home knows exactly what this debate is over. It is over one sentence. ‘The museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching and presenting the history, achievements and lives experienced by biological women in the United States.’ That’s what the disagreement is about.” 

She continued, “I hate to alert my friends on the other side of the aisle, but a museum dedicated to women’s history should have women in it. That’s it. That’s simple.”

The museum bill prohibits the depiction of “any biological male as female,” which formalizes language in an executive order (EO) issued by President Donald Trump in 2025, barring the inclusion of transgender individuals in the forthcoming museum.

“The Museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements and lived experiences of biological women in the United States,” the amended measure, authored by Representative Mary Miller (R-Ill.), stated.

“The addition of the word biological made them all run for the hills,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a news conference Wednesday. “If that’s controversial in the Democratic Party, we’re in serious trouble. The party that purports to support women demanding that the museum include biological men.”

 

Today is the day! Will my bill that the President is ready to sign to build a women’s history museum pass or will Democrats sink it to insist on transgender exhibits? pic.twitter.com/SynEnY50kt

— Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) May 21, 2026