Washington DC - The speaker of the House of Representatives came out Wednesday against letting a transgender female colleague use the women's restroom at the Capitol.

"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," Mike Johnson, leader of the Republican majority in the chamber, said in a statement.

Johnson's remarks come after Democrat Sarah McBride's election as the first openly transgender member of Congress in November – and the hostile response from her conservative colleagues since.

Earlier this week, Representative Nancy Mace, a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump, introduced a resolution that would ban transgender women from using female restrooms in the Capitol.

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The South Carolina congresswoman claimed on X that "biological men do not belong in private women's spaces. Period. Full stop. End of story."

On Wednesday, Mace doubled down, introducing legislation that would apply the rule to all federal property.

Transgender rights are increasingly under threat in the US amid a rightwing assault on access to gender-affirming health care and a slew of other discriminatory laws and policies. This systemic discrimination – often exacerbated by poverty, racism, and sexism – creates the conditions for continued violence targeting transgender, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary individuals.

Democrats and LGBTQ+ rights advocates largely denounced Mace's effort, categorizing it as an attack on the dignity of trans people.

Asked Tuesday about the measure, Johnson had initially deflected, telling reporters, "This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before, and we're going to do that in deliberate fashion with member consensus."

McBride herself wrote on X that the maneuver was "a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing."

Johnson suggested in his statement that McBride would be limited to using the Capitol's unisex bathrooms or the bathroom in her office.

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The incoming congresswoman on Wednesday issued a statement in which she agreed to comply with the Republicans' anti-trans rule changes: "I'm not here to fight about bathrooms. 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 message – shared on Transgender Day of Remembrance – has not come without controversy, with many activists noting that the bathroom ban will not only apply to McBride, but also to congressional staffers and interns.

Trans rights advocate and Harvard Law School clinical instructor Alejandra Caraballo posted on X: "F*** Sarah McBride. She caved to this bullying bulls*** and now the rest of the community is going to suffer for it. She threw trans staffers and interns under the bus. She sold out the entire community for respectability but it will never stop."

Mace also responded to the statement indicating no plans to slow down the anti-trans attacks: "Sarah McBride’s promise to abide by Speaker Johnson's policy is a step toward acknowledging the rights of women everywhere – something we’ll continue to demand without compromise."

McBride and the rest of the incoming Congress will be sworn in on January 3.