A House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee hearing was abruptly halted Tuesday when the ranking Democrat member had a tantrum in objecting to the Republican chair referring to Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first openly transgender member of Congress, as “Mr. McBride.”
Controversy has surrounded McBride, a male who identifies as female, since she was elected in November to represent Delaware’s at-large congressional district. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., spearheaded efforts to ban transgender women and men from single-sex facilities on federal property.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., backed Mace’s efforts, amending the House rules to prohibit transgender individuals from using single-sex facilities such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms in the hall of the House, the corridors and passages in the part of the Capitol assigned to the House, and other unappropriated rooms in that part of the Capitol, McBride said she would comply while voicing disagreement with the rules.
During Tuesday’s hearing titled “Arms Control, International Security, & U.S. Assistance to Europe: Reforms for the State Department,” a portion of which was aired by NBC News, Chair Keith Self, R-Texas, said, “I now recognize the representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride.”
McBride responded sarcastically, “thank you madam chair,” but was interrupted by Rep. William Keating, D-Mass., the subcommittee’s ranking member.
“Mr. Chairman, can you repeat your instruction again, please,” Keating said.