Democratic Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, a transgender woman, agreed on Wednesday to comply with House Republicans’ demands to use facilities corresponding to biological sex at the U.S. Capitol.

House Speaker Mike Johnson issued an order stating that “all single-sex facilities” in the Capitol and House office buildings must be “reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” aligning with a resolution introduced by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. The resolution mandates that women’s spaces be reserved exclusively for biological females. McBride, the first openly transgender individual elected to Congress, stated that she would abide by the rules and use the men’s bathroom and other facilities designated for men.

“I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families,” McBride said in a statement. “Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them.”

I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families. pic.twitter.com/bCuv7pIZBY

— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) November 20, 2024

McBride accused Johnson and Mace of using the issue as a distraction from the “real challenges” facing the United States. The Representative-elect pledged to remain focused on preparing to serve in the House of Representatives when the term begins in January.

“This effort to distract from the real issues facing this country hasn’t distracted me over the last several days, as I’ve remained hard at work preparing to represent the greatest state in the union come January,” McBride continued. “Serving in the 119th Congress will be the honor of a lifetime — and I continue to look forward to getting to know my future colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Each of us were sent here because voters saw something in us that they value.”

Johnson emphasized on Wednesday that each member of Congress has access to a personal bathroom and that unisex bathrooms are available throughout the Capitol building. He also argued that female staff members “deserve women-only spaces.”

Mace, who revealed she was a rape survivor at age 16, stated on Tuesday that she continues to experience PTSD from the traumatic event. She highlighted the importance of protecting the privacy and safety of women and girls in vulnerable situations.

“I’m not going to stand for a man, you know, someone with a penis is in the women’s locker room. That’s not okay,” Mace told reporters.  “I’m a victim of abuse myself. I’m a rape survivor. I have PTSD from the abuse I’ve suffered at the hands of a man and I know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces.”

The issue of bathroom policies gained national attention in 2021 when a biological male wearing a skirt sexually assaulted a female student in a women’s bathroom at a public school in Loudoun County, Virginia. The school district faced widespread criticism for keeping the incident hidden from the school community.