Doubling down against backlash and riding a wave of momentum in support, South Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is seeking to protect women’s spaces on all federal property nationwide.
The Protecting Women’s Private Spaces Act would keep men, including those who say they “identify” as women, from using women’s private, protected spaces. These would include bathrooms, locker rooms and prisons, according to a release from her office.
“Women and girls shouldn’t have to give up their safety or privacy just because the ‘Left’ wants to win points with their activist base,” Mace said. “This isn’t controversial – it’s common sense. I’m going to continue defending women and girls from these harmful, out-of-touch, and straight up weird policies.”
Mace this week proposed, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., agreed, that men should not use women’s restrooms in the Capitol Building. Critics called her a “threat,” Mace said, to which she responded, “You better believe it. And I will shamelessly call you out for putting women and girls in harm’s way.”
Language in her proposal defines federal property as “any building, land, or other real property owned, leased, or occupied by any department, agency or instrumentality of the United States (including the Department of Defense and the United States Postal Service), or any other instrumentality wholly owned by the United States, or by any department or agency of the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States.”
Fresh off her win for a third term respresenting the 1st Congressional District, Mace shares a desire with President-elect Donald Trump to protect women. Trump, repeatedly on the campaign trail, said he would work to get “men the hell out of women’s spaces.”
Ironically enough, even after she flipped the seat by beating incumbent Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham in 2020, Trump endorsed her Republican challenger Katie Arrington in 2022. This year, he endorsed the vibrant North Carolina native.
Mace beat Cunningham by fewer than 6,000 votes of nearly half a million cast; in 2022 turned back Arrington 53.1%-45.2% and Democrat Annie Andrews 56.4%-42.5%; and this year easily won the primary and then defeated Democrat Michael Moore 58.3%-41.7%.
The wins give credibility to say constituents have embraced her.
“The vast majority of Americans accept the biological fact that men cannot be women and should not be allowed to invade women’s private spaces,” Heritage Action said in a statement released by Mace’s office. “Designated sex-specific facilities on federal property is the first step to recognizing and restoring truth in the country.”
