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Sarah McBride named House Democratic deputy whip for policy

House Republicans escalate transphobic attacks against her

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5 months ago

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U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the second highest-ranking Democrat in the lower chamber, has selected newly seated freshman U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) to serve as her deputy whip for policy.

The high profile role will involve “strategic, long-term planning, and coordination on policy,” according to a press release from McBride’s office announcing the appointment.

“My number one priority in Congress is helping to lower costs facing Delawareans and American families,” the congresswoman said. “We can do this by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, lowering the cost of childcare and restoring the child tax credit.”

McBride added, “I look forward to working alongside my Democratic colleagues to prioritize common sense solutions to making it more affordable to raise a family. I’m grateful to Democratic Whip Katherine Clark for this opportunity and for her steadfast leadership and mentorship.”

In a statement on X, she said, “I’m thrilled to be named a deputy whip for Policy in the 119th Congress, advising House Democratic Leadership on policy priorities and plans for our caucus. Just as I was in the state Senate, I remain focused on lowering the cost of housing, health care, child care, and helping families make it through the inevitable challenges of life.”

Last week, McBride became the first freshman Democrat to introduce a bill, together with U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), which targets scams by companies that take large fees from consumers in exchange for “empty promises” to improve their credit scores.

When serving in the Delaware state senate, McBride sponsored the Healthy Delaware Families Act, which was signed into law in 2022 and allows Delawareans to take a 12-week paid family or medical leave, receiving up to 80 percent of their current wages.

“Care infrastructure” will remain a major focus for the congresswoman’s work moving forward, along with policies in areas like investment in green technologies, Medicare reforms, expanding access to quality health care including reproductive care, empowering labor unions, gun violence prevention, and more.

The congresswoman worked on Beau Biden’s campaign for Delaware attorney general in 2010, and in the years since has maintained a close personal relationship with President Joe Biden and the Biden family. (Beau, the president’s eldest son, died of glioblastoma in 2015.)

House Republicans escalate their transphobic attacks against McBride

McBride is transgender, becoming the first trans speaker to address a major party convention in 2016, the trans state senator with her first election to public office in 2020, and the first trans member of Congress with her election to represent Delaware’s at-large congressional district in 2024.

While she has not shied away from acknowledging the significance of her position as the first and the only voice in Congress representing her community, McBride has repeatedly emphasized that she did not run for office to be — as a recent profile in the Washington Post put it — “a symbol, or a spokesperson, or the first anything.”

Her focus, rather, is on delivering results for her constituents in Delaware.

“I’m here to be a serious person,” she told the Post. “And if there are people here who don’t want to be serious, then they can answer to their constituents.”

McBride’s arrival in Washington comes as national Republicans have made anti-trans policy and legislation a greater priority than ever before, while transphobia and the use of transphobic hate speech by conservative elected leaders escalates into dangerous territory.

Responding to the news of McBride’s appointment to lead policy development for her party under the Democratic whip, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said, in a post on X, “Democrats just put a mentally ill congressman, who parades himself as a congresswoman to thrill his disturbing sexual fetishes, in charge of democrat policies.”

The bigoted attacks by House Republicans began before the first transgender member of Congress was even seated, from deliberate misgendering and the use of her birth name to the proposal barring trans women from women’s restrooms in the Capitol building, which was drafted by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) in direct response to McBride’s election and subsequently enacted by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Before she was elected, McBride sought to mitigate the risk that her use of public women’s bathrooms on the Hill might draw unwanted attention or interest, privately making arrangements with Democratic leadership to instead use facilities in the Capitol suites reserved for Clark and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (R-N.Y.). 

Mace introduced the bathroom ban on Nov. 19 and, in the days and weeks since, availed herself of every chance to discuss the matter with Capitol Hill reporters, on cable news programs, and on her X account — where, according to Newsweek, the congresswoman had published 326 posts or replies about the resolution within just the first 72 hours.

Last month, Mace filmed herself reading the Miranda warning with a megaphone to activists who were arrested for staging a demonstration against her bathroom rule outside Johnson’s office, later sharing the video on X mocking the protestors with an anti-trans slur.

McBride declined to comment or engage beyond saying that she would comply with the policy. In response to criticism that she ought to have pushed back more forcefully, she told NBC News, “The point of this bathroom ban was to bait me into a fight, was to diminish my capacity to be an effective member of Congress by turning me into a caricature.”

“I refuse to give them that opportunity or that response that they seek,” McBride said, adding that allowing herself to be baited would “not do the trans community any good” either. “That is what they want. There is power in not giving people what they want.”

This week, a video from 2019 in which McBride is seen reading to students in a classroom and leading a discussion about the importance of respecting their gender diverse peers was circulated on X by the anti-LGBTQ account Libs of TikTok.

Mace responded in a post that began by proclaiming “she is a he” and asserted without evidence that McBride “appears to be grooming young children” for sexual abuse, while Greene falsely accused her Democratic colleague of being a “groomer” and “child predator.”

As an anti-trans/anti-LGBTQ moral panic has taken hold in the U.S. and escalated over the past few years, conservatives including several U.S. lawmakers have revived the dangerous and baseless lie that trans people and gay people are inclined toward pedophilia or child sexual abuse or “grooming,” which refers to the practice of priming a victim, usually a minor, for sexual abuse or exploitation.

Experts, including organizations like the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, say this rhetoric can put children at greater risk by stealing the focus away from efforts to identify actual cases of abuse while also diminishing the experiences of survivors.

This specific form of transphobic and homophobic hate speech was more common in the 1970s and 80s but until recently was considered out of bounds for mainstream political discourse.

McBride so far has not addressed the posts from Mace and Greene. Her office did not respond to a request for comment on the matter last week.

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Congress

Senate parliamentarian orders removal of gender-affirming care ban from GOP reconciliation bill

GOP Senate Leader John Thune (S.D.) hoped to pass the bill by end-of-week

Published

4 days ago

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June 26, 2025

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Restrictions on the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care will be stripped from the Republican-led Senate reconciliation bill, following a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian on Tuesday that struck down a number of health related provisions.

The legislation banned coverage for transgender medical care through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, language that was also included in the House version of the bill passed on May 22 with a vote of 215-214.

The parliamentarian’s decision also rejected Republican proposals for a Medicaid provider tax framework, which allows states to charge health care providers and use the funds to support their programs, along with broader cuts to Medicaid.

Amid calls to override Tuesday’s ruling from Republicans like U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (Fla.), GOP Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) told reporters “That would not be a good outcome for getting a bill done.”

He also acknowledged that the timing and schedule might have to be adjusted. Senate Republicans had hoped to pass the reconciliation bill by the end of this week, though this was not a legal or procedural deadline.

Dubbed the “one big, beautiful bill” by President Donald Trump, the legislation would extend tax breaks from 2017 that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations. To cover the cost, which is estimated to exceed $4 trillion over 10 years, the bill would make drastic cuts to social welfare programs, particularly Medicaid.

Democrats are not in a position to negotiate across the aisle with Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of Congress, but for months they have been calling attention to the effort by their GOP colleagues to strip Americans of their health insurance to pay for the tax breaks.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 10.9 million people would lose their coverage, either through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Some Republicans like U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) are pushing back against the deep cuts to Medicaid, arguing they would be devastating for many of their constituents and also to hospitals, nursing homes, and community health care providers in rural areas.

In a statement emailed to the Washington Blade on Tuesday, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said, “Anti-trans extremists are attempting to use the full power of the government to hurt kids, and recent Supreme Court decisions in Skrmetti and Medina are enabling their quest.”

While today’s ruling by the Senate parliamentarian is a temporary win, I will keep pushing back on these shameful attempts to harm trans kids and their families for trying to live authentically,” said the senator, who also serves as ranking member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee.

U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who is gay and chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus, also shared a statement with the Washington Blade addressing the parliamentarian’s ruling:

“This ruling by the Senate Parliamentarian is a win for the transgender people who rely on Medicaid and CHIP to access the healthcare they need to live fuller, happier, and healthier lives—but the fight is not over yet,” the congressman said.

 “Republican Senators must abide by her ruling and remove the ban from the final version of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill,” he said. “Yet, even with this provision removed, this bill is terrible for the American people, including trans Americans. Every Equality Caucus member voted against it in the House and we’re ready to do so again if the Senate sends it back to the House.”

The Human Rights Campaign issued a press release with a statement from the organization’s vice president for government affairs, David Stacy:

“The fact remains that this bill belongs in the trash. It continues to include devastating cuts to health care programs — including Medicaid — that would disproportionately harm the LGBTQ+ community, all so the already rich can receive huge tax cuts,” Stacy said.

“While it comes as a relief that the Senate parliamentarian concluded that one provision in the nightmarish reconciliation bill that would have denied essential, best practice health care to transgender adults does not belong, we aren’t done fighting,” he said. “With attacks on our community coming from many directions, including the Supreme Court, we will work to defeat this bill with everything we’ve got.”


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Murkowski, Shaheen reintroduce Global Respect Act

Bill would sanction foreign nationals who commit anti-LGBTQ human rights abuses

Published

4 days ago

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June 26, 2025

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Then-U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman marches in the 2024 Budapest Pride parade that took place against the backdrop of the Hungarian government's continued anti-LGBTQ crackdown. The Global Respect Act would sanction foreign nationals who carry out human rights abuses against LGBTQ and intersex people. (Photo courtesy of Pressman's X account)

U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on Wednesday once again introduced a bill that would sanction foreign nationals who carry out human rights abuses against LGBTQ and intersex people.

The two senators have previously introduced the Global Respect Act. Co-sponsors include U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

“Around the world, individuals who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are in danger for simply existing,” said Murkowski in a press release. “Hate and violence cannot and should not be tolerated. I’m hopeful that this legislation will establish actionable consequences for these inexcusable human rights violations, and create a safer world for all people — regardless of who they are or who they love.” 

Shaheen in the press release notes “the risk of personal harm for LGBTQI individuals for publicly identifying who they are or expressing who they love has tragically increased in recent years.”

“Human rights, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human rights, recognizes that global freedom, justice, and peace depend on ‘the inherent dignity’ and ‘the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family,” said the New Hampshire Democrat. “LBGTQI human rights are universal human rights. We must ensure that we hold all violators of those rights accountable.” 

The promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad was a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy.

The current White House has suspended most foreign aid. The elimination of these funds has left the global LGBTQ and intersex rights movement reeling.

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Congress

Garcia elected top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee

Gay Calif. lawmaker vows to hold Trump-Vance administration accountable

Published

6 days ago

on

June 24, 2025

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U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) on Tuesday was elected top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee in a vote that signaled the conference’s overwhelming support for a newer voice on Capitol Hill who will play a key role taking on President Donald Trump.

With a margin of 150-63, the 47-year-old openly gay congressman defeated U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), alongside U.S. Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) who exited the race after the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee backed Garcia.

Serving only since 2023, the congressman has had a remarkably quick ascent leading up to his election this week as ranking member of one of the most powerful House committees, awarded a leadership position serving under House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.) and selected as a co-chair of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Democratic members began jockeying for the top seat on the oversight committee this spring after the late-U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia stepped away amid news that his esophageal cancer had returned. He died in May.

Connolly last year fended off a challenge from one of the most well known House Democrats, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), though with a narrower margin that signaled intra-party tensions over whether leadership roles should still be awarded based on seniority.

Garcia positioned himself as a bridge between the two camps — a consensus candidate with executive managerial experience as the former mayor of Long Beach, Calif. At the same time, particularly since the start of Trump’s second term, the congressman has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the new Republican regime.

In a statement on X Tuesday, Garcia thanked his colleagues and promised to “hold Donald Trump and his administration accountable.”

If Democrats win control of the House next year, the oversight committee will be able to exercise powers that are now available only to Republicans under the chair, U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), which include the authority to investigate virtually any matter across the federal government, to issue subpoenas, and to compel testimony.

In the meantime, Garcia on Monday promised that Democrats on the committee would “vigorously fight” Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s (La.) plans “to dismantle the Government Accountability Office.”

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