The GOP’s Obsession With Erasing Trans People—and Bowing to Trump—Just Sunk a Landmark Women’s History Museum

Those who’ve been eagerly anticipating the brick-and-mortared Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum will… have to wait a little longer for the brick-and-mortared Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. Why? Because the bill that would have advanced its construction was derailed by the GOP when the party added some last-minute amendments to exclude trans people from the exhibits, give Trump prevailing power on its design and location, as well as a sway on who it chooses to commemorate. 

H.R. 1329, or the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act, was first introduced by a bipartisan group of Reps., Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Monica De La Cruz (R-Tex.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Mike Carey (R-Ohio), and Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) last February. As such, it was initially popular—among both ends of the aisle. The parties collaborated on the language for a long time since, and by late 2025, some GOP representatives were annoyed with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for not bringing it to the floor (keeping to his habit) sooner. 127 Democrats also co-sponsored this earlier version of the bill.

Then, in April, the changes came. The House Administration Committee added language requiring the museum focus on “preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, and lived experiences of biological women in the United States”; thus blocking the museum from “depict[ing] any biological male as a female”; and requiring “an equal representation of the diversity of the political viewpoints and authentic experiences held by women in the United States.” On top of all this, it added an amendment giving Trump sole power to decide where he wants to put the museum. 

www.politico.com/live-updates… republicans poisoned the smithsonian women’s history museum bill because they’re ideologically opposed to women, history, and museums in that order

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— lauren (@lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com) May 22, 2026 at 12:31 PM

 

“A museum about women, fought for and supported by women, should not be controlled by one man,” Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-New Mexico), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), and Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio)—part of the Democratic Women’s Caucus—said in a joint statement. “We strongly oppose this bill as amended. It completely flies in the face of the museum’s intention.” They demanded the House restore the bill to the bipartisan version—though such a call went ignored last month, when nearly 150 Dems signed a letter to Johnson urging him to walk back the changes.

The newer version of the bill failed on Thursday 216-204—with six Republicans breaking party lines to join all Dems. 

“It was a simple bill,” Leger Fernández (D-New Mexico), who leads the DWC, said of the revised bill. Then, addressing the GOP: “You kind of ruined it with your trans obsession and your culture wars.”