Female Democrat Reps and 6 Republicans Tank a Bipartisan Women’s Museum, and the Reason Is Beyond Stupid – RedState
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum was established in 2020 by act of Congress, during Trump’s first term. A current bill to secure the location was sponsored by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and had bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans. However, when the bill came up for a vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday, it failed to gain enough votes to pass. The reasons are as stupid as one would expect.
This type of nonsense is why President Donald Trump wanted to fund the White House ballroom himself and not involve Congress.
The two sides came together Thursday to oppose what had been a decade-long bipartisan effort to build a women’s history museum in Washington.
The legislation, which specified the site of the museum, was close to being finalized but lost dozens of Democrats who supported it just a month ago. It failed in the afternoon by a vote of 204 to 216, in which six Republicans joined all Democrats in voting no. Eight other Republicans did not vote.
Those six: Reps. Keith Self (TX-03), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Andy Harris (MD-01), and Tim Burchett (TN-02), all members of the Freedom Caucus and all opposed passage of the bill. Some objected on the grounds that it was wasteful to have a “women’s only” museum.
Burchett said:
Among Republican opponents, some conservatives simply disapproved of a museum focused on women.
“We say we need to unite this country, but then we isolate every group,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who was among several members of the conservative Freedom Caucus who voted against it.
Republican Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15) helped lead some of the changes, adding an amendment banning transgender displays.
Initially presented as a step toward securing the museum’s location, the legislation was revised in a committee vote last month in several ways.
One change added a mission scope that states: “The museum will be dedicated to the preservation, research, and presentation of the history, achievements, and lived experiences of biological women in the United States.” »
It also adds a prohibition that states: “The Museum may not identify, display, describe, or otherwise represent a biological male as a female.” »
Another change added specific details about the museum’s location on the mall — near Southwest 14th Street and Jefferson Drive, “except that the President may designate an alternative site for the museum within 180 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph.” »
Transgender Rep. Sarah McBride (DE-At Large) was obviously opposed. After all, with these restrictions, he would have no chance of being recognized as “her”. HERTory.
“Celebrating women is not, and should not be, a zero-sum game,” Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, the first openly transgender member of Congress, said Thursday before voting against the measure. “Allowing Donald Trump to decide what happens and where this museum is located – this necessary museum – is not something our caucus members are comfortable with. »
Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-05), another Democrat who is part of the Women’s Caucus, charged, “It was a simple bill. You kind of ruined it with your trans obsession and culture wars.”
The Republican Party’s recent revisions to the bill have prompted many Democrats to speak out against the legislation in its current form, saying they would not vote for it as is.
The legislation, authored in February 2025 by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., had as many as 231 co-sponsors, including 127 Democrats.
“It is disappointing that politics prevented the construction of a women’s history museum but, unfortunately, it clearly shows how polarizing Washington has become,” Malliotakis said in a statement after the vote.
The Democratic think tank the Women’s Caucus considered the failure to pass the bill a victory.
🚨DWC WINNERS ALERT🚨
Today, the House of Representatives rejected the Republican and partisan version of the women’s museum bill.The Republican version would have handed the keys to the women’s history museum to Trump. A museum about women, built by women, should not be controlled… pic.twitter.com/bw60a9eFRh
– Democratic Women’s Caucus (@DemWomenCaucus) May 21, 2026
🚨DWC WINNERS ALERT🚨
Today, the House of Representatives rejected the Republican and partisan version of the women’s museum bill.
The Republican version would have handed the keys to the women’s history museum to Trump. A museum about women, built by women, should not be controlled by a single man and his political allies.
We will not stop fighting to honor women’s history. Back to the bipartisan bill.
What Democratic women still don’t realize is that they are hastening their own demise. After all, a party that refuses to define what a woman is will ultimately marginalize and suppress anything that affirms the biological existence of women.
Bet.
Many House Democrats wear white outfits, in a nod to the suffragette movement.
Democrats wore this color in most of Trump’s joint speeches in Congress as a protest. https://t.co/DxmoF7knuT pic.twitter.com/3PgxhzDfFb
– The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 25, 2026
Learn more: PA Democrats Celebrate Women’s Month by Quietly Giving Up on Defining Women
Dylan Mulvaney set to make Broadway debut in women’s history musical
Why do we even need a Smithsonian Museum of American Women’s History? Isn’t a simple museum of American history enough? That should cover everyone (except Democrats of course. They’re not Americans). pic.twitter.com/L5vFXFtzHJ
– Chris Plante Show (@ChrisPlanteShow) May 22, 2026
I have no idea who Chris Plante is, but there is an entire movement that not only recognizes that a museum dedicated to American women in history is a waste of time and money, but also argues that all forms of representation of women should be eliminated, including the right to vote.
This is becoming a reality, and it’s not just men who suffer from it.
Feminism will end and patriarchy will return because it must. The question is how bad things will get and how uncomfortable the transition will be. https://t.co/uNdXV3KocY
– Rachel Wilson (@Rach4Patriarchy) May 22, 2026
There is no doubt that Democrats are waiting until after November, when they hope to take control of the House of Representatives, to reintroduce the bill without Trump’s fingerprints or the poison pill of biological reality shoved down their throats.
Editor’s note: The 2026 midterm elections will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both houses of Congress.
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