US House rejects Smithsonian women's museum bill amid trans rights dispute

The US House of Representatives voted 216-204 against a bill to build the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2026. The bill, previously popular, failed after last-minute changes in March added language restricting the museum to "biological women," banning "diversity," and allowing President Donald Trump to override its location. Democrats accused Republicans of sabotaging the bill with transphobic edits; Republicans blamed Democrats for prioritizing transgender inclusion. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) stated Republicans "ruined it with your trans obsession." The Democratic Women's Caucus said the museum should not be "controlled by one man." Over 140 Democrats had urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to restore original language, warning the provision could target any woman deemed not "feminine enough." Johnson argued Democrats wanted to include "biological men." Bill sponsor Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) accused Democrats of being "trans obsessed." Several Republican men joined Democrats in opposing the bill, with Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN) questioning the need for a women's museum. The vote jeopardizes the museum, authorized and signed by Trump in 2020 after two decades of efforts, and may threaten the National Museum of the American Latino, approved simultaneously. Both currently operate online and as temporary pop-ups.