Overview
- The House rejected the revised bill Thursday on a 216–204 vote after Republicans inserted language limiting exhibits to “biological women” and barring depiction of “any biological male as a female.”
- Rep. Mary E. Miller introduced the amendment in committee that added the defining language and a provision that would allow President Trump to designate an alternate site for the museum.
- The Democratic Women’s Caucus and many House Democrats withdrew support, saying the change would exclude transgender women and could also affect intersex and gender‑nonconforming people.
- Legally, the vote leaves the museum’s construction stalled because Congress must still designate and transfer National Mall land and approve site plans before the Smithsonian can build; the program continues to offer digital exhibits and classroom resources online.
- Coverage split along partisan lines, with conservative outlets framing the change as protecting biological women and critics calling it a culture‑war move, and the immediate path forward depends on whether Republicans will restore the bipartisan text or propose a new compromise.