Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is receiving pushback from the Left after he told a group of reporters Tuesday that a "man cannot become a woman," saying it was a fact grounded in Scripture. Johnson's comments came the same day he was asked about a proposal introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) that would ban biological men from using women's restrooms in the U.S. Capitol. Mace's bill is seen as a reaction to Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. McBride is a biological man who identifies as a woman.

"For anybody who doesn't know my well-established record on this issue, let me be unequivocally clear: A man is a man, and a woman is a woman," Johnson told reporters. "A man cannot become a woman. ...That's what Scripture teaches -- what I just said.

"But I also believe that we treat everybody with dignity. And so we can do and believe all those things at the same time. And I wanted to make that clear for everybody because there are lots of questions, but that's where I stand. I've stood there my whole life. And those are facts."

Mace defended her proposal to reporters.

"I know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces," she said. "So I'm absolutely, 100 percent, going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting you every step of the way."

Johnson's comments came several hours after he declined to take a position on Mace's proposal, calling it an issue of "first impression."

"We welcome all new members with open arms who are duly elected representatives of the people. I believe it's a command we treat all persons with dignity and respect," he said, referencing the Bible. "... There's a concern about use of restroom facilities and locker rooms and all that. This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before. We're going to do that in a deliberate fashion with member consensus on it, and we will accommodate the needs of every single person."

The left-leaning news website HuffPost.com criticized the speaker, saying in a headline: "Mike Johnson Calls Extra Press Conference Just To Make Anti-Trans Statement."

"Anti-trans sentiment is running high among Republicans on Capitol Hill thanks in part to Donald Trump's successful presidential campaign, which spent millions on TV ads accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of being for 'they/them,'" the story said.

Johnson's comments weren't very popular at the new social media platform Bluesky, either.

"This is transphobia at its worst," one person wrote. "Shame on House Speaker Mike Johnson."

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