A bill to establish a Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall advanced out of the House Committee on Administration on Wednesday, sparking partisan disagreement over its scope and language.
The legislation, introduced by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., passed the committee in a 7-4 vote split along party lines, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.
The bill, formally known as H.R. 1329, would authorize the transfer of federal land for the construction of a new Smithsonian museum dedicated to women's history.
Supporters argue that the museum would serve as a long-overdue recognition of women's contributions to American history and culture.
However, the legislation became controversial for Democrats after an amendment was adopted specifying that the museum would feature exhibits focused exclusively on biological women.
This provision prompted strong opposition from Democrat members of the committee, who ultimately voted against the bill despite its broad bipartisan support prior to the amendment.
In a statement following the vote, Malliotakis expressed disappointment that the measure did not retain bipartisan backing.
"We are pleased to see my legislation which would transfer federal land to build the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall advance today out of the Committee on House Administration," she said.
"However, it's unfortunate that despite having more than 230 bipartisan co-sponsors and the support of President [Donald] Trump, this legislation passed out of committee along party lines, with the Democrats opposing it simply because language was added via amendment by Rep. Mary Miller [, R-Ill.,] to ensure the museum exhibits only biological women," she added.
Malliotakis defended the amendment as a clarification that addressed concerns raised during earlier legislative hearings.
She said the updated language was intended to make clear the museum's focus and ensure consistency in its exhibits.
The legislation also includes provisions specifying the site selected by the Women's Museum Advisory Council, while granting the president authority to change the location within 180 days if necessary.
According to Malliotakis, these additions were "reasonable requests that should have been supported in a bipartisan manner."
Despite the controversy, she expressed optimism that the bill would move forward to a full House vote.
"I'm optimistic and hopeful that the House will pass this legislation swiftly during this Women's History Month," she said.
Democrats on the committee, however, viewed the amendment as exclusionary and inconsistent with the broader goal of representing women's diverse experiences.
While individual Democrat lawmakers did not all release formal statements immediately following the vote, opposition centered on concerns that the language would limit representation and undermine inclusivity.
Malliotakis reinforced this position in a post on X, criticizing Democrats for their vote.
"Democrats in the House Administration Committee just voted against my bill to build a Women's History Museum on the National Mall because an amendment was adopted to ensure only biological women are exhibited," she wrote.
"What a way to celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth!" she added.
The post quickly gained attention among conservative commentators and political figures.
Lara Trump also weighed in on the controversy, echoing criticism of the Democratic opposition.
"This is insane, but not surprising for the Democrats," she wrote in her own post on X.
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