Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) at a Wednesday hearing called out Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) over her use of a transgender slur.
During the House Oversight hearing on Wednesday, Connolly, the panel’s top Democrat made an inquiry with Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) after remarks by Mace.
“The gentlelady has used a phrase that is considered a slur in the LGBTQ community and the trans community,” Connolly said.
It appeared Mace was trying to interject and the Virginia Democrat asked to “finish without interruption.”
Mace interrupted, repeating the transgender slur.
“I don’t really care. You want penises in women’s bathrooms and I’m not gonna have it,” she continued. “No, thank you. It’s disgusting.”
Connolly said to him, “a slur is a slur.”
“And here in the committee, a level of decorum requires us to try consciously to avoid slurs. You just heard the gentlelady actually actively, robustly repeat it,” he said.
Connolly asked Comer if Mace could be counseled on decorum rules.
“We can debate policy discussion without offending human beings who are fellow citizens,” Connolly said. “And so, I would ask as a parliamentary inquiry whether the use of that phrase is not, in fact, a violation of the decorum roles.”
Comer said he wasn’t up to date on LGBTQ terminology and that he would look into the matter.
Over the last several months, Mace has worked to ban transgender women from using the women’s restroom on Capitol grounds and has introduced measures to have the same rules in all federal buildings.
The Hill has reached out to Comer’s office for comment.
