Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) resigned as vice chair and member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus on Friday after the House shot down her legislation to establish a Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on the National Mall.
The bill failed by a 216-204 vote on Thursday, with six Republicans joining Democrats to oppose it. Malliotakis said the vote was the final straw for her, and she criticized Democrats for consistently refusing to cross the aisle.
“Sadly, it has become apparent to me over the past five years that the bipartisanship of the Problem Solvers Caucus has clearly been a one-way street,” she wrote in a letter to the two caucus chairmen. “Time and again, Republicans in this caucus cross party lines to advance key pieces of legislation, whether it be with their votes or signatures on discharge petitions, yet the Democrats do not.”
“I have repeatedly found myself disappointed by the lack of help Republicans receive from our Democratic colleagues on this Caucus when their vote would actually make a difference in whether a measure passes or fails,” the congresswoman wrote.
If it passed, the bill would have authorized the use of federal land on the National Mall for an American Women’s History Museum. The Smithsonian could not start construction on the project until the land was transferred. The museum was set to be built in the area across from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
As the main co-sponsor, Malliotakis believed the legislation was important to honor biological women. Democrats disagreed with the GOP provision, which banned the planned museum from exhibiting transgender people.
“If not one Problem Solvers Democrat would vote for a straightforward measure to transfer federal land for a women’s history museum simply because it was amended through regular order, during the committee process, to ensure that only biological women are exhibited, then what can we actually rely on the Caucus’ Democrats to join us on?” she wrote before tendering her resignation, effective immediately.
After the floor vote, Malliotakis said there was “no reason for Democrats to pull their support over the word ‘biological.’” She added that the United States has “more than enough women to display in this museum that we shouldn’t be fighting over the need to have non-biological individuals in there.”
The six GOP defectors over the bill — Reps. Keith Self (R-TX), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Andy Harris (R-MD), and Tim Burchett (R-TN) — were concerned that “identity politics” would eventually seep into the Smithsonian museum’s programming if Democrats regain control of Congress.
The New York Republican said she “kind of knew that there might be one or two” Republicans who opposed the museum plan, but she was disappointed when six Republicans voted against the measure.
SIX REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMOCRATS IN SINKING LEGISLATION TO BUILD WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
However, she was more upset with the House Democrats who united against her effort.
“I don’t understand why we’re pulling bipartisan support from legislation to establish this museum,” Malliotakis said on the House floor. “As a matter of fact, let me read, so everybody at home knows exactly what this debate is over. It is over one sentence. ‘The museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, and lives experienced by biological women in the United States.’ That’s what the disagreement is about.”