Latest news with #SarahMcBride
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Watch: Congresswoman kicked off camera after sleeping during House speech
A Democrat congresswoman was moved off camera after sleeping during Hakeem Jeffries's eight-hour-long speech delaying the passage of Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill'. With the massive budget measure passed by the Senate on Wednesday, and having been voted through the House of Representatives, the bill will now become law. However, in the early hours of Thursday morning, following an overnight debate in the House, Democratic Minority Leader Mr Jeffries started speaking in an effort to slow passage of the bill. Some speculated over whether Mr Jeffries, the congressional representative for New York's 8th district, was trying to push the voting through of the bill past Mr Trump's deadline of July 4. However, his efforts were in vain and the bill passed 218-214. As people tuned in to watch Mr Jeffries's so-called 'Magic Minute' pass more than eight hours and break a previous record, a colleague sitting directly behind him could be seen snoozing. Democrat @Marcy_Kaptur failed and failed and failed and failed to stay awake — Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 3, 2025 Video posted on social media showed what appeared to be a staff member or colleague tap Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, 79, on the shoulder to wake her. She was promptly replaced by Delaware congresswoman Sarah McBride. And here's the moment when @Marcy_Kaptur got the tap on the shoulder from Democrat staff to leave and be replaced by Delaware Representative McBride — Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 3, 2025 Republican state representative, Josh Williams, who plans to challenge and defeat the Democrat in the 2026 elections, wrote on X: 'Marcy Kaptur has been sleeping on the job for longer than I've been alive.' He added: 'Enough is enough! Northwest Ohio deserves real representation in Congress, not a slumbering career politician who votes for record tax increases.' Sleep-deprived politicians The snoozing of Ms Kaptur, who has represented Ohio's 9th congressional district since 1983, came after a series of sleep-deprived nights for many politicians involved in votes on Mr Trump's main domestic measure. Often the voting has gone on until the early hours. Democrats have been united in their opposition to the measures proposed in Mr Trump's bill, arguing that millions of people will lose access to health care and welfare items such as food stamps. Without enough votes in either the Senate or the House to stop passage of the measure, they have been reduced to largely symbolic acts of resistance. In one such move, Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, mandated that the entire 940-page bill be read aloud. On Thursday, Mr Jeffries was making use of his right as leader to speak for longer than usual than the allotted minute and highlight what he claimed were the perils to millions of Americans contained in Mr Trump's measures. Starting speaking a little before 5am, he said he did not care about Mr Trump's demand to have the bill passed by July 4. He added: 'I'm here today to make it clear that I'm going to take my time and ensure that the American people fully understand how damaging this bill will be to their quality of life.'
Axios
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Transgender representation in public office has skyrocketed
Transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming representation in public office has soared by 1,800% since 2017, a report released Wednesday found. The big picture: Skyrocketing representation comes as there are mounting attacks on the transgender community in hundreds of state-level bills and a Trump-emboldened Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C. President Trump has signed a number of sweeping executive orders singling out transgender Americans that have had massive and swift repercussions, inviting a slew of legal challenges. But 2025 also brought victories for representation, from Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) making history as the first openly transgender member of Congress and wins throughout other levels of government. Driving the news: The number of known elected officials identifying as LGBTQ+ in the U.S. has grown to more than 1,330 as of May 5, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute's 2025 Out for America report, an annual analysis of the state of LGBTQ+ representation. Between June 2024 and May 2025, the number of LGBTQ+ elected officials grew by 2.4% — and since 2017, representation has swelled by 198%. Since last year, the number of LGBTQ+ elected officials of color increased by nearly 7%. What they're saying:"Despite hateful rhetoric plaguing the 2024 election cycle, LGBTQ+ elected officials won at the ballot box and made history," LGBTQ+ Victory Institute President and CEO Evan Low said in a statement. "We know these exceptionally talented public servants are exactly what we need as the antidote to combat the anti-equality virus in our halls of power," he continued. One stunning stat: Transgender representation grew only slightly between 2024 and 2025, but since 2017, it's increased by 783%, according to the Victory Institute's count. Nonbinary representation remained the same between 2024 and 2025, but it has grown 3,900% since 2017, from zero to 39 officials. Friction point: Transgender and gender-nonconforming people bore the brunt of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents tracked by GLAAD's ALERT desk over the past year or so. Of the more than 930 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents tracked, more than half targeted transgender and gender nonconforming people. And throughout Pride Month — which the White House has not yet recognized — the Trump administration has only doubled down on its increasingly hostile approach to the LGBTQ+ community, and in particular, transgender people. The threats are not confined to the federal level: In the 2025 legislative session, the ACLU is tracking hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills. Yes, but: While the LGBTQ+ community has made historic gains, it is still vastly underrepresented, according to the Victory Institute. Case in point: As of May 5, there are 243 LGBTQ+ state legislators; 461 more must be elected to achieve equitable representation. The bottom line:"Our elected officials are the backbone of the equality movement," LGBTQ+ Victory Institute Executive Director Elliot Imse said in a statement.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Delaware governor signs executive order protecting gender-affirming care
On Friday, Delaware Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order increasing protection for receivers and providers of gender-affirming care. 'In Delaware, we cherish privacy, dignity and the right to make personal medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to access healthcare rooted in science and compassion,' said Meyer. The executive order prohibits any state agency from providing 'medical records, data or billing information, or utilize state resources' that could help any criminal or civil investigation against someone receiving or providing gender-affirming care. It also dictated that the state professional regulations board cannot disbar healthcare professionals only due to providing gender-affirming care. California, New York, Illinois and 11 other states, and Washington, D.C., have enacted similar legislation to shield patients and doctors from aggressive legislation in states where gender-affirming care is highly restricted. Patients can now travel to shield states to receive their care without fear of retribution in their home states. This comes after a Supreme Court decision on June 18 that upheld Tennessee's decision to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. 'This ruling undermines doctors in delivering care to some of the most vulnerable patients in our country,' Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress, said Wednesday on the social platform X. Since President Trump took office transgender rights have increasingly been limited. Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders, has tried to ban transgender troops from the military, has refused requests to change the gender of passports and has tried to defund gender-affirming medical care. Delaware has a long history of tolerance for LGBTQ populations. According to the order, the state hosts 40,000 LGBTQ individuals and 6,300 transgender adults. In 2013, it legalized same-sex marriage and implemented anti-discrimination laws in housing, employment and public accommodation. 'We will do everything in our power to protect transgender families in the state of Delaware and throughout the country,' the Executive Committee of the Delaware Democratic Party PRIDE Caucus said in a press statement earlier this week. 'We call on every legislator, from the state and county level to the federal level, to speak out and step up. This is the moment to act – not with caution, but with courage.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trans Dem Rep. McBride suggests party went too far with transgender agenda before public was ready
Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., told the New York Times on Tuesday that the Democratic Party may have overplayed their hand with regard to trans issues during the 2024 election cycle. McBride, the first transgender representative who was elected to Congress in 2024, spoke to The New York Times' Ezra Klein about where the Democratic Party went wrong on transgender issues and how they should approach winning back the public. "I think that's an accurate reflection of the overplaying of the hand in some ways — that we as a coalition went to Trans 201, Trans 301, when people were still at a very much Trans 101 stage," McBride said. McBride suggested that the trans movement caused a perceived cultural aggression that allowed the GOP to say, "We're punishing trans people because of their actions. Rather than: We're going after innocent bystanders." "And I think some of the cultural mores and norms that started to develop around inclusion of trans people were probably premature for a lot of people. We became absolutist — not just on trans rights but across the progressive movement — and we forgot that in a democracy we have to grapple with where the public authentically is and actually engage with it. Part of this is fostered by social media," the Delaware lawmaker said. McBride argued that progressives pushed for every single perfect policy and cultural norm without keeping public opinion in mind. "We decided that we now have to say and fight for and push for every single perfect policy and cultural norm right now, regardless of whether the public is ready. And I think it misunderstands the role that politicians and, frankly, social movements have in maintaining proximity to public opinion, of walking people to a place," McBride told the NYT. The Democratic lawmaker cautioned the party not to get too far ahead of public opinion and said they lose their grip on it if they do. "And I think a lot of the conversations around sports and also some of the cultural changes that we saw in expected workplace behavior, etc. was the byproduct of maybe just getting too far out ahead and not actually engaging in the art of social change-making," McBride continued. McBride said in November that the GOP's focus on countering trans issues was a "distraction." "I think we are all united that attempts to attack a vulnerable community are not only mean-spirited, but really an attempt to misdirect. Because every single time we hear the incoming administration or Republicans in Congress talk about any vulnerable group in this country, we have to be clear that it is an attempt to distract," McBride said during an interview last year with CBS. The lawmaker was surprised by Republicans prioritizing efforts to keep transgender athletes out of girls' sports, according to a January 2025 interview. "I've had conversations with colleagues about many of the bills that are coming before us and certainly have heard from some colleagues who, like me, are mystified that this is a priority for a Republican conference that is entering a Republican trifecta, that this is an issue that they prioritize," McBride said. McBride noted during the interview with Klein that the transgender movement needed to negotiate with public opinion, and that they shouldn't treat the public like Republican politicians. "When you recognize that distinction, I think it allows for a pragmatic approach that has, in my mind, the best possible chance of shifting public opinion as quickly as possible. It would be one thing if screaming about how dangerous this is right now had the effect of stopping these attacks, but it won't," McBride said.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Sarah McBride Says Attacks on Her Gender Identity Show Jealousy of 'Bullies': 'Hurt People Hurt People' (Exclusive)
Sarah McBride made history by becoming the first openly transgender member of the House of Representatives Her congressional campaign is the subject of the new documentary State of Firsts The film premiered June 7 at the Tribeca FestivalRep. Sarah McBride refuses to let criticism bog her down. The Delaware congresswoman made history in November 2024 when she became the first openly transgender person elected to the House of Representatives. However, her boundary-breaking win also came with hate, discrimination and deliberate misgendering by critics and colleagues. McBride, whose trailblazing campaign is the subject of the new documentary State of Firsts, which premiered June 7 at the Tribeca Festival and will screen through June 11, tells PEOPLE that "it's not always easy" to face the critics. "It is hard and it gets to me," she says, adding, "I'm not new to hate." "Every job I've ever had, I've had death threats," says McBride, who was a state senator and political advocate prior to joining Congress. "I'm not new to feeling out there and vulnerable." The way McBride sees it, attacks on her gender identity aren't really about her. "When people try to diminish me or impugn my dignity, it says a lot more about them than it does me," she says. "I truly believe that hurt people hurt people." Since her first term in Congress began in January, McBride has been targeted by a bathroom bill from Rep. Nancy Mace or South Carolina — which bans transgender people from using restrooms that don't correspond with their sex at birth — and was intentionally and repeatedly misgendered by Texas Rep. Keith Self during a hearing. Both moments are included in State of Firsts, which features a clip of Mace responding to a reporter who asks if her bathroom resolution is linked to McBride's arrival in Congress. "Yes, and absolutely and then some," Mace replies. McBride says in the documentary that she didn't realize the bathroom issue would blow up, but soon realized, "There will be members who will confront me in the women's restroom to have a viral moment." She adds that she knew she would be targeted more as her campaign progressed, and once Republicans maintained control of the House after the 2024 election, she started to think, "They're going to try to ban me from the restroom." While speaking with PEOPLE, McBride says she's undeterred by such attacks. "Everyone deals with something about themselves that society tells them they should be ashamed of or that they should hide," she says. "The thing about so many of us who live openly and authentically is we have taken that thing that society has told us we should hide, and we've not only accepted it, but in many cases we are walking forward from a place of pride in it." That confidence, McBride says, is something her critics want for themselves. "The bullies see that power, they see that individual agency in conquering our own fears and our own insecurities, and they're jealous of it," McBride tells PEOPLE. "I am reminded in those moments that I am powerful just by being." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The congresswoman even has kind words for her detractors, sharing a hopeful message for the people who've come after her. "I hope that those who are not summoning the best versions of themselves, that they find healing, that they find courage, that they find love, and that they find a home within themselves and in this world that they so clearly yearn for," she says. State of Firsts director Chase Joynt filmed McBride in the days before, during and after her historic campaign, capturing highs like the night she won her election, but also difficult moments like blatant disrespect from her colleagues in Washington and backlash from the trans community when she agreed to follow the Capitol's bathroom policy. In a statement included in the State of Firsts' press notes, Joynt said, "We could not have anticipated the force with which Sarah herself would become the central target of transphobic assaults in the rise of Trump's second presidency." McBride, who recently marked 100 days in office, tells PEOPLE that despite the hurdles she faced in the first few weeks and months as a Congresswoman, she's "confident" and "determined" — and her bullies have "moved on." "They realized that I'm not gonna play their game," she says. Read the original article on People
