Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) yelled at Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) on the House floor Wednesday over a comment Jacobs made saying that breast augmentations are gender-affirming care, with Mace later taking to social media to offer Jacobs a surgeon for a nose job.
The outburst came during debate on amendments to the annual defense authorization bill, with Mace leading several anti-transgender amendments, including one to prevent gender-affirming care under the military’s TRICARE health benefits.
“I would just like to point out that it’s interesting my colleague from South Carolina is so obsessed with the issue of trans people, using horrible slurs to talk about them, when many people in this body have received gender-affirming care,” Jacobs said on the House floor.
“Filler is gender-affirming care. Boob jobs is gender-affirming care. Botox is gender-affirming care,” Jacobs said. “Lots of my colleagues have received gender-affirming care, and let me be clear, everybody should have access to the gender-affirming care they need, and I think that we should respect everybody in this country.”
Mace, who was no longer recognized for debate and was elsewhere on the House floor, could be heard yelling at Jacobs for making comments about “my body.”
“Ridiculous,” Mace said. “You are absolutely ridiculous. What the hell is your problem?”
“You are disgusting. You are an insult,” Mace said, as the presiding officers gaveled and said that the House was not in order.
Jacobs requested to have Mace’s words be taken down — stricken from the official record — but no additional parliamentary consideration occurred because Mace was not recognized during the outburst.
Mace, who has made her personal stories of sexual assault and advocacy against transgender rights core to her political identity, then took to social media to continue scolding Jacobs.
“To @RepSaraJacobs, I talk about women’s safety and your response is commentary about my body on the House floor. If you knew anything about survivors you would know some women change their bodies because of the trauma of sexual violence. They live with the consequences for a lifetime,” Mace said.
“PS – I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done,” Mace added in the note to the Jewish congresswoman.
Jacobs, responding to a different post from Mace, said on X: “I feel sad for you. Stop lashing out against trans kids and pretending it’s to ‘protect women’. Hope you get the help you need.”
