WASHINGTON -- This time was supposed to be different.

After South Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace made a spectacle of transgender people’s access to bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol at the end of the 118th Congress last year, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has quietly announced a rule restricting bathroom usage in the 119th Congress.

Johnson, of Louisiana, has been working diligently to prevent defeat, spending New Year’s Day at Mar-a-Lago as he positions himself alongside Trump. The speaker often portrays himself as the “quarterback” who will be executing the political plays called by the “coach,” the president-elect.