Palmer backs bill limiting DAR membership to biological women

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama has stepped into a national debate, joining a growing coalition of House Republicans to back the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act. The legislation aims to amend the DAR’s federal charter, specifically codifying that membership is restricted to biological women who meet the organization's long-standing lineage requirements.

Legislative Push Follows Internal DAR Controversy

The bill, introduced by Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia, arrives after years of internal friction regarding the DAR’s inclusion policies. The organization, founded in 1890 and chartered by Congress in 1896, typically requires members to prove direct lineal descent from those who supported the American cause during the Revolutionary War.

Tensions flared in 2023 when the DAR adopted new nondiscrimination language. Following the policy update, President General Pamela Rouse Wright confirmed that transgender women meeting genealogical standards were eligible to join. This sparked the creation of the group Daughters Advocating for Restoration, which has pushed unsuccessfully for leadership to return to a biological definition of membership.

Palmer Calls for 'Commonsense' Policy

For Palmer, a Republican from Hoover seeking his seventh term in Alabama’s 6th District, the legislation is a necessary step to protect the organization's history. "It should be commonsense that to be a part of the Daughters of the American Revolution, you have to be a daughter," Palmer said. "Congress will not allow radical activists to erase womanhood from one of our nation’s oldest patriotic organizations."

Palmer is joined by more than 20 House Republicans, including Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt. The bill has also garnered endorsements from conservative groups like the Independent Women and the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee.

Declining Membership and Future Outlook

The legislative effort coincides with ongoing struggles for the organization. During the 2026 Continental Congress, delegates voted 1,481 to 1,984 against a proposed bylaw amendment that would have restricted membership to those born female. While the DAR has not directly tied membership trends to these policy shifts, ALPolitics.com reported that nearly 4,900 members resigned between July 2023 and February 2024, at which point the organization ceased the routine publication of resignation totals.