Newly elected Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO) is taking the Capitol by storm.
A Second Amendment enthusiast and vocal backer of President Trump, Boebert is the owner of a gun-themed restaurant in Rifle, Colo., called Shooters Grill. And as she notes in a new ad, she’s coming to one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S. — Washington, D.C.
At 5 feet tall and just 100 pounds, the 34-year-old mother of four has vowed to carry a weapon while in the city, and even to the Capitol. She makes a strong case in her three-minute video, which opens with her finishing a campaign ad, then grabbing gun on a table, kicking a round into the chamber and holstering the weapon behind her sport coat.
“I’m a newly elected congresswoman from Colorado. Even though I now work in one of the most liberal cities in America, I refuse to give up my rights, especially my Second Amendment rights,” Boebert says.
“I will carry my firearm in D.C., and in Congress. This caused outrage from Democrats in the media. Why? It’s our job in Congress to defend your rights, including your Second Amendment, and that’s exactly what I’m here to do. In DC, of all places, we should be encouraged to practice our rights.”
“So forget what you hear in the fake news. Here are the real reasons why I choose to defend myself in our nation’s capital. I’m a woman and a mother of four. I choose to defend my family with all of the force the Constitution provides. D.C. is one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in our country. Homicide rates and violent crimes are skyrocketing here.
“Being a member of Congress is pretty basic. I don’t go to work in a motorcade or armored car. I don’t get police escorts everywhere I go. I walk to my office every morning by myself. So as a five-foot-tall, 100- pound woman, I choose to protect myself legally, because I am my best security.”
“One of the challenges of working in DC is people here don’t understand how we live in real America. The Second Amendment is part of our lives, gun ownership is cherished, and it makes our little town safer. As a young woman working late nights at a restaurant, I learned real fast how important it is to defend myself. After a violent incident outside my business, I took advantage of Colorado’s open carry laws and began to carry at work.”
“My waitresses asked if they could open carry to0, and now Shooters Grill has mandatory firearm training and target practice available for my staff, most of whom are young women. Educated, law-abiding gun owners are the safest people in America to be around. “So when anyone comes in to limit the rights and safety of my family, I’ll tell them exactly what this mom thinks,” she says.
“So this is why I choose to defend myself and my family. Not only is it my right, but it’s a right I was sent here to protect from Rifle, Colorado.
“So if you see me in D.C., say hi. You’re safe with me.”
On Friday, Boebert wrote a letter to House leadership, urging them to keep intact a 1967 rule that exempts lawmakers from a ban on carrying firearms inside the Capitol building.
“I refuse to give up my Second Amendment rights,” Boebert said in a statement. “I’m a 5-foot tall, 100-pound mom with four children and will be walking to work and serving in one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. I choose to defend my family and my life with all of the force the Constitution provides. I will not let a bunch of gun-grabbing House Democrats take away my Constitutional right to protect myself.”
Her letter, signed by 82 other current and incoming GOP Congress members — including Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — “came three days after 21 Democratic lawmakers asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to change the 53-year-old rule to keep Boebert from carrying her gun into work,” Fox News reported.
“On Saturday, it appeared Boebert scored a victory, as new rules unveiled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not appear to include a Democrat-proposed ban on firearms in the Capitol,” Fox wrote.
In their letter, the 83 lawmakers and member-elects stated: “If Members can’t carry on Capitol grounds, they can’t protect themselves in D.C. while making their way to and from their offices to perform their official duties. The ‘last-mile’ transition of self-protection is critical. The current regulations provide transitional coverage once the Member is physically on campus. Changing the current regulations could create new problems and uncertainty for lawful carrying Members in terms of what to do with a firearm once the Member arrives at the Congressional Complex.”
Related: Incoming GOP Lawmaker Appears To Score Win On Right To Carry Gun In Capitol