Outspoken Republican US Rep. Lauren Boebert granted concealed carry permit in DC



After infuriating Democrats by carrying a gun on the job, outspoken freshman U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) was granted a concealed carry permit in Washington, D.C., the Hill reported.

What's the background?

So, why did the 5-foot, 100-pound congresswoman stir up so much angst among her leftist colleagues? Well, the following tweet from Boebert — a staunch Second Amendment supporter — may have been part of it:

Let me tell you why I WILL carry my Glock to Congress. Government does NOT get to tell me or my constituents how… https://t.co/yA5KuB38Mx
— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert)1609720406.0

The video in the latter tweet shows Boebert appearing to carry a gun around the Capitol — and The Hill said members are allowed to do so.

What did the DC police chief have to say?

While the video suggested the congresswoman was armed, Boebert never has been seen with a gun, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said at a press conference Thursday, the outlet reported. Contee also said after the ad was released that he learned a permit application was "in the works" at the department, The Hill added.

"As we do with all our permits, if citizens are allowed to carry, then we grant them a permit," Contee continued, according to the outlet. "In this case, she was allowed to carry, and she was granted a [concealed carry] permit. And yes, we did reach out to the office."

Anything else?

Boebert had expressed her desire to carry a gun on Capitol grounds well before she was sworn in early last month. In fact, 21 Democrats signed a Dec. 15 letter to House Leadership requesting a "change in House Rules for the 117th Congress to ensure that Members of Congress are held to the same firearm safety rules as the public while they are on Capitol grounds."

"Ultimately, the current regulations create needless risk for Members of Congress, their staff, members of the Capitol Police, and visitors to the Capitol grounds," the Democrats wrote.

In response, Boebert penned her own letter — signed by "83 members and member-elects of Congress in an effort to block a gun grab recently proposed by House Democrats."

"I refuse to give up my Second Amendment rights," Boebert wrote. "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."

Soon after, new rules for the 117th Congress did not appear to include the Democrats' proposed ban on lawmakers carrying guns inside the U.S. Capitol building — notching a win for Boebert on her first day at work.

But the her path forward still came with its share of bumps.

On the heels of the Capitol riot, a number of GOP members were reportedly "furious" Jan. 12 upon discovering they would need to pass through metal detectors manned by U.S. Capitol Police officers in order to gain entry to the House chamber. Boebert refused to comply with officers searching her bag before entry.

And then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the following day that the House will be considering a new rule that would impose hefty fines on lawmakers who refuse to comply with the added security measures.

Boebert's name first hit the public consciousness in 2014 with stories about her Colorado restaurant "Shooters Grill," where servers exercise their open-carry rights. She made even bigger headlines in 2019 by standing up to then-presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke — who infamously declared, "Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47" — by telling him, "I am here to say: Hell no, you're not."

Nancy Pelosi blasts Republican members of Congress as the 'enemy within’



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) must not have heard President Joe Biden's repeated calls for "unity." Pelosi blasted her colleagues, even going so far as to disparage Republican lawmakers, claiming "the enemy is within the House of Representatives."

During her weekly news conference, Pelosi addressed several topics, including the impeachment of former President Donald Trump, past remarks by Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and the possibility of adding more security at the U.S. Capitol to protect Democrats against GOP Congress members.

"I do believe, and I have said this all along, that we will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the House of Representatives, a threat that members are concerned about in addition to what is happening outside," Pelosi told reporters Thursday.

When asked to clarify what she meant by "the enemy" within, Pelosi doubled down by saying, "It means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress."

Speaker Pelosi: "We will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the Ho… https://t.co/MuuFqdZhhb
— The Hill (@The Hill)1611854704.0


Reporter: "What exactly did you mean when you said that 'the enemy is within'" the House?Speaker Pelosi: "It mean… https://t.co/3M37nUMOBc
— NBC Politics (@NBC Politics)1611853695.0

Freshman Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert from Colorado sparked the debate on if politicians should be permitted to carry firearms at the Capitol building ever since she won her election in November and promised to bring her gun to Washington, D.C.

A 1967 regulation allows Congress to carry a firearm into their office, but, are prohibited from bringing weapons into the House chamber and other nearby areas.

The Capitol riots on Jan. 6 brought on far more stringent security in the building. Some Democrats have since claimed that they are terrified of their GOP colleagues, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who said, "We still don't yet feel safe around other members of Congress."

AOC mentioned Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), who reportedly attempted to enter the House chamber, but was allegedly denied access after his firearm in his suit coat set off a metal detector.

Republicans Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) were thankful that they were armed during the storming of the Capitol.

"Fortunately, I was armed, so we would have been able to protect ourselves," Cawthorn said.

Massie explained, "The next member who argues Congressmen shouldn't be allowed to carry firearms at work needs to be laughed out of the Capitol. Several of us were glad to be armed while barricaded for hours in our offices with our staff."

During Thursday's news conference, Pelosi had stern words for Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) regarding her past comments questioning deadly school shootings. Pelosi blasted Republican leadership in the House of Representatives for assigning Greene to the Education Committee.

"Who was willing to overlook, ignore those statements," Pelosi said. "When she has mocked the killing of little children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when she has mocked the killing of teenagers in high school, at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, what could they be thinking or thinking too generous a word for what they might be doing? It's absolutely appalling and I think that the focus has to be on the Republican leadership of this House of Representatives for the disregard they have for the death of those children."

A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told The Hill, "These comments are deeply disturbing and Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them."

Democrats have introduced a resolution to have Greene expelled from the House of Representatives.

Pelosi was also asked about the GameStop stock situation, which she deemed as "interesting."

"Interesting, isn't it? I understand that the administration is taking a look, the SEC is taking a look at what that is. But we'll all be reviewing it, but interesting. It's interesting, yeah."

Pelosi says "the enemy is within" Congress www.youtube.com