WASHINGTON (KDVR) — U.S. Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert is criticizing Democratic members of the House who are trying to ban lawmakers from carrying guns at the Capitol.
On Tuesday, 21 representatives sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy asking for firearms to be banned on US Capitol grounds.
According to Fox News, they want the ban included in the House rules package that lawmakers will vote on when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2021.
Under current rules, the public cannot carry guns at the Capitol but lawmakers can.
The Democrats who wrote the letter expressed concerns that because lawmakers are not required to secure firearms stored in their offices, the weapons could end up “in the wrong hands.” They argued that current regulations (which were established in 1967) present a “needless risk” for lawmakers, staff, police and visitors.
Boebert — an outspoken supporter of the Second Amendment — said she is adamantly opposed to the effort.
“The Democrats are always up for stripping away our Constitutional rights and feel threatened when we simply want to exercise those rights,” Boebert told Fox News Wednesday. “I carry a firearm to protect myself and want to exercise my right to do so in one of the most dangerous cities in America. They want to take that right away from me. I look forward to helping make sure they can’t.”
In November, Boebert said she had already asked Capitol Police about carrying her weapon. She said she is concerned about times when she would be walking alone on Capitol grounds.
“Democrats know why voters sent me to Congress, ” she told Fox News. “They know I’ll do exactly what I promised. I am here to defend the rights of the American people. I will not bow down to their cancel mob.”
Boebert was elected to represent Colorado’s Third Congressional District in November. The district covers 29 counties — mostly in western Colorado — and 47% of Colorado’s geographic territory. She owns “Shooters,” a gun-themed restaurant in Rifle.
Fox News reported that spokespeople for Pelosi and McCarthy did not immediately offer comment on whether they support a firearms ban.