New Colorado congresswoman WILL be allowed to take her gun to work after 83 Republicans sign letter supporting 1967 rule which exempts lawmakers from Capitol firearms ban
A new firearms-toting congresswoman will be allowed to take her gun to work after Nancy Pelosi did not change a rule from 1967 which exempts lawmakers from a Capitol weapons ban.
Republican Lauren Boebert, 33, sent a letter with the signatures of 83 current and incoming GOP Congress members, which urged House leadership to keep the rule after 21 Democrats urged a change.
And on Saturday, new rules revealed by Pelosi did not appear to include a weapons ban.
The 1967 regulation says no federal or District of Columbia laws restricting firearms 'shall prohibit any Member of Congress from maintaining firearms within the confines of his office' or 'from transporting within Capitol grounds firearms unloaded and securely wrapped'.
Lawmakers may not bring weapons into the House chamber and other nearby areas, the regulations say, according to a letter Rep Jared Huffman, wrote in 2018. Aides can carry lawmakers' weapons for them on the Capitol complex, he wrote.
Boebert - who owns a gun-themed restaurant in Rifle, Colorado - was elected in November after gaining notice as a brash pro-gun activist who straps a Glock pistol to her hip.
In an upset last June, she defeated five-term Rep Scott Tipton for the GOP nomination, in part by claiming he wasn't an ardent enough backer of President Donald Trump.
Republican Lauren Boebert, 33, appeared to score a victory for gun rights after sending a letter urging House leadership to keep a 1967 rule that exempts lawmakers from a ban on firearms inside the Capitol building
Earlier this month, 21 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking them to prohibit lawmakers from carrying weapons on Capitol Hill. Boebert called the move a 'dangerous' proposal
Earlier this month, 21 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking them to include 'a provision in the Rules package directing the Capitol Police Board to ensure that Members of Congress may not possess firearms on Capitol grounds'.
In response to that letter, Boebert wrote and led a letter slamming 'this dangerous and short-sighted proposal'.
Her letter then urged the House to keep the current regulations and allow members of Congress to carry in the Capitol Complex.
'I refuse to give up my Second Amendment rights. 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 US,' Boebert said in a statement.
'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,' she added.
The letter argues that if members 'can't carry on Capitol grounds, they can't protect themselves in DC while making their way to and from their offices to perform their official duties'.
Boebert's letter argues that if members 'can't carry on Capitol grounds, they can't protect themselves in DC while making their way to and from their offices to perform their official duties'
The letter adds: '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.'
Supporters of the letter wrote: 'Moreover, and most importantly, Members need to be able to protect themselves once the Member is in the public space/street and out of the protective care of the Capitol Police.
'If the current regulations are changed, the Member will be at risk of physical assault and real danger, especially after voicing views of his or her constituents that may not be held by others physically present in Washington, DC.'
It appeared on Saturday that Boebert scored a victory, as new rules revealed by Pelosi (pictured) did not appear to include a Democrat-proposed ban on firearms in the Capitol
Following the letter, Colorado Democrat Rep Jason Crow accused Boebert of 'disrespecting' Capitol police
Following the letter, Colorado Democrat Rep Jason Crow accused Boebert of 'disrespecting' Capitol police.
'@laurenboebert is disrespecting the Capitol Police. Her desire to carry a gun at the Capitol is a political stunt,' Crow wrote on Friday.
'The USCP are professionals & I have rarely felt safer. I should know. I've carried a gun for work. If Boebert wants to talk safety, I have legislation to discuss,' he added.
In November, Boebert, who runs gun-themed restaurant Shooters Grill, asked Capitol Police officials about carrying her weapon when she and other House freshmen take office this month.
Boebert, who Trump endorsed as 'a fighter' who will 'never bow down to the establishment in Congress,' did not comment on details of that conversation when asked at the time.
Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki did not respond to a reporter's questions about the department's communications with Boebert and the number of lawmakers who carry firearms.
Boebert runs Shooters Grill, a gun-themed restaurant in Rifle, Colorado
During her congressional campaign, Boebert posted many photos to her Instagram page of her carrying a gun of some type
The agency's officials did not answer directly when Democrats on the House Committee on Administration asked in 2018 how many lawmakers carry firearms in the Capitol. The officials said in a written response that they've 'been made aware' of inquiries about carrying weapons.
'There is no standing requirement' that lawmakers notify them when they carry a firearm in the Capitol, the officials wrote. Regulations require safe storage of weapons, but 'that responsibility resides with the Member,' they said.
In his letter to House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, Huffman summarized the regulations after being briefed on them by Irving.
An opponent of letting members of Congress carry guns on Capitol grounds, Huffman abandoned a 2018 effort to halt the practice due to colleagues' strong opposition and said in an interview that he wouldn't try again this year due to continued resistance.
Huffman said the loophole for lawmakers, adopted after a summer of racial unrest in American cities, is outdated and risky.
He said members and their staffs carry firearms around the Capitol 'all the time,' though he mentioned no names. He said lawmakers keep guns in their publicly accessible offices, though building entry has been limited due to COVID-19.
'Members could have a loaded AK47 sitting on their desk and no one would ever do anything about it,' Huffman said.
He also said with lawmakers exempted from passing through screening devices throughout the Capitol campus, 'no one checks' to make sure they're not bringing guns onto the House floor.
Boebert has also expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theories
Rep Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, justified letting lawmakers carry weapons. Massie, the chairman of the House Second Amendment Caucus, cited the 2017 shooting spree when a gunman wounded Rep Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, and four other people as they practiced baseball in nearby Alexandria, Virginia.
'As soon as you leave the Capitol property, you are a target,' Massie said.
Also supporting Boebert is Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia. Greene like Boebert has expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theories, though both have tried distancing themselves from the unfounded beliefs.
'Not only do I support members of Congress carrying a firearm, I believe every American has that right.' Greene said in a statement. 'I will work every day to end ALL gun free zones.'
Police periodically arrest people caught trying to bring firearms into the Capitol and its buildings.
In 1999, Corey Lewandowski - then a congressional aide and later a manager of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign - was arrested when what court records called a loaded pistol was found in a laundry bag he was bringing into a House office building. Misdemeanor charges were dismissed.
The Capitol Police protect the complex with over 2,300 officers and civilian employees, according to its website. Its officers routinely arrest people caught trying to carry weapons at the Capitol.
The regulations allowing lawmakers to carry guns was written by the Capitol Police Board, which consists of four of Congress' top law enforcement and administrative officials.
